Portugal Breakdown Flashcards
Introduction - Portugal
Climate - The west of the Portuguese mainland is strongly influenced by the Atlantic, which brings cool, rainy weather particularly to the north west. Ranges of mountains protect many of the more inland northerly wine regions which, with a continental climate, enjoy warmer, drier growing seasons. In the warmer, drier south, the topography is characterised largely by rolling hills and plains. Schist or granite soils in - mountainous regions, such as Vinho Verde, Douro and Dão. The wine regions further south near the coast such as Bairrada, Lisboa, Tejo and Península de Setúbal, have more varied soils: some areas have clay soils with a high limestone content, whereas other areas have sandy soils. There are also some fertile alluvial soils around riverbanks, for example in Tejo.
Plantings decreased 30% since 1990 vine pull. EU membership improved production technology. The Alentejo region n particular has seen significant investment and vineyard growth, due to EU funds and the recruitment of consultant winemakers.
Extreme weather events an issue.
Portugal grows a wide variety of grapes, most of which are Portuguese in origin - Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Maria Gomez… Certain international varieties are allowed in some regions, such as Tejo, Alentejo, Bairrada, and in some sub-regions of Lisboa and Península de Setúbal, but not in the Douro, Dão or Vinho Verde.
The majority of vineyards are pruned and trained to either cordon or replacement-cane, and VSP trellised. A significant number of old bush vines can be found in the Douro and certain areas of Alentejo.
In the past, large (3,000–6,000 L) Portuguese oak and Brazilian hardwood toneis were commonly used and the tradition has been maintained by some high- profile wineries mainly in Bairrada. In line with worldwide trends, producers have become more restrained in their use of oak than in past decades, reducing the amount of new oak and/or time in wood and ageing wines in larger format oak.
fermenting and foot-treading in lagares (shallow fermenters often made from local material (schist, granite, marble), or now easy-to-clean stainless steel, is regularly practised among producers up and down Portugal.
Introduction - Portugal Wine Laws
Portugal follows a PDO and PGI system of geographical indications to protect its wine regions and wine styles.
DOC/DOP - 31. Each DOC has its own regulations on grape growing and winemaking and all wines must be officially tested, tasted and approved.
VR – Vinho Regional (VR) is the widely used traditional term for PGI wines. There are 14 VRs in Portugal and their regulations are less stringent than those for PDOs.
Vinho – This term is used for wines that are not of PDO or PGI status.
currently the 12th largest wine producing country, but 9th largest exporter of wine. DOC wines made up 27 per cent of this volume but 40 per cent in value.
Vinho Verde
81% white, 14% red and 5% rosé (was 80% red in the 1960s!)
The most widely grown grape variety is Loureiro (predominantly grown towards the coast). The second most widely grown is Alvarinho (Traditionally, it had been grown almost exclusively in the north of Vinho Verde, in a sub-region just south of the Spanish border). The third most planted grape variety is Pedernã. Other grapes varieties include Avesso and Trajadura. Vinhão (called Sousão in the Douro) is by far the most planted black grape variety, producing deeply coloured wines with cherry fruit and characteristic high acidity.
Soil is granitic bedrock with a shallow topsoil of decomposed granite with a sandy texture, providing good drainage.
Vinho Verde has a moderate maritime climate thanks to its Atlantic coast and a network of river valleys that funnel Atlantic winds inland. As the land gradually rises to the east, soils become poorer and the climate becomes more continental. 1,500 mm rain, fungal diseases including rot and mildew are a problem..
Inexpensive, high-volume wines (carbon dioxide is often added at bottling to give a light spritz.). Higher priced wines, often from smaller, boutique producers. min 8-9% ABV (higher alcohol if subregion named)
Single varietal Alvarinho from Monção e Melgaço must be made to lower maximum yields than those for wines from Vinho Verde in general and have a minimum alcohol level of 11.5% abv. Legislation permits only the sub-region of Monção e Melgaço to name Alvarinho on their labels as a single variety.
Douro
Douro region makes more wine than any other in Portugal. red (70%), rosé or white wines. Port still accounts for over 60% of the region’s total production
production of high-quality Douro unfortified wine did not get underway generally until Portugal joined the European Community (now EU) in 1986, bringing the necessary finance to invest in modern winemaking equipment such as stainless-steel tanks with temperature control.
three sub-regions, the Douro Superior (Upper Douro) in the east, the Cima Corgo in the centre, and the Baixo Corgo in the west. Serra do Marão mountains at 1,400m shields to west.
usually blends of grape varieties. Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional (tend to retain acidity well). Other red grapes include Sousão (high acid), Tinta Roriz (aka tempranillo). The grapes used for Douro DOC white wine are traditional Portuguese varieties.
high tannin levels in many Douro grape varieties means that additional tannin is rarely needed, so ferment temperatures are relatively low for red wines. Normally destemmed.
There is a large choice of premium wines, many of which are made from estate-grown grapes and named after the quinta.
