Port

Question 1

Describe the climate and topography of port vineyards.

Answer 1

Warm, continental climate
Serra do Marao: shields vineyards from cooling rain-bearing Atlantic winds
Vineyards become hotter & drier moving East
Spring frosts and rain disrupt flowering and harvest
Hot temps and lack of rain during growing season

Question 2

What are the 3 main sub-regions of Port?

Answer 2

Baixo Corgo - lightest wines
Cima Corgo - greatest number of top vineyards
Douro Superior - high quality wines

Question 3

What are socalos?

Answer 3

Narrow terraces supported by stone walls.

No mechanization possible, expensive to maintain

Question 4

What are patamares?

Answer 4

Wider terraces without walls.

Allows mechanization

Question 5

What are Vinha ao Alto?

Answer 5

Unterraced slopes.
Machinery operated by winches.
Prone to erosion.

Question 6

What is a Ruby port?

Answer 6

1-3 year old blends.

Primary fruit aromas.

Question 7

What is a Tawny port?

Answer 7

Same age as Ruby, but brown like true tawnies.

Question 8

What is a Reserve port?

Answer 8

Labeling term used for both Ruby and Tawny port.
Higher quality.
Determined by tasting panel.

Question 9

What is an LBV port?

Answer 9

Late Bottle Vintage

Vintage wines aged 4-6 years before bottling.
Usually filtered, similar in style to high quality Reserve port.
Ready to drink at bottling.

Question 10

What is a Tawny port with an age indication?

Answer 10

Undergoes long period of oxidized maturation in pipes.
Labelled 10, 20, 30, or 40 years.
Year is the average age.

Question 11

What is a Vintage port?

Answer 11

Unfined and unfiltered.
Long aging potential.

Produced on average 3 times/decade.
Usually blend from one producer’s best vineyards.

Question 12

What is foot treading?

Answer 12

Color extraction technique

Traditional, takes 3-4 hours.
Stops when fermentation starts. Punch down is then used to extract color and tannin.
Labor intensive, not commonly used except with premium wines.

Question 13

What are autovinifiers?

Answer 13

Color extraction technique

Automated. Crushed grapes sealed in a vat.
CO2 pushes wine through pipes. Trigger flips. Wine floods down over cap.
Cycle happens every 15-20 minutes during very active fermentation.

Question 14

What are piston plungers and robotic lagares?

Answer 14

Color extraction techniques

Mechanization techniques imitating foot treading.
Robot feet push down in SS tank.
Machine also does punch downs.

Question 15

What are the 5 main grape varieties used to make port?

Answer 15

Touriga Franca
Touriga Nacional
Tinta Roriz
Tinta Barroca
Tinta Cao

Port is complex blends of many different varieties.
Usually thick skinned, high tannin, black fruit, floral

Question 16

Describe the fortification and maturation of port.

Answer 16

19-22% abv.
Sweet
Spirit used must be 77% or less - 20% of total wine is spirit
Wines transported to coast to age

Ruby ports use large old oak or SS (for short maturation)
Tawny ports use “pipes” (for long maturation)