Portugal - Vihno Verde, Douro, Dao Flashcards
Where is the Vihno Verde DOP located?
The northwest corner of Portugal
The Vihno Verde DOP shares the exact same geographical boundary with which IGP?
Minho
What influences the the climate for the Minho IGP?
The Atlantic Ocean by bringing in cool weather and heavy rains.
What was/is the traditional vine training in Vihno Verde?
Enforcado - The vines are trained up a tree trunks, telephone poll and stakes to create an overhead canopy
True or False,
Producers in Vihno Verde DOP only makes white wine
False. Producers in Vihno Verde produce, tinto, branco and rosado wines.
What are the main grape varietals in Vihno Verde?
- Loureiro (#1)
- Alvarihno (#3)
- Avesso
- Azal
- Batoca
- Arinto (#2)
- Trajadura
What is the other name Arinto?
Pederna
What grapes are used to make tinto and rosado wines in Vihno Verde?
- Amaral
- Borracal
- Alvarelhao
- Espadeiro
- Padeiro
- Pedral
- Rabo-de-Anho
- Vinhao (#1)
What is the other name for Alvarelhao?
Brancelho
What causes the slight spritz in the white and red wines from Vihno Verde?
- For the whites, it is the addition of a little bit of CO2 prior to bottling
- For the reds, it is due to MLC in the bottle
What are the two other names for Vinhao?
- In the Douro it is called Sousoa
- In Galicia it is called Souson
True of False,
The Douro is the largest producer of wine in Portugal?
True!
Although Port and unfortified wine, has always been made in the Douro, when was the Douro DOP created for unfortified wines?
1982
Who was Fernando Nicolau de Almeida, and what is his most famous wine?
Fernando Nicolau de Almedia is the man credited with trying to establish high end, unfortified wine in the 1950s
What is Fernando Nicolau de Almeida’s high end wine called, and what is the majority of the blend made of?
Barca Velha, made up of primarily Tinto Roriz
- This wine commands a super-premium price, in some years 10x as much as vintage port
When did unfortified wines really start to become popular in Portugal?
Not until Portugal joined the EU in 1986.
When Portugal joined the EU, the EU helped bring in the financial means to invest in modern wine-making equipment.
What is the other reason that unfortified wines took of in the Douro?
There was a court case where producers fought to be allowed to ship from their quintas, and not from Vila Nova di Gaia.
Vila Nova di Gaia was where all the port was bottled and exported from by the major port shippers.
True or False,
The Duriense IGP, Porto DOP, and Douro DOP all share the same space?
True!
What is the preferred soil type for Port?
Schist
What is the climate of the Douro?
Continental with very warm summers and cold winters
Port is released under the _____ DOP and still unfortified wine is released under the _____ DOP
Porto DOP
Douro DOP
List the 3 sub-zones of the Douro
- Baixo Corgo
- Cima Corgo
- Douro Superior
What does ‘Licoroso’ mean?
Fortified
Name all the styles of wine that can be produced under the Douro DOP
- Tinto
- Branco
- Rosado
- Espumante
- Licoroso
What Moscatel do Douro?
It is a fortified wine made from Moscatel Galego (Muscat a Petit Grains) that is left on the skins for 5 to 6 months to extract a lot of flavor. It is also fortified with brandy.
What is the main soil type of the Douro
Schist on top of a shallow layer of decomposed schist
What is the water retaining ability of the soil found in the Douro?
Low
True or False,
Man of the hillside vineyards in the Douro are not set up for irrigation?
True, and this coupled with the fact that the soils do not hold onto water means that irrigation may become necessary.
The best Douro reds are generally made from what grape varietals?
- Touriga Franca
- Touriga Nacional
- Tinta Roriz
- Tinta Cao
- Tinta Barroca
What are the main white grapes used to make Douro DOP?
- Malvasia Fina
- Viosinho
- Rabigato
- Gouveio
- Moscatel Galego
How long must Douro Branco and Tinto wines be aged if the word Reserva appears on the label?
- 6 months for Branco wines
- 12 months for Tinto Wines
What does the term Colheita Tardia mean?
Late Harvest
What is the IVDP?
Instituto dos Vinhos so Douro e Porto, or Douro Port Wine Institute
How does a Douro wine earn the right to use ‘ Grande Reserva’?
the IVDP must certify all Douro wines via blind tasting. Those in the Reserva category that score exceptionally well may be permitted to use Grande Reserva
How are Port Vineyards classified?
They are given a letter designation A to F. It is classified according to the natural advantages - elevation, location, yield, soil, inclination, orientation - and the age, density, training and varietals grown.
How does Port Vineyard classifications play into the price of grapes?
Naturally, the higher the vineyard is classified, the more expensive the grapes are.
Between Bairrada and Dao, which one is closer to the Coast?
Bairrada
What is the name of the mountain range the protects the Dao DOP for the cooler maritime influence of the Atlantic Ocean, and the warmer more arid conditions to the south
- The Serra do Caramulo protect against the Atlantic
- The Serra da Estrela protect against the warmer, arid conditions
What is the overall climate for the Dao DOP?
Mediterranean
Most of the vineyards in the Dao DOP sit around 400-500 meters above sea level, how does that affect the vineyard sites?
Being so high up means that the daytime temperatures at these sites may be lower than on the valley floor and will contribute to a larger diurnal swing.
What is the main soil type for the Dao DOP?
Weathered Granite with a sandy or loam texture
What are the main black grape varietals in the Dao DOP?
- Touriga Nacional
- Tinta Roriz
- Jaen
- Alfrocheiro
- Aragonez
- Bastardo
- Rufete
- Trincadeira
- Tinta Cao
What does Jaen go by in Spain?
Mencia
What is the main white grape varietal used to create Dao Branco
Encruzado
Aside from Encruzado, what other white grape varietals are used in Dao?
- Malvasia Fina
- Bical
- Cercial
What is another name fro Malvasia Fina?
Boal, used in the production of Madeira
Name as many of the 7 sub-regions found in Dao as possible
- Serra da Estrela
- Alva
- Besteiros
- Silgueiros
- Terras de Azurara
- Castendo
- Terras de Senhorim
Tinto and Rosado wines from Dao that have ‘Reserva’ on the label must meet what conditions?
- 11.5% alcohol
- 24 months of minimum of aging
What are the blend requirements for tinto and branco wines labeled as ‘nobre’?
Tinto: Min. 85% combined Touriga Nacional (15% min), Alfrocheiro, Aragonez, Jaen, Rufete
Branco: Min. 85% combined Encruzado (min. 15%) Bical, Cercial, Malvasia Fina, Verdelho
What are the aging and alcohol requirements for ‘Nobre’, ‘Nobre Reserva’ and ‘Nobre Garrafeira Reserva’
(Tinto, Rosado, and Branco)
Tinto and Rosado:
- Nobre: 36 months, 13%
- Nobre Reserva: 42 Months, 13.5%
- Nobre Garrafiera Reserva: 48 Months, 18 in bottle, 13.5%
Branco:
- Nobre: 12 months, 12%
- Nobre Reserva: 12 months, 12.5%
- Nobre Garrafiera Reserva: 18 months, 9 in bottle, 12.5%