In 2019, the IVDP relaxed the regulations about irrigation which was not previously permitted except in extreme circumstances. Today, when hydric stress jeopardises quality (as distinct from quantity) and the vineyard is located in an area where irrigation is authorised, producers need only notify the IVDP if they irrigate.
Dão
The region is surrounded by mountains, protecting it from cool maritime weather conditions from the west, and warmer, more arid conditions from the east and the south. Overall, Dão has a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters. Rainfall is relatively high (1,600 mm per annum in the west of the region, 1,100 mm in the east) but mainly falls in the autumn and winter. eucalyptus forests. most elevations 400-500m. The soils are mainly weathered granite with a sandy or loamy texture. They are low in organic matter and free draining
Around 80% of production is red wine. The key black grape varieties are Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen (aka Mencia) and Alfrocheiro, often blended. Encruzado is the key white grape variety for high quality wines.
The DOC covers a large area, of which only approximately 5 per cent are planted with vines (around 20,000 ha). Over 90 per cent of vineyards have an area of less than 0.5 ha.
Bairrada
Its proximity to the coast means that it has a maritime climate. Annual rainfall for much of the region is 800–1,200 mm (although some areas can experience up to 1,600 mm), mainly falling in the spring and autumn and this can be problematic for late-ripening grape varieties such as the local Baga.
Baga is the dominant black grape. It has high acidity and tannins with a medium body, late ripening and productive, meaning that careful site selection and limiting yields are required to ensure full ripeness. Baga wines were fermented on stems, which contributed to their reputation of wines best drunk after long ageing in bottle.
Maria Gomes, Bical, Arinto and Cercial are the key white varieties
Alentejo
The climate is Mediterranean, with hot dry summers and mild winters; the most inland parts of the region have the most extreme temperatures. Annual rainfall is around 500 mm in the s, 800mm in the n.
Alentejo DOC comprises eight sub-regions with varying microclimates and soils. Generally speaking, the northernmost sub-regions in the Alto (Upper) Alentejo are less hot and dry.
A wide range of grapes are permitted in the DOC, 75% red. The key black grape varieties are Aragonez (Tinta Roriz in other parts of Portugal and Tempranillo in Spain), Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira. Roupeiro is the most planted white grape variety.
Compared to many other Portuguese wine regions, Alentejo is an area of larger land holdings. With its high sunshine hours, dry summers, relatively flat topography and expansive plains and estates, Alentejo was seen as well suited to cost-effective, high-volume, mechanised viticulture and E.U. funding enabled producers to pursue this model.
Commercially, Alentejo has larger sales in Portugal than any other Portuguese wine region, with 37 per cent of the domestic market by volume and 40 per cent by value.
Lisboa
This long, thin region runs from Lisbon in the south to 150 km further north. A coastal mountain range, the Serra de Montejunto, splits the region into two distinct areas. The western side of the region runs alongside the Atlantic coast, and wet weather and strong winds make grape growing more challenging, though a number of producers have been attracted to these sites by the climate and clay-limestone soils, wishing to make lighter- bodied, fresher styles of wine. The eastern side of the region is more protected and better suited to the production of riper, fuller- bodied wines.
A wide range of Portuguese and international varieties are grown and permitted in both the VR and DOCs.
Out of the DOCs, Alenquer and Bucelas are the best known, both on the eastern side of the coastal mountains. Alenquer makes full- bodied red wines in this sheltered location often from Touriga Nacional and Aragonez. Bucelas, a small historic region, makes high acid wines from Arinto. Colares and Carcavelos are much smaller coastal DOCs of great historic importance, having been almost entirely subsumed by Lisbon’s suburbs. The cool, foggy coastal climate and ungrafted old bush vines on the deep, phylloxera-free sandy soils of Colares are of particular interest to new winemakers that have started making fresh, high acidity red and white wines from rarely-seen, local grapes.
The vast majority of production comes from Lisboa VR, and, with its history of production of inexpensive wines
Península de Setúbal
The general climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers, and mild, wet winters. Mountains in the south of the region provide cooler sites at higher altitudes on clay-limestone soils. Much of the land in the region is flat and sandy, with more clay and schist further inland.
There are two DOCs in the area; Palmela DOC (red wines. They must be made from at least 67 per cent Castelão) and Setúbal DOC, the latter for sweet, fortified wines from Moscatel varieties.
Tejo
Tejo is It is the name of a VR and DOC; the VR covering a wider area, permitting a wider variety of grape varieties and larger maximum yields, and producing substantially more wine than the DOC. There is also considerable production of wine without a geographical indication.
The region is named after the Tejo river (River Tagus) that runs through it.
Following accession to the EU, a substantial number of vineyards on fertile soils were grubbed up. New plantings of higher quality grapes have been focused on less fertile soils to the north and south of the region
Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters (around 750 mm annual rainfall). However, there are variances in climate and soil over the region. The north has slightly higher rainfall with clay-limestone and schist soils and mainly produces red wines. Around the river, fertile alluvial soils mean that vine vigour needs to be carefully managed. This area mainly produces white wines. The south of the region is the driest and hottest and has poor sandy soils; it produces red and white wines.
