Quality levels for
Portuguese wine
Vinhos de Mesa
Vinhos Regional (VR) Indicação Geogràfica Protegida (IGP)
Denominação de Origem Protegida (DOP)
What is the minimum percetage from a VR/IGP
for that region to appear on a label?
85% minimum
What is
Adamado?
Sweet
-Doce is also used
What is
Carvalho?
Oak
What is
Doce?
Sweet
-Adamado is also used
What is
Garrafeira?
Gran Reserva
For vintage dated wines only!
==========
.5% min higher ABV
than required wine/region
Branco
**12 months min total aging
**6 months min in bottle.
Tinta
*30 months min total aging
**12 months min in bottle
(Stevenson says 3 years total)
(…ish)
What is
I.P.R.?
Idicacao Proveniencia Regulamentada
(similar to France’s VDQS)
-done away with (just like VDQS)
All IPRs became DOPs.
What is
Licoroso?
Fortified wine
What is
Maduro?
Matured
-often refers to wine that has been stored in a vat.
What is
Produzido e engarrafado por?
Produced and bottled by
What is
Quinado?
Aromatized Tonic Wine

Note:
What is
Reserva in Portugal?
.5% higher min ABV
than minimum requirement
on traditional method Espumante indicates:
*12 months min on lees
Some regions requirements may be stricter (eg- Dao)
Used for Vintage dated wine only!
What is
Solar?
Property -or- Estate
-can refer to a single vineyard
What is
Velho?
Literally means “Old”
Branco
*2 years min aging
Tinta
*3 years min aging
-used to have no legal definition-
What is
Colheita Seleccionada?
1% ABV higher
than the regular minimum
What is
Enforcado?
A system for training vines most widely used in Minho.
Vines are trained very high (trees & telephone poles).
Note: less than 10% of the regions vines are trained this way anymore.

What is
Chao Rija?
A soil type in the Colares DOP of Lisboa.
Hard, stony soil. (Red Sandstone?)
Located further inland away from the coast.
Less desirable than the sandy Chao de Areia sandy soils of the region that are closer to the coast.
- Chao de Areia must be planted to 80% min Ramisco, in comparison to Chao Rija’s 80% min Castelao
What is
Chao de Areia?
This sandy soil is mainly dug in trenches and planted to protect it from the marine winds due to its proximity to the Atlantic coast.
- unlike the hard, stony Chao Rija soil.
Chao de Areia must be planted to 80% min Ramisco (casta).
What is
Colheita?
Vintage
What is
D.O.P.?
Denominacao Origem Protegida
What is
Engarrafado?
Bottled by
What is
Engarrafado na origem?
Estate Bottled
What is
Escolha?
Choice -or- Selection
What is
Espumante?
Sparkling Wine