1
Q
Port:
* What is the treaty that originated Port?
A
- Methuen Treaty of 1703, which ensured Portuguese wines had lower duties in England than other countries
- After trade wars between England and France in the 1600s
2
Q
Port:
* What was the origin of fortification of Port?
A
- Brandy added after ferm to improve stability
- In late 1600s, two British merchants found Abbot of Lamego fortifying during ferm, creating better sweet wines
3
Q
Port:
* What are examples of Port shippers established in the 1600s?
* What did shippers do?
A
- Croft, Kopke, Quarles Harris, Taylor’s and Warre
Shippers:
* Agents that took a commission for shipping Port
* Also stored Port in “lodges” in Vila Nova de Gaia prior to shipping
* Most shippers later became producers
4
Q
Port:
* What steps were taken to combat low quality and oversupply?
A
In 1756, Marquês de Pombal:
* demarcated the Port vineyards
* drew up production regulations
* created the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro (Real Companhia Velha) that all Port for export must be purchased from
* Companhia could fix prices
* Companhia had exclusive right to supply spirit for fortification
5
Q
Port:
* Why were the 1800s challenging?
* Who took advantage of this?
A
- First half: Peninsular War and the Portuguese Civil War
- Then: mildew, then phylloxera
- Shippers took advantage of low vineyard prices, purchasing their own vineyards and estates (quintas)
6
Q
Port:
* What happened in the first half of the 1900s?
A
- 1932: Casa do Douro (supervise Port growers)
- 1933: Instituto do Vinho do Porto (IVP) (admin and supervision of Port industry)
- Casa do Douro and then IVP controlled the purchase of spirit (aguardente)
- 1933: Creation of beneficio, rating vineyards from A to I
7
Q
Port:
* What happened in the late 1900s?
A
- 1980s: World Bank Scheme: for A and B vineyards, low interest loans to replant in favored 5 varieties
- Research by university and major shippers
- 2.5k ha planed on patamares
- 1991: producers could source their own aguardente (following accession to EU in 1986)
- 1990: Casa do Douro bought 40% of shipper Royal Oporto and then went bankrupt
8
Q
Port:
* What happened in the first decade of the 2000s?
A
- 2003: Instituto dos Vinhos do Porto e do Douro (IVDP) created to supervise both Port wine and Douro wine producers (dry unfort wines increasingly important)
- Improved patamares
- New varieties explored
- Increased mechanization in vinification (much less foot treading)
9
Q
Douro:
* How large is the appellation?
* How much is planted?
* How much is registered for Do Porto?
A
- 250k ha
- 41k ha
- 33k ha
10
Q
Douro:
* Climate?
* Summer temps?
* Winter temps?
A
- Hot continental
- Easily reaching 40 C
- Freezing not unusual
11
Q
Douro:
* What shelters the region?
* Where is the vineyard area?
A
- the Marão mountains
- the west-east path of the River Douro
12
Q
Douro: What are the three subregions?
A
- Baixo Corgo
- Cima Corgo
- Douro Superior
13
Q
Baixo Corgo:
* In general?
* Rainfall?
* What is grown here?
A
- Coolest and wettest
- 900 mm/year
- Inexpensive Ruby and Tawny Ports
14
Q
Cima Corgo:
* In general?
* Rainfall?
* What is grown here?
A
- Warmer and drier than Baixo Corgo
- 700 mm/year
- Age-indicated Tawny Port and Vintage Ports from well-known producers
15
Q
Douro Superior:
* In general?
* Rainfall?
* What is grown here?
A
- Hottest and driest; drought is a frequent issue
- 450 mm/year
- Sparsely planted, but because it has some flatter land that can be mechanized, plantings increasing
16
Q
DO Porto:
* General characterization of aspects and altitudes of vineyard area?
* Elevation
A
- Many aspects and elevations, so differences in temp and sunlight within a small area
- 150-900m
17
Q
Douro:
* Top soil? Consequences?
* Bedrock? Consequences?
A
- Stony, shallow, free-draining and nutrient poor: Limit vigor
- Schist that splits into vertical layers: Roots can penetrate deeply to find water
18
Q
Douro:
* When is irrigation permitted?
* What needs to be done to irrigate?
A
- exceptional circumstances, like drought that causes extreme stress
- since 2019, only need to inform IVDP, rather than seek permission
19
Q
Douro: Why does the demarcated Port region mostly follow the schist?
