Portugal Flashcards
What is the significance of the Treaty of Methuen?
A treaty signed by England and Portugal in 1703, establishing a long-lasting trade agreement between the two nations and preferential tariffs for Portuguese wines ( especially over French wines like Claret).
What was the Companhia Geral dos Vinhos do Alto Douro, or Douro Wine Company, and why was it created?
High demand for Port from the English led to a slew of fraudulent practices in Port production, and quality was plummeting. To eliminate the fraud and to instill regulatory measures the Duoro Wine Company was est. in 1756. They developed a methodology for grading Port vineyards and authorized each individual farmer’s production allotment relative to the vineyard’s grade. They also regulated grape prices, fixed pricing on the finished wines, managed exports and monopolized the sale of Portuguese brandy (aguardente) used in the fortification process.
Under the Douro Wine Company, what was the difference between being classified as ‘feitoria’ and being classified as ‘rama’?
Between 1758 and 1761, the 335 best vineyards were classified as ‘feitoria’ and marked with stones, signifying fruit reserved for the English market. Lesser vineyards ‘rama’ provided domestic wines.
What is the modern day version of the Douro Wine Company in Portugal?
Today we have the government-run Douro Port Wine Institute (IVDP) manages the appellation and its regulations.
During the 1800s, what would be the difference between a Madeira labeled as ‘Vinhos ao Roda’ and a Madeira labeled as ‘Vinhos Canteiro’?
Vinhos ao Roda—wines that had undergone the torna viagem (round trip) across the Atlantic, or to the East Indies and back—sold for much higher prices than Vinhos Canteiro, the wines that matured on the island.
When phylloxera devastated Portugal in the 1867, what was the one area that was spared?
Only Colares, near Lisboa, was spared from the root louse.
What are the three Portuguese wine classifications?
Denominação de Origem Protegida (DOP), Indicação Geogràfica Protegida (IGP), or Vinhos de Mesa, or simply Vinho—table wine.
As of 2017, what are the 14 IGP’s of Portugal?
Minho, Transmontano, Duriense, Terras do Dão, Terras de Cister, Terras da Beira, Beira Atlântico, Tejo, Lisboa, Alentejano, Península de Setúbal, Algarve, Terras Madeirenses, and Açores.
What does it mean if Portuguese table wines are labeled as ‘garrafeira’?
Translates to ‘private wine cellar’- referring to a vintage-dated IGP or DOP wine.
What are the aging requirements for tinto, branco, and rosado garrafeira wines?
Tinto (red) garrafeira wines must age for a minimum 30 months, including at least 12 months in bottle. Branco (white) and rosado garrafeira wines must age for a minimum 12 months with at least 6 in bottle.
What would a vintage garrafeira Port refer to? Who pioneered this?
A Port style pioneered by Niepoort has a separate connotation: following a few years’ aging in barrels, the Port is matured for a period of at least eight years in glass demijohns.
For traditional method sparkling Portuguese wines, what does ‘reserva’ indicated?
A minimum period of 12 months on the lees prior to dégorgement.
What does ‘Colheita Seleccionada’ indicate on a label?
A minimum 1% higher alcohol content than that established by the regional appellation.
What is the most widely grown grape variety (or “casta”) in Portugal?
Castelão, an adaptable varietal producing typically full-bodied, tannic wines with meaty, red-fruit aromas.
What are two important synonyms for Touriga Nacional?
Bical Tinto and Mortágua Preto
What is the most widely planted white casta in Portugal?
Fernão Pires, known as Maria Gomes in Bairrada, is the most planted white casta in the country.
What is the largest DOP in Portugal?
Vinho Verde DOP, representing 15% of the nation’s total vineyard acreage. There are nearly 60,000 hectares of land under vine.
What IGP does the Vinho Verde DOP share exact geographical boundaries with?
The Minho IGP
What is the general soil type in the Vinho Verde DOP?
Granitic soils
What is the most widely planted grape in the Vinho Verde DOP?
Loureiro
Where are you most likely to find varietally-bottled Alvarinho?
The grape is chiefly bottled as a varietal wine near the northern town of Monção, situated directly across the Minho River from Rías Baixas’ Condado do Tea region. Monção e Melgaço Alvarinho remains a bright spot for quality in a region driven by high yields and mass production.
In Minho IGP/Vinho Verde DOP, oftentimes the reds and whites are slightly effervescent. Why is this?
The whites are sparkling because of a carbon dioxide injection prior to bottling. The red wines, also pétillant, gain their sparkle from malolactic fermentation in the bottle, a process usually avoided for white wines.
What are the 3 non-contiguous subregions of the Tras-os-Montes DOP (all located within the Transmontano IGP)?
Chaves, Valpacos, and Planalto Mirandes
What was Portugal’s first demarcated wine region?
The Douro DOP
What is the preferred soil type for Port?
Schist
What are the 3 subzones in the Douro DOP? What are the main differences between each one?
1) Baixo Corgo (highest density of plantings)
2) Cima Corgo (highest total vineyard acreage)
3) Douro Superior (largest, most arid, most sparsely planted)
In the Douro, what are the requirements for ‘reserva’ wines?
Min alcohol must be 11.5% -12%. White reserva must be aged for 6 months, red reserva must be aged for a year.
What is the name for sparkling wines coming from the Douro?
Espumanto do Douro
