Portugal History Flashcards
(38 cards)
Where does Portugal rank in production in the world’s Top 20?
No.11
Where does it rank in consumption?
No.7
About how many native varietals are in Portugal?
over 200.
What ancient cultures pre-date the arrival of wine in Portugal?
Phoenicians
Greeks
Celts
Romans
What was the treaty of Windsor?
Signed in 1386 by the Portuguese, 100 years after dispelling the Moors after the fall of the Roman Empire. Established a diplomatic alliance between the two countries that would allow for extensive trading.
T or F. Portuga developed the first real Navy in Modern Europe?
True.
In what year was the Madiera archipelago discovered?
1419
How far away in miles is Madiera from Portugal?
625 mi
What is Madiera known as?
The isle of wood.
What supposedly happened for seven years after they found this island?
Set a fire that burned for seven years because the forest was so heavy wooded. They wanted to make it suitable for agriculture.
Did this become and important stopping point for ships on their way to The New World and India.
Yes
In what year did two Englishmen discover Porto (Port) in Lamego?
1678 - Lamego a mountain town in the Douro Valley.
What did the English find in the town of Lamego, in the Douro Valley?
Porto - a monastery (abbot) that practiced “mutage”
What is “mutage”?
arresting of fermenting wine with brandy in order to preserve sweetness.
What was the Treaty of Methuen?
1703, establishing a long-lasting trade agreement between the two nations and preferential tariffs for Portuguese wines. In the last 50 years or so there was off and on again embargo on French wines.
By the mid-18th century, Portuguese wine accounted for nearly what % of all imported wine in England, and Port was its most desirable product.
two-thirds
Who was Christiano Kopke?
A German who founded the house of Kopke in 1638, four decades before the first recorded shipment of Porto to England, but the English market drove the wine’s fame and popularity.
What English Port houses had been established by 1700?
Warre & Co.
Croft
Taylor’s
Why did the price of Port in the 1740’s ad 1750’s drop so rapidly.
Houses were using improper methods of production to meet a high demand that they couldn’t keep up with.
- aromatized wines
- added excessive amounts of sugar and alcohol
- achieved deeper color with the addition of elderberry—a technique perhaps borrowed from the Champenoise
What restored the English confidence in Port after producers used incorrect methods of production?
Portuguese government created the Companhia Geral dos Vinhos do Alto Douro, or Douro Wine Company
When were the Douro boundaries and practices firmly established and by whom?
1756 by the Douro Wine Company.
What was the Douro Wine Company responsible for improving?
Developed a methodology for grading port vineyards. Developed the boundries of the Douro region and practices.
What was a feitoria vineyard in 18th century Douro?
A better vineyard that provided fruit for port that would eventually be sent to England.
What were rama vineyards in 18th century Douro?
Lesser vineyards whose fruit was destined for the domestic market.