A
- neighboring bedrock is granite, which has poor permeability
- in this hot climate, water storage in bedrock is critical for vine survival
20
Q
Douro:
* How steep are many slopes?
* What are the three vineyard layouts used?
A
Over 30 percent
Layouts:
* Socalcos
* Patamares
* Vinha ao Alto
21
Q
Socalcos:
* What are they?
* Planting densities?
* Labor?
* Used for new vineyards?
A
- narrow terraces supported by rock walls, with vines planted in 1-2 rows
- can be as high as 6k vines / ha
- Usually cannot be mechanized, and labor to maintain walls
- Because of labor reqs, not considered for new vineyards
22
Q
Douro: How can socalcos be managed now?
A
- protected by UNESCO, so can’t be changed
- but some can be planted at lower density to allow a small tractor, reducing labor costs
23
Q
Patamares:
* What are they?
* Planting densities?
* Mechanization?
A
- terraces supported by steep earth banks, with vines planted along contour; tracks run diagonally up slope
- 3-3.5k / ha, because banks take up space
- Mechanization with small tractors possible
24
Q
Patamares:
* Advantages?
* Problems?
A
- Advantages: cheaper to implement and maintain than socalcos
- Problems: Erosion and weed growth on banks
25
Patamares:
* What are the two types?
* Large, wide patamares with two rows of vines
* Narrow patamares that support one row of vines on each terrace
26
Patamares: Why are the old large, wide patamares:
* Desirable?
* Not desirable?
* Make efficient use of vineyard land
* Uneven ripeness, because the outer row gets more sun
27
Narrow patamares: How are they constructed?
* carved by smaller bulldozers with laser tech
* tilted down
slightly towards the hillside to (i) aid water retention and (ii) reduce erosion
* slope very slightly along the length
of the terrace, which aids drainage in times of heavy winter rainfall
28
Vinha ao Alto:
* What are they?
* Planting densities?
* Mechanization?
* How much is it used?
* vines planted up slope, not on contour
* 5k / ha
* mechanized on slopes less than 40 percent (patamares used on steeper slopes)
* currently relatively limited
29
Vinha ao Alto:
* Advantages?
* Problems?
* least expensive
layout option to plant and maintain
* water run-off and erosion can be significant
problems
30
Douro:
* What are training options?
* What are the objectives?
* Cordon-trained and spur pruned, or head-trained and cane-pruned
* In either case VSP
Two objectives:
* manage sun exposure and ripening
* allow for mechanization where possible
31
Douro:
* What must rootstocks be?
* What rootstocks are used?
* What are they hybrids of?
* Drought tolerant
* commonly 110R and 1103P
* V. rupestris and V. berlandieri
32
Douro: What are key choices when vineyards are replanted?
* increasing vine density
* using vineyard
layouts that allow for mechanisation
* selecting best variety and rootstock (which may change over short distances, even on the same terrace)
33
Port:
* Max yield?
* Actual yield?
* Reasons?
* 55 hL/ha
* ~ 30 hL/ha
* (i) limited water and (ii) in some years, hazards and diseases
34
Douro:
* What are weather-related hazards?
* Highest elevations: Spring frosts
* Esp in Baixo Corgo: cooler, wetter weather penetrates the Marão Mountains in early summer
35
Douro:
* What does wetter early summer weather lead to?
* Disruption of flowering and fruit set
36
Douro:
* Beyond training, pruning, and hazard/disease control, what are other common interventions in the vineyard?
* Fertilizers to improve nutrients
* Control weeds on slopes of patamares (which compete with vines) with **herbicides** or a **small mower**
* Cover crops on vinha ao alto slopes to (i) reduce erosion, (ii) improve soil structure and nutrition, and (iii) reduce the presence of weeds
37
Douro: Sustainable and organic techniques?
A number of the largest growers and producers do where and when it is possible, with some gaining official certifications.
38
Douro:
* What is harvest like?
* How long does it take?
* Harvesting by hand because much topography prevents mechanization
* typically starts
in Douro Superior and ends in Baixo Corgo
* harvest spread over several weeks because of (i) microclimates, (ii) range of varieties, and (iii) prevalence of slow hand harvesting.
39
Douro:
* What is a major problem with harvesting?
* What is a potential solution?
