Chapter 7
Spain and Portugal
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Objectives
• After reading this chapter, you should be able
to
– identify the major wine regions of Portugal and Spain.
– display a solid understanding of the various
microclimates and soil types of the Iberian Peninsula.
– describe the different types of wines produced in Spain
and Portugal.
– explain the role of governmental agencies in the
production, promotion, and marketing of Spain’s and
Portugal’s wines.
– discuss the position of Spanish and Portuguese wines in
the U.S. market, currently and in the near future.
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Introduction
• The vinifera grape is indigenous to the Iberian
Peninsula, and from the time of the Roman Empire
wine has been produced and exported from the
region.
• These countries remain important wine producers
to this day, Spain ranking #3 in the world for total
production and Portugal #6.
• Both countries have suffered through natural
disasters and political upheaval, all of which
adversely affected wine production.
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Introduction (continued)
• By the 1960s, the image of wine from the Iberian
Peninsula was not one of quality.
– Spain was known for over-oaked reds and oxidized whites, and the
production of sherry was in turmoil.
– Portugal was known only for sweet rosé and Port.
• In the past 30 years, both countries have made
extraordinary progress in modernizing production and
upgrading the quality of their table wines.
• This improvement has been aided by collaboration
between the private sector and government.
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The Wine of Spain and Portugal—
A Historical Perspective
• The Phoenicians arrived around 1100 BC and engaged
in the first commercial winemaking on this vast
peninsula.
• The Carthaginians invaded Iberia around 250 BC and
expanded the production of wine, exporting it to all
parts of the Roman Empire.
• Wine production and exports continued when the
Romans took control of Iberia in the 2nd century BC.
• After the Roman Empire fell in the first century AD,
winemaking continued, but the exportation of wine was
greatly reduced.
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The Wine of Spain and Portugal—
A Historical Perspective (continued)
• In AD 711, the Visigoth kingdom was overthrown
by the Moors, an Islamic tribe from North Africa.
– The Moors ruled peacefully for 600 years and did not
demand the cessation of viticulture even though Islam
forbade the consumption of alcohol.
– Wine was taxed, and Christians and Jews were allowed to
continue making and consuming wine.
– By 1320, Christians were largely successful in their efforts
to reconquer Iberia, and trade with the rest of Europe
increased.
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Spanish Wine—
Historical Perspective
• In 1492, Spain became a united Christian country
when the Spanish Army drove the Moors from
Granada.
– The Spanish Inquisition, beginning in 1492, was
condemned by other Europeans, but opened the way for
European merchants to come into Spain.
– The Spanish wine that attracted the most attention from
these foreign traders was Sherry.
– By the late sixteenth century it was the best selling wine
in England. Trade with other parts of Europe also
expanded.
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Spanish Wine—
Historical Perspective (continued)
• Relations between Spain and England deteriorated
after Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon in
1533.
– Tensions escalated into war, and trade declined and
remained sporadic even after the English defeated the
Spanish Navy in 1588.
– The English imposed heavy taxes on Spanish wine, so
Spain concentrated on building exports elsewhere while
the Portuguese supplied wine to England.
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Spanish Wine—
Historical Perspective (continued)
• Demand for wine increased during the seventeenth
century fueling exports and the Spanish wine trade
became well established.
– By 1825 two-thirds of wine imported into England was
Spanish, most of it Sherry. During the early nineteenth
century, vineyard acreage in Spain increased fourfold.
– Wine production in Spain was dealt a severe blow with
the arrival of phylloxera in 1878, devastating vineyards.
– As in other wine regions, the vineyards were replanted
with better varieties.
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Spanish Wine—
Historical Perspective (continued)
• Spain was unable to continue the improvement of
its wine production and exports due to the political
turmoil created by the Spanish Civil War of 1936–
1939 and the isolation resulting from the dictatorial
regime of General Francisco Franco.
– In the years since Franco’s death in 1975, Spain has
recovered and so has her wine trade.
– This was due in part to a nationwide system of quality
control laws formed in 1972 and to the introduction of
modern technology.
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Portuguese Wine—
Historical Perspective
• Portugal’s first Parliament was established in 1249,
thereby reducing territorial disputes and opening the
way to international trade.
• England was a particularly important trading partner
shipping commodities to Portugal in exchange for
wine.
• When England and France went to war in the
seventeenth century and French wine became
unattainable, the natural beneficiary was Portugal.
Wine shipments to England increased dramatically.
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Portuguese Wine—
Historical Perspective (continued)
• In the Douro region of inland Portugal, merchants found
very deeply colored, intensely tannic red wines.
• To ensure that these wines would make the journey to
England unspoiled, they began fortifying these red wines
with additional brandy.
• In 1703 England and Portugal further strengthened their
trading partnership with the Treaty of Methuen which gave
tariff advantages to Portuguese wines.
• A thriving community of English merchants had established
itself in the city of Oporto on the coast, from where they
controlled the production and shipping of the increasingly
popular Port.
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Portuguese Wine—
Historical Perspective (continued)
• During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,
conflicts between France and England continued to
benefit the Portuguese wine trade.
– The island of Madeira, a Portuguese colony off the coast
of Africa, became an important trading post for passing
ships.
– That island began shipping its own fortified wine to
England and her colonies.
– The British colonies in North America were also an
important market for the wines of Portugal.
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Portuguese Wine—
Historical Perspective (continued)
• In the late nineteenth century, Portugal’s vineyards
were struck by the same natural disaster as those in
the rest of Europe—phylloxera. Some wine regions
have never recovered.
• As she entered the twentieth century, Portugal
remained in isolation during a 20-year period of
political and economic disruption.
• By international agreement, in 1916 Portugal was
granted the sole right to use the terms “Port” and
“Madeira.”
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Portuguese Wine—
Historical Perspective (continued)
• In 1937 the Junta Nacional do Vinho was created to
oversee wine production. The JNV encouraged
grape growers and small producers to work
together.
• In the next 20 years, over 100 cooperatives were
built mostly in northern Portugal to produce wine
and sell it domestically and abroad.
• The system imposed by the central government was
not conducive to experimentation or improvement
of techniques, and standards deteriorated.
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Portuguese Wine—
Historical Perspective (continued)
• In 1976 Portugal held a successful democratic
election, and immediately began its ascent into