Portugal Flashcards
Describe the growing environment in the northwest, inland and southern parts of Portugal.
Northwest: cool and rainy
Inland: continental (protection from mtn ranges)
South: warmer, drier rolling hills
Does Portugal depend more on local or international varieties?
International in recent past to gain a foothold in the export market, but more recently there is a growing tendency to work with local varieties
Where is Encruzado’s “home region”?
Dão
How did winemaking practices in Portugal change with their succession to the EU?
A lot of modernization; protective winemaking with stainless steel tanks, temperature control, destemming machines; mainly French oak
What are the three quality level designations in Portugal?
DOC/DOP
VR (Vinho Regional)
Vinho
What is the largest wine company in Portugal?
Sogrape; operates in Vinho Verde, Douro, Dão, Alentejo, Lisboa
Annual revenue exceeds total of next 7 biggest producers combined
What is the main soil type in Vinho Verde and why is this important to the region?
Transitive bedrock with decomposed granite/sandy topsoil; important for good drainage for a high rainfall region
What are the common vine training systems in Vinho Verde?
Most planted with single/double Guyot with VSP or lyre; high from ground to increase air circulation
What is the most widely grape planted in Vinho Verde?
Loureiro, followed by Pederna (Arinto), Avesso, and Trajadura (Treixadura)
What is ownership of vineyards like in Vinho Verde?
Very fragmented; there are over 17,000 growers that work about 1500 hectares (avg land holding is 1/10 hectare)
What was the Douro’s first “claim to fame” unfortified red table wine?
Barca Velho by Almeida (Ferreira Port), first vintage 1952
What 2 actions helped to kickstart the development of unfortified Douro wines?
When Portugal joined the EU in 1986 and got appropriate funding; law changed to allow single estates to export wines instead only out of Vila Nova de Gaia
What are Douro’s three sub regions?
Baixo Corgo (west)
Cima Corgo
Douro Superior
Discuss the soils in terms of water retention in the Douro.
Very low water retention in the decomposed schist, but bedrock splits vertically so vines can dig deep for water
Describe the general winemaking style of red wines in the Douro.
Destemmed (grapes are naturally high in tannins), stainless steel fermentation for temp control, perhaps post-fermentation maceration, barriques common for maturation
What labeling can producers use in the Douro if they want to use non local varieties?
VR Duriense
What is the difficulty in making unfortified wine in Port country in terms of costs?
Grape prices for Douro DOC grapes is substantially lower than for Port, so in a surplus year the prices can drop so low that they are below the cost of production
How does the climate of the Douro differ from the Dão?
Dão has higher rainfall and is more Mediterranean; mountains surround it which protects from cool west/arid east and south
What are the differences between red wines from the Douro and from the Dão?
Dão wines are generally lighter, less intense, fresher and with higher acidity
What is exporting like for the Dão?
Only 15-20% of Dão wine is exported
What grape is Bairrada known for, and what kind of wines does it make?
Baga; high acid, high tannin, medium bodied red wines. In past, was used for bulk production and Mateus Rosé
What is Portugal’s most planted white grape?
Maria Gomes
What is Vinho de Talha DOC in Portugal?
DOC covering the same zone as Alentejo, for wines fermented on skins in talha (amphora)
Describe the climate and geography of Alentejo.
Mediterranean climate; extreme temps more inland. Plains and gentle slopes with some mtns and a wide range of soils
What are the top three most grown grapes in Alentejo?
Aragonez
Alicante Bouschet
Trincadeira
Commercially, which region has the largest sales of any in Portugal?
Alentejo (40% of domestic market; 20% of total Portuguese exports)
What are land holdings and wineries like in Alentejo?
Large land holdings and wine tourism with modern designer buildings
Describe the geography and climate of Lisboa.
A coastal mountain range runs n-s through the region
Western side: wet weather, windy
Eastern side: more protected, warmer, drier
What grapes tend to be grown in Lisboa?
Both local and international; newer region with a lot of diversity, so character of region is still being discovered