* Depopulation, and an ageing rural population, is making it increasingly difficult to find pickers
* Since 2015, Symington
Family Estates (largest grower) has been developing a **machine harvester adapted to steep slope viticulture**
40
Port:
* How many permitted varieties?
* Since the 1980s, which varieties have been the focus of replanting and clonal research?
Over 100 varieties
Five varieties:
* Touriga Franca
* Tinta Roriz
* Tinta Barroca
* Touriga Nacional
* Tinto Cão
41
Port: 3 points on lesser-planted varieties?
* many vineyards (esp smaller) planted with a traditional field blend
* a number of producers looking outside of the 5, esp if they can contribute to a blend (like color and acid)
* research into indigenous varieties for future potential, in shadow of climate change
42
Port:
* Why is use of different varieties important?
* take advantage of different characteristics
* reduce vintage variation (as varieties react differently to variation)
43
Port:
* How are field blends harvested?
* What is a consequence of this?
* all varieties are harvested together
* due to different ripening times, can provide a different character from uniform blocks picked at optimum ripeness
44
Port:
* Most important black varieties?
* Touriga Franca
* Tinta Roriz
* Tinta Barroca
* Touriga Nacional
* Tinta Amarela
* Tinto Cão
* Sousão
45
Port:
* Most important white varieties?
* Malvasia Fina
* Moscatel Galego Branco
46
Port: How are grapes from old vines (vinha velha, some over 100 years old) used?
* Key part of blend in premium and super-premium
* Some shippers make very small quantities of wines exclusively from old-vine fruit (rare
collectors' items)
47
Touriga Franca:
* Characterize growing
* Late ripening: suitable for warmest sites (low alt, south-facing)
* Thick skins: relatively resistant to fungal
* High vigor: managed by summer pruning
* By far the most grown variety
48
Touriga Franca:
* What does it add to wines?
Contributes
* color
* tannin
* acidity
* juicy red and black fruit
* floral aromas
49
Tinta Roriz:
* Other names?
* Characterize growing
* **Tempranillo** in Spain and **Aragonez** elsewhere in Portugal
* Early ripening and susceptible to water stress: best in cool sites
* High yield: needs to be managed
50
Tinta Roriz:
* What does it add to wines?
* body
* color
51
Tinta Barroca:
* Characterize growing
* Early ripening
* Susceptible to heat and grape shriveling: best for coolest sites (high alt or north-facing slopes, in Baixo Corgo and Cima Corgo)
* High yield (needs managing)
52
Tinta Barroca:
* What does it add to wines?
* not as floral
* flavors are earthier
* low acid if not in coolest sites
* color fades more than Touriga Nacional and
Touriga Franca
53
Touriga Nacional:
* Characterize growing
* Mid-ripening
* Thick skins
* High vigor (managed with summer pruning)
* Susceptible to coulure (substantially reduced yields)
54
Touriga Nacional:
* What does it add to wines?
* deep color
* high tannins
* retains acidity well
* concentrated flavours of black fruit and floral aromas
* often a component of premium, long-matured Ports
55
Tinta Amarela:
* Other names?
* Characterize growing
* Trincadeira elsewhere in Portugal
* Tight bunches: prone to fungal
56
Tinta Amarela:
* What does it add to wines?
* full-bodied wines
* concentrated black fruits and spicy notes
* approachable in youth, but also capable
of ageing
57
Tinto Cão:
* Characterize growing
* Late ripening
* Low-yielding
* small, thick-skinned: resistant to fungal
* Very tolerant of heat
58
Tinto Cão:
* What does it add to wines?
* concentrated
* high acid
* capacity to age well
59
Sousão:
* Characterize
* What does it add to wines?
* Thick-skinned
* Increasingly popular
* Deep color
* High acid
60
Malvasia Fina:
* Other names?
* What does it add to wines?
* Boal in Madeira
* neutral (slightly honeyed)
* medium acidity
* full body
61
Moscatel Galego Branco:
* Other names?
* How used in Port?
* Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains
* often used for unaged styles
62
Port:
* What is the RS?
* How long does maceration last?
* Therefore what do extraction methods need to be?
* 80 - 120 g/L
* Max of two days
* Both speedy and effective
63
Port: What are the 5 key methods of extraction during ferm?
* Foot treading in lagares
* Modern (robotic) lagares
* Pumping over
* Stainless steel pistons
* Autovinifiers
64
Port: What are the major steps in winemaking?
