Portugal Flashcards
(194 cards)
What influence does the Atlantic ocean have?
cool and rainy weather, particularly to the north west
What climate do the more Northerly inland areas have and why?
a continental climate with a warm and drier growing season due to protection of mountains from atlantic ocean
What is the topography in the south?
Rolling hills and plains
What type of soils are found in mountainous regions?
Schist or granite
What type of soils are found further south to the coast? (name 2 types)
- clay soils with high limestone content
-sandy soils
Name 4 regions where schist or granite can be found
Vinho Verde
Douro
Dao
hilly outcrops Alentejo
What type of soils can be found near riverbanks (e.g. Tejo)
Fertile alluvial soils
Which weather hazards is problematic in Portugal? In which regions?
Drought in warmer inland regions such as: Douro,Dao and Alentejo
What kind of extreme weather hazards have happened?
- (hail) storms in Douro
- Wildfires in 2017 in Dao
What are hazards in coastal regions and why?
wet weather, can lead to poor fruit set and later in the season for fungal disease pressure
What type of training system can be found in the Douro? In what types of vineyards are they planted?
Old bush vines, varietally mixed vineyards, = ‘field blends’
In what scenario is irrigation used?
Where lack of water can jeopardise quality, cannot be used for boosting yields
Does Portugal have a high or low amount of organic certified vineyards?
Low, around 2700 ha by 500 growers.
In which regions is it not allowed to use international grape varieties?
Douro, Dao, Vinho Verde
If oak is used, which type of oak?
French oak, sometimes American
Where did de-stemming equipment lead to?
Better tannin management
Fermenting/ageing in what type of vessel has gain its popularity?
in clay vessels, even fermenting wines on skins in clay vessels has its own DOC ‘vinho de talha’ in Alentejo
Is skin contact for white wines practiced? If yes, where
Yes, for premium whites for texture and intensity
How many DOCs does Portugal have?
31
are VR wines from less quality or better? What do they permit
less quality, term voor PGI wines, 14 in total
- permit international varieties (char&cs) and a wider selection of grape varieties
What are the wines labelled as that do not have a PDO or PGI status?
‘vinho’
What is the area of vines planted?
190.000 ha, with a reduction of 85.000 ha over the last 30 years
For how many % does grape growing represent the total national agricultural output?
35% which is the highest of the world
How many hectolitres of unfortified wine does Portugal produce on a yearly basis?
5.5 mhl