Port

Question 1

Give a simple definition of Port wine.

Answer 1

Port is a fortified sweet wine from the Douro in Portugal;
Port can be made white, red, or rosé with local grape varieties of the Douro, the most important of which is Touriga Nacional.

Question 2

What are the 3 subregions of Port?

Answer 2

From west to east:

Baixo Corgo: usually lighter-style wines
Cima Corgo: highest concentration of Port vineyards
Douro Superior: smaller production than Cima, usually high-quality, dry wines

Question 3

What is the general climate of vineyards of Port ?

Answer 3

Warm continental climate

shielded from cooling rain bearing atlantic winds

Vineyards are hotter and dryer the more inland

Question 4

What are the climatic hazards in porto vineyards?

Answer 4

frosts
high temperature in the summer and rainfall mostly in winter.

Question 5

What is the main soil type in the Douro port vineyards ?

Answer 5

Schist

Schist experiences vertical fractures, making it somewhat easier for a vine’s roots to dig deep for nutrients and water reserves

Question 6

The topography of the Douro region is more likely to be flat land or steep slopes?

Answer 6

Douro has steep slopes and many older vineyards are planted on terrasses.

Differences in temperature between the top and bottom of a slope due to change in altitude.

some vineyards are facing north to avoid full force of the sun.

Question 7

In the Douro, what is the name of the traditional narrow terraces with retaining walls?

Answer 7

Socalcos
Even though this way of farming is expensive it is still widely used. Each terrace holds only one or two rows of vines and must be hand harvested.

Question 8

What are Patamares?

Answer 8

Patamares are terraces in the Douro constructed without retaining walls to allow for tractors and other mechanization.

Question 9

What is the term used for vineyards planted aligned with, or going vertically up, the slope?

Answer 9

Vinha ao Alto

Vineyards planted vertically are used on gentle pitches near the bottom of slopes.

not viable for the steepest slopes and is prone to erosion

Question 10

Port wines are mostly vinified as single varietal wines or blended wines?

Answer 10

Blended

Question 11

What are the 5 most important varieties of the Douro for the production of red Port?

Answer 11

Touriga Nacional
Touriga Franca
Tinto Cão
Tinta Roriz
Tinta Barroca

Question 12

Post fermentation of Port ist stooped by fortification one the alcohol levels reach what level?

Answer 12

5-9%

Question 13

Approximately how long does primary fermentation last in the production of red Port?

Answer 13

About one to two days (24 to 48 hours).

Question 14

Explain foot treading in port production

Answer 14

traditional method of extraction
Large teams tread the graopes for 3-4 hours in granite troughs called Lagares

foot treading stop once fermentation begins
Cap is then regularly punched down to extract colour and tannin

Still used for premium wines

Question 15

Explain autovinifiers method in port

Answer 15

• crushed grapes are put into sealed vats and the rising pressure of the CO2 given off by fermentaion pushes the juice up through pipes into a holding tank
• When pressure reaches the set level, valvle is relase and the wine in the holding tank floods down over the cap
• rest and start again at each 15-20 minutes
• sometimes include paddles to help with pre-fermentation extraction

Question 16

In the production of Port, what are the three important ways to extract color and tannin prior to fermentation?

Answer 16

Foot Treading
Autovinifiers
Piston plungers and robotic lagares

Question 17

What is a lagares ?

Answer 17

large, open vats or troughs, typically made of stone, in which wine grapes are crushed by foot

Question 18

What is the piston plungers and robotic lageres methos in port production ?

Answer 18

Designed to imitate foot treading

Piston plungers: open topped stainless steel vats, where the cap is pressed down with robotic pistons

Robot lagares: involves use of a shallow and rectangular stainless steel tank of laga size, with robotic feet. copying the action of foot
Once the treading phase is over, machines carry on punche downs. (widely used for premium wines)

Question 19

What role does fortification play in the production of Port?

Answer 19

Fortification kills yeasts and stops fermentation, preserving natural sugars in the grape juice;

It boosts the alcohol content.

Question 20

To what abv is Port fortified?

Answer 20

Port is fortified to 19-22% abv.

Question 21

What influence the fortification timing of port ?

Answer 21

Fortification timing depends on a few things: the original must weight and the winemaker’s desired level of sweetness.

Question 22

What is the name of the neutral grape spirit used to fortify Port?

What can its maximum strength be?

Answer 22

Aguardente

The spirit can be no stronger than 77% abv.

Question 23

What % of the total volume of a bottle of Port will be aguardente (or spirit)?