* Fermentation and extraction
* Fortification
* Blending
* Maturation
65
Foot treading in lagares:
* Describe
* Advantages?
* Disadvantages?
* Use?
* rectangular tanks (traditionally granite) around 80 cm deep, allowing large surface area between the juice and the skins
* Very efficient, and gentle to avoid crushing seeds (avoiding release of bitter seed tannins)
* used for a small number of premium and super-premium
66
Modern (robotic) lagares:
* Describe
* Advantages?
* Disadvantages?
* Used since 2000
* silicone ‘feet’, attached to a stainless-steel gantry, (i) press grapes and (ii) punch down cap
* Same quality as foot treading
* Advantage: reduce need for large, temp workforce
* Disadvantage: expensive to buy
67
Pumping over:
* Describe
* Advantages?
* Disadvantages?
* Same as for non-fort wines
* Advantage: Can produce wines with deep color and high concentration
* Disadvantage: not as effective as foot treading or modern lagares
68
Stainless steel pistons:
* Describe
* How effective?
* open stainless steel vats with pistons that punch down the cap to a
programmed schedule
* can be used with pumping over (need for more even extraction)
* almost as effective as lagares (seem to produce wines of similar quality)
69
Autovinifiers:
* Describe
* sealed concrete or stainless-steel tanks
* Rising CO2 pressure
pushes must upwards through a pipe into an upper holding tank
* When the pressure of the CO2 reaches a certain level, a valve is automatically released at the base of the upper tank
* Fermenting must flows down a separate pipe from the upper tank, and sprays over the cap
70
Autovinifiers:
* Advantages?
* Disadvantages?
* When used?
* Advantages: No electricity, little labor, very cheap
* Disadvantage: little extraction before ferm, so wines tend to be **lighter in color, body, and flavor**
* typically used for basic
Tawny, White and Ruby Ports
71
Port:
* Why is stainless steel typically used for ferm?
* Temp easily controlled (can cool to slow ferm to prolong extraction)
* Easily to clean
72
Port:
* For small-vol producers, what ferm vessels are used?
* Stainless steel
* granite
* concrete
* old wooden vessels
73
Port:
* When are grapes picked (ie, what qualities should they have)?
* Why?
* What adjustment is common?
* Either (i) when flavours and tannins are ripe or (ii) as part of a field blend
* High sugar not an issue (could marginally reduce spirit required)
* Acid can be low, however, so acidification is common
74
Port:
* Do wines go through MLC?
* Why?
* No
* Because lactic acid bacteria can't tolerate high alc after fortification
75
Port:
* Are stems included?
* Why?
* Yes
* Because (i) they are ripe in the Douro and (ii) create drainage channels, aiding pressing
76
Port:
* Are free run juice and press liquid blended?
Typically yes
77
Port:
* What yeasts are typically used?
* Why?
* Ambient yeasts
* These are sufficient to start the process, and ferm to dryness is not a concern
78
Port:
* Ferm temps for red wine?
* Why?
* Ferm temps for white wine?
* 28–32°C
* warm enough for extraction, but not so warm that ferm is too quick
* 17–22°C
79
Port:
* When is ferm stopped?
* What drives this decision?
* About 5-7% abv
* Function of RS desired for house style (within the 80 - 120 g/L range)
80
Port:
* What happens when the winemaker wants to stop ferm?
* What is a goal?
* What is a problem with older equipment?
* Must is drained from skin and stems
* Needs to be speedy because it keeps fermenting until fortified
* Modern ferm vessels designed to drain very quickly, but granite lagares can take hours
81
Port:
* What happens to mass of skins/stems left after draining?
* Pressed and fortified separately
* Press fraction can be blended in for more color and tannin (useful for long-ageing styles)
82
Port:
* What is the fortification spirit?
* Fortification strengths?
* aguardente from grapes (or grape-derived products) of 77% abv (+/- 0.5%)
* Most: 19-22%
* basic Ruby, Tawny, White and Rosé: min 18%
* Light Dry White Port: min 16.5%
83
Port:
* Why does the style and quality of the aguardente have a significant impact on the Port?
* aguardente has more character than 95-96% spirit
* more volume has to be added (~1 L for every 4 L of must to produce 20% abv Port)
84
Prior to 1991, where was aguardente acquired?
