Portugal Flashcards
(36 cards)
Explain the climate
Varied Climate in 3 Areas
North: Cool and humid
South: Warm and Mediterranean
Inside the country: Hot, Arid Continental
Vinhos de Mesa
Tabel wine
IGP
Indicação Geogràfica Protegida
DOP
Denominação de Origem Protegida (French AOP)
VR
Vinhos Regional
min of 85% of the fruit must come from the stated region
IGP Regions (14)
Minho Transmontano Duriense Terras do Dão Terras de Cister Terras da Beira Beira Atlântico Tejo Lisboa Alentejano Península de Setúbal Algarve Terras Madeirenses Açores
Garrafeira
“Private wine celler”
Indicating a minimum period of ageing prior to release:
Red, 2 years in wood + 1 year in bottle
White, 6 months in wood + 6 months in bottle
Extra 0.5 abv min alcohol content
Tinto Garrafeira
Must age for a minimum of two years in wood plus one year in the bottle
Branco and Rosado Garrafeira
Must age for a minimum of 6 months in wood plus 6 months in the bottle.
Reserva
Indicating an alcohol content of at least 0.5% higher than the legal minimum established by the respective DOP or IGP; however, stricter requirements in individual DOPs may supersede this standard.
Reserva (Sparkling wines)
Indicates a minimum period of 12 months on the lees prior to dégorgement.
Colheita Seleccionada
Indicates a minimum 1% higher alcohol content than that established by the regional appellation
Casta
Means Grape variety
Most planted red variety in Portugal
Castelão, typically full-bodied, tannic wines with meaty, red-fruit aromas.
Finest red variety in Portugal
Touriga Nacional, accounts for approximately 10% of the nation’s vineyard acreage, and yields inky, full-bodied, structured wines.
Most planted white variety
Fernão Pires, known as Maria Gomes in Bairrada
Climate Minho IGP and Vinho Verde DOP
A cool, rainy, Atlantic-influenced climate prevails, and grey rot can be problematic during the damp growing season.
Enforcado
Traditional method to train the vines high above the ground on trellis (pergola system). Training the vines high above the ground, the grapes do not benefit from the reflected and radiated heat from the ground. They are therefore underripe at harvest time and contain a very high proportion of acid.
Vinho verde wine styles
White:
The light, floral white wines of the region are more common in both Europe and the US and are marked by lively acidity and low alcohol levels, and are slightly sparkling—a result, generally, of carbon dioxide injection prior to bottling.
Red:
The red wines, also pétillant, gain their sparkle from malolactic fermentation in the bottle, a process usually avoided for white wines.
The wines, whether white or red, are at their best in the year after release.
Minho soil type
Granite
Minho sub-areas (9)
Amarante Ave Baiao Basto Cavado Lima Moncao e Melgaco Paiva Sousa
Vinho Verde white grape varieties
Alvarinho Lourreiro Trajadura Arinto Avesso Azal Batoca
Vinho Verde red grape varieties
Vinhão (a teinturier grape) Espadeiro Borraçal Alvarelhão Padeiro
Trasmontano IGP
Between the Minho region to the west and the Spanish boarder to the east.
Soils are mainly schistous with some granite.
The region is dry, hot and mountainous with cooler vineyards at higher altitudes