Answer 23

Approximately 20%

By comparaison, a Fino Sherry will be about 3.5% spirit

Question 24

Why were Port wines traditionally aged and matured in Vila Nova de Gaia?

Answer 24

Vila Nova de Gaia is well suited for long and slower aging thanks to its cooler temperatures due to its proximity to the coast.

After Port wines had fully matured in cask, they were bottled and shipped directly from Vila Nova di Gaia to other markets.

Today, some producers age their wines in their air conditioned vineyard facilities instead of transporting the wine to mature in and ship from Vila Nova de Gaia.

Question 25

What is the common vessel used to mature Port?

Answer 25

Large oak tanks or neutral old casks. Stainless steel vats is now used too.

The flavor of new wood has never been attractive or beneficial to the styles of Port.

Question 26

What is the consequence of style of port on the choice of vessel used for maturation ?

Answer 26

Ruby Port
- primary fruit character
- minimise impact of oxygen
- Short period in very large oak vessels or stainless steel tanks

Tawny port
- long oxidative maturation in barrels (pipes)
- difference in colour and flavour anre entirely down to difference of maturation

Question 27

What are the 2 main types of Port wine?

Answer 27

Tawny
Ruby

Question 28

What is the consequence of style of port on the filtering process ?

Answer 28

Ruby port:
- fined and filtered before bottling
- do not benefit from bottle agein

LB and Vintage ports :
- not filtered
- Benefit from bottle ageing

Tawny port:
- deposit during wood ageing
- needs extra treatment before bottling
- do not benefit from further bottle ageing

Question 29

What is the name of the oak barrels used for the shipping and maturation of Port wines?

Answer 29

Pipes

Question 30

What are the primary flavors of a Ruby Port?

Answer 30

In their youth, Rubys display mostly deep and concentrated black fruit flavors with spice notes such as cinnamon and liquorice;

When aged, Rubys can develop toffee, mocha, chocolate, and leathery aromas, yet they tend to express fresher and more bombastic flavors than a similarly aged Tawny port.

Question 31

What styles of Port are under the umbrella of Ruby Port?

Answer 31

Ruby
Ruby Reserve
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
Vintage Port

Question 32

Describe inexpensive ruby port

Answer 32

blends of wines that are typically betwwen one and three years old
Lack concentration, complexity or tannins

Question 33

Describe inexpensive tawny port

Answer 33

no older than ruby ports and have not undergone a long oxidative ageing

Question 34

Explain reserve/reserva category of port

Answer 34

labelling term that apply to Tawny ports that are of higher quality
determined by an official tasting panel
Aged in wood for a minimum of six years

Question 35

Explain Late bottled vintage (LBV) port

Answer 35

Aged between 4 and 6 years prio to bottling

Helps make it more accessible, on release, compared with vintage ports.

Fined and filtred, and in simlary style to High-quality reserve ruby port.

Some are unfined and compare to Vintage port an benefit from bottle ageing

Ready to drink on relase

Question 36

What is Tawny Port with Indication of Age?

Answer 36

These are wines that are labeled as 10, 20, 30 or 40 years old and undergo extended oxidative maturation.

To be labeled as such, the wine has to have characteristics consistent with a wine of the indicated age.

The age indicates an average age of the wine in the bottle; it does not indicate the age of the youngest (or oldest) wine in the bottle.

Year of bottling must be on the label

Question 37

What is the minimum aging requirement for a Reserve Tawny Port?

Answer 37

Wines must spend at least 6 years in wood prior to being bottled and released

Question 38

Are Vintage Ports made, or declared, every single year?

Answer 38

No, Vintage Ports are not made every single year. Vintage Ports are made only in exceptional vintages (usually about 3-4 every decade).

Each Port house decides individually whether to declare a vintage, and the house must declare it in the second year following harvest.

Vintage Ports must be bottled by July 30th the third year after harvest.

Question 40

Is Vintage Port filtered at bottling?

Answer 40

Vintage Ports are never filtered.

It is bottled young and unfiltered, which means that as it ages it throws heavy sediment.

Vintage Ports can take decades to mature in bottle.

Question 41

In Portugal, what is a Quinta?

Answer 41

A Quinta is an Estate.

Question 42

What is a Single Quinta Vintage Port?

Answer 42

This is a wine from a single estate from a single vintage.

Single Quinta Vintage Ports are typically made in years that a shipper does not declare a vintage - essentially a “baby Vintage Port.”

Question 43

What is a vintage port ?

Answer 43

all ageing prior to bottling take place in large oak vessels or stainless steel (oak flavours are not part of the style).

Can be enjoyed young or age in bottle for decades

More concentrated and tannic ports