* 1967 to 1976: Casa do Douro
* from 1976: IVP
* same for all producers, low quality
* cheap alc from southern Portugal, then France
85
* Since 1991, how has independence in choosing aguardente impacted Port?
* Examples of choices?
* Consequences?
* Producers gained a good understanding of the role, and effects
* Changes based on styles: neutral (showcase wine), aromatic with fruity esters (add their own character)
* Changes based on quality (high quality for premium Ports)
86
Port: What are examples of blending?
* Different vineyard parcels, different varieties, and possibly different vintages
* Co-ferm of varieties common
* Blending of different batches in the winery (e.g., a range of sweetness levels to adjust sweetness in final wine)
87
Port: Reasons for blending?
* Consistency
* House style
* Achieve the desired style (e.g., Vintage Port)
88
Port:
* What is an advantage of a producer having a large stock of different batches?
* What might a smaller producer do?
* The more tools they have to create a range of styles and quality levels
* They may only produce certain Port styles to ensure they can produce them consistently
89
Port: What are steps to prepare for maturation?
* Left to clarify in months after ferm and fort
* Racked off lees, with rotary drum filter extracting remaining wine from lees
* Shipped to Vila Nova de Gaia or kept locally for maturation
90
Port: When wines are matured in the Douro, what are the lodges like?
* well-insulated, humidity-controlled
* at the edges
of the vineyard area
* often at higher elevations and away from the highest temperatures
91
Port: What vessels are used for maturation?
* Most in old wood (mainly oak), even if only for a couple years
* Balseiros (can be 100k L) to store wines and retain freshness
* Pipes (600 L) for gentle oxidation
92
Port: Activities during maturation?
* Racking: avoid potential off-flavors
* Manage oxidation via (i) frequency of racking and (ii) amount of ullage
93
Port: How are maturation vessels managed?
* Old oak vessels repaired as needed
* When new vessels purchased, used for unfortified wines until they become old
94
What are the general categories of styles of Port?
* Red Port
* White Port
* Rosé Port
* Very old wines
95
What are the ruby styles of red Port?
* Basic Ruby
* Reserve Ruby
* Vintage
* Single Quinta
* Crusted
* Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
96
What are the tawny styles of red Port?
* Basic Tawny
* Reserve Tawny
* Tawny with an Indication of Age
* Colheita
97
What are styles of white Port?
* Fruity, Unoxidised Style
* Oxidative Style
* Intermediate Style
98
Port: What determines the style?
* Quality of base wine
* Form of maturation
99
Port: What determines what grapes will be used for specific styles?
* The weather
* Canopy management techniques and harvesting dates: impact on ripeness and concentration
100
Basic Ruby Port:
* How is it produced?
* Protective to retain fruit
* Ferm in stainless or concrete
* Maturation max of 3 years in large stainless or concrete, or old wood vats of 10k - 100k L
* Usually a blend of multiple vintages, expected to be consistent
101
Basic Ruby Port:
* The wine?
* Quality and price?
* deep ruby
* med body
* med tannin
* often red and black fruit (not pronounced--easy drinking)
* acceptable to good
* inexp to mid
* simple fruity, with slightly hot alc sensation
102
Basic Tawny Port:
* How is it produced?
* Often **light extraction** during ferm (like Rosé Port production) and **drained early** to avoid color extraction
* Remaining must (after draining) may be used to add color and flavor to Ruby
* Matured as long as Ruby
103
Basic Tawny Port:
* The wine?
* pale, brown color reminiscent of an aged Tawny
104
Reserve Ruby and Reserve Tawny:
* The wine?
* More concentration, higher quality and price, than basic Ruby or Tawny
105
Reserve Ruby and Reserve Tawny:
* Production?
* Ruby: No min ageing
* Tawny: min 6 years ageing in wood
* Both tasted and approved by IVDP's tasting panel
106
Tawny with an Indication of Age:
* Describe production
* Top quality base wine
* Oxidative ageing in casks of 620 - 640 L
* Casks topped up due to evaporation (making it expensive)
* Clarified and stabilized naturally (so no filtering needed)
107
Tawny with an Indication of Age:
* Age indication on label?
* Meaning?
* 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 years
* not the minimum, but with characteristics of such an age on average (confirmed by IVDP panel)
* blends of more than one vintage--younger and older than stated
108
Tawny with an Indication of Age:
* Describe how the wine changes with oxidative ageing
* Tannins soften, alc integrates
* Flavors: (i) fruit development (dried fruit) and (ii) oxidation (coffee, caramel and
walnut)
109
Two examples of very old, non-age-indicated Tawny?
* First: Taylor’s
Scion, a Tawny Port of more than 150 years old
* Graham’s Ne Oublie, which dates from 1882
* With rarity and long maturation, super-prem prices
110
Colheita Port:
* What is it?
* Describe production
* Label requirements?
* Tawny Port from a single vintage
* aged in small, old barrels of
about 550L for a minimum of seven years before bottling
* labels state both vintage and year of bottling
* barrels can be topped up with other wines or spirits to avoid ullage
111
Colheita Port:
* Prices?
* Not generally as expensive as Vintage
* But some shippers hold small stocks of very old Colheita wines that can sell for
super-premium
112
Vintage:
* What are criteria for producers declaring a vintage?
* Quality of grapes and young wines
* Market conditions (e.g., if a second exceptional vintage follows the first, may not declare a second vintage to avoid taking sales from the first)
113
Vintage Port:
* How often are vintages declared?
3-4 years in 10
114
Vintage Port:
* Examples of years where vast majority declared vintage?
* Only some declared?
* 2011 and 2016
* 2015
115
Vintage Port:
* What must a producer do to declare a vintage?
* Register intention the second year after harvest
* Young wine approved by IVDP panel
116
Vintage Port:
* Vineyard conditions?
* Grapes come from best-graded vineyards (often producer's own)
* Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional usually key (color, tannin, concentration)
* Some create super-prem from very select plots of old vines (e.g., Quinta do Noval’s Nacional, from ungranted old vines)
117
Vintage Port:
* Winemaking and maturation?
* high level
of extraction during ferm
* Max 3 year ageing in old wood (most get 18-20 months in wood--aid color stability)
* Most bottled 2nd spring after harvest
* No fining or filtration
118
Vintage Port:
* What happens to wines that don't have sufficient quality?
* What happens most years?
* Single Quinta Ports, LBV, Crusted Port or Tawny Port
* All casks used to make these styles (because Vintage Port is declared in only some years)
119
Vintage Port:
* The wine when young?
* deep color
* full bodied
* high tannins
* pronounced ripe black fruit and floral notes
120
Vintage Port:
* How does the wine develop when ageing?
* develops flavours of dried fruit and forest floor
* the tannins and alcohol become better
integrated
121
Vintage Port:
* Quality?
* Price?
* Profitability and reasons why?
* very good, or more likely, outstanding
* premium and super-premium
* very profitable (due to short maturation and early sale)
122
Single Quinta:
* What is it?
* Examples?
* When is it produced?
* wine from one year that is made only from the grapes of one estate (quinta) that is stated
on the label
* Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas and Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos
* in years when the producer does not produce a Vintage Port
123
Crusted Port:
* What is it?
* How made?
* Quality and price?
* Port made from more than one vintage
* aged in old casks for up to two years before being bottled without fining or filtration (so deposit forms in bottle)
* G to VG; mid to premium
124
Crusted Port:
* What must appear on the label?
* What can appear on the label?
* bottling date
* If release with at least 3 years of bottle age, then can state "bottle matured"
125
LBV:
* What are they?
* Ports from a single vintage
* must be bottled between four and six years after harvest
* Usually ready to drink on release (due to (i) lower quality grapes than Vintage and (ii) longer bulk maturation)
126
LBV Port:
* What are the two styles?
* Filtered before bottling
* Unfiltered
127
LBV Port:
* What vessels are used for maturation and storage?
* Large, old wood casks or stainless vats
128
Filtered LBV Port:
* The wine?
* Quality?
* Price?
* a little more intensity, body and tannin
than Ruby and Ruby Reserve Port
* good to very good
* mid-priced
129
Unfiltered LBV Port:
* The wine?
* Production?
* Quality?
* Price?
* more full-bodied than filtered LBVs; taste similar in style to young Ports
* benefit from bottle ageing
* 4-6 years in wood, followed by few years in bottle
* very good
* mid-priced
130
Unfiltered LBV Port:
* Usually on label?
* Can be on label?
* "unfiltered"
* If release with at least 3 years of bottle age, then can state "bottle matured"
131
Rosé Port:
* Another name?
* When invented?
* Pink Port
* Croft in the late 90s
132
Rosé Port:
* How made?
* black grape varieties that tend to come from cool, high-altitude sites or from the Baixo Corgo
* maceration for a few hours to extract little color
* free run juice drain and clarified, blended with clarified juice from lightest press fraction
* ferm at 15-16 C to keep red fruit aromas
* aguardente is neutral and high-quality (important because it has less intense flavor and lower tannin)
* bottled soon after for and released within a year
133
Rosé Port:
* Color
* Price
* ranges from pale pink-orange to deep pink
* inexp to mid-priced
134
White Port:
* How can styles vary?
* varying sweetness
* reductive or oxidative
135
White Port:
* Where are grapes in vineyards?
* Often scattered, so harvested at the same time (though separated from) black grapes
* Sometimes planted entirely with white grapes, simplifying harvest
136
White Ports:
* Labeling?
Same terms as Tawny Ports:
* "Reserve" when aged for min 6 years in wood
* Age indications of 10, 20, 30, or 40 years when deemed such by IVDP panel
* Colheita if (i) single vintage and (ii) aged for min 7 years in wood
137
White Port: Fruity, unoxidized style:
* Production?
* Moscatel key variety
* Crushed and SO2 added on arrival
* Chilled maceration for a couple hours
* Drained and pressed
* Ferm temp 17-18 C (similar to unfort whites) to enhance and retain fruit
* Stored in stanless or very large old oak for short period
138
White Port: Fruity, unoxidized style:
* The wine?
* lemon in color
* med bodied
* flavours of stone fruits or floral notes
139
White Port: Oxidative style:
* Production?
* Malvasia often key variety, because neutral aromas develop honeyed and nutty
* May macerate longer and ferm at slightly warmer temps (20-22 C)
* aged for several years in small oak casks (as with age-indicated Tawny)
140
White Port: Oxidative style:
* The wine?
* amber or brown in color
* flavours of caramel, citrus peel, dried stone fruits and nuts
141
White Port: Intermediate style:
* How made?
* The wine?
* slight oxidative character from limited ageing in oak
* still show some fresh fruit flavours, but can gain a slight nuttiness
142
Port: Very old wines:
* What are the two categories for White and Tawny Ports as of 2022?
* 50 years old
* 'Very Very Old' or 'VVO' or 'W' for over 80 years old
143
Douro:
* Number of vineyard owners?
* Average per owner?
* What do most do with their grapes?
* 20k vineyard owners
* average of 2.2 ha each
* most sell to one of the med or large producers or to a co-op
144
Douro:
* What percentage of wine do co-ops make?
* What do most co-ops do with their wines, and why?
* 20%
* most sell to the shippers because of their prominence
* Brokers often employed as part of trading
145
Port:
* Concentration of producers?
* 5 main producers make 80% of sales by volume
* only 30-35 producers make significant volumes
146
Port: Top 5 producers in order?
* Porto Cruz
* Symington Family Estates
* Sogrape
* The Fladgate Partnership
* Sogevinus
147
IVDP:
* Full name?
* Year of formation?
* What does it do?
* Instituto dos Vinhos do Porto e do Douro
* 2003
* This interprofessional body controls and supervises the production and trade of Port and unfortified wines from the Douro
148
IVDP: 5 specific duties?
* regulates the **volume** of Port that can be **produced** in any one year (the beneficio)
* holds the **registers** of vineyards and of companies involved in wine production and shipping
* controls the **volume** of Port that can be **released** onto the market each year (1/3rd of a shipper's stocks)
* **analyses and tastes** prospective Port wines to ensure each meets the specifications of the intended style
* **promotes** both Port and unfortified Douro wines.
149
The beneficio: What is it?
* the volume of grape must designated for Port production in any one year
* also, the name of the licensing system that regulates that volume
150
Beneficio: What are some factors taken into consideration for classification of vineyards?
* location
* altitude
* aspect
* gradient
* soils
* grape varieties
151
Benficio: How are the factors translated into letters?
* For each vineyard parcel, each factor is given a score.
* These scores are added to give a single score
* The scores are assigned to bands from A to I
152
Beneficio: What is a consequence of a vineyard being classified within a band?
* "A" is licensed to produce the most Port
* G, H, and I is not licensed to produce Port, but are instead used for unfortified wines or spirits
153
Beneficio: Who agrees on the total volume of grape must for Port that is produced in a year (i.e., the beneficio)?
* growers
* producers
* the IVDP
154
Beneficio: In setting the beneficio:
* What is taken into account?
* What are the goals?
* market demand as well as levels of stock available
* keep grape and Port prices stable: control the price of grapes
155
Beneficio:
* What are the benefits?
* Lots of small growers (average holding only 2.2 ha)
* Growers with a top-classed vineyard can sell their grapes for a decent price
156
Beneficio:
* When did the DOC expand to include unfortified wines?
* What has happened as Port sales have declined?
* What is the price of grapes on the market for unfortified, compared with those sold for Port
* 1979
* production of unfortified Douro wine has increased
* much lower
157
Beneficio:
* What does each vineyard owner receive for each parcel?
* What can they do with the card?
* A beneficio card that says the volume they are permitted to produce
* They can trade it, along with grapes (not necessarily the same grade)
158
Beneficio:
* Two examples of trading
* Port producer with A grade vineyards buys F grade card and fruit, and then uses the F card's allocation to use excess fruit from his own A vineyard (selling F for light wine or distillation)
* Grower with B and F vineyards sells the B card with F grapes, and then can sell the B grapes for light wine or distillation (to get a higher price)
159
Beneficio:
* How are trading and payments verified?
* All are recorded by the IVDP, who ensures they add up
160
Beneficio: What is the complaint by Port producers about the system?
* It does not benefit he current industry, because vineyard area has grown while Port demand (and volume) has declined
* They are paying artificially high prices for Port grapes, which subsidizes unfortified Douro wine production
161
Port:
* Production in 2022?
* Sales in 2022?
* ~80m L
* 70m L
162
Port:
* What are the overall trends in recent history?
* Sales growth in last three decades of the 1900s, follow by steady decline since 2000
* Average prices increasing, in part due to increasing sales of premium Ports, including age-indicated Tawny Ports
163
Port: What is increasing sales of premium Ports, including age-indicated Tawny Ports, attributed to?
* Increasing quality
* More effective marketing
164
Port:
* What does the IVDP call "special categories"?
* What percentage of vol sales is this?
* What percentage of sale value is this?
* Reserve Ruby, Reserve Tawny, Reserve White, Tawny with an Indication of Age, White with an Indication of Age, Colheita, Vintage, Single Quinta, Crusted and LBV
* 23%
* 45%
165
Port:
* What fraction of Port by volume was exported in 2022?
* What are the two top markets?
* 82%
* France, then Portugal
166
Port:
* What dominates exports to France and Holland?
* What is the overall trend?
* What is a consequence?
* Inexpensive Port styles, drunk as an aperitif
* Replacement of these inexpensive styles with other drinks as aperitifs
* Overall decline in the Port market
167
Port:
* What are examples of producers who diversified into still, unfortified wines?
* What is a counterexample?
* Symington Family Estates, Quinta do Noval, Ramos Pinto and Niepoort
* Taylor's (though in 2023, purchased producer outside the Douro)
168
Port:
* What are three ways to manage falling sales?
* Producers diversify into still, unfortified wines
* Newer styles of Port
* New formats for presentation in hospitality sector
169
Port:
* What are examples of new styles that aim to attract new drinkers?
* Rosé and unaged White Ports
170
Port:
* How is Rosé Port marketed?
* can be drunk as an aperitif
* or used in cocktails
171
Port:
* How is White Port marketed?
* Sometimes in cocktails
* Often mixed with tonic as an aperitif
* Lower alc (compared with spirits) may be positive for some consumers
172
Port:
* What is an example of a new format for presentation in the hospitality sector?
* Graham’s: 4.5 L bottles of various Tawny Ports as a digestif
* impressive social media photo opportunity
173
What brands are owned by Porto Cruz?
Gran Cruz
174
What brands are owned by Symington Family Estates?
* Cockburn’s
* Dow’s
* Graham’s
* Warre’s
175
What brands are owned by Sogrape?
* Sandeman
* Offley
* Ferreira
176
What brands are owned by The Fladgate Partnership?
* Taylor’s
* Fonseca
* Croft
* Krohn
177
What brands are owned by Sogevinus?
* Burmester
* Barros
* Cálem
* Kopke
WSET D5
flashcards
Decks in class (8)
# Cards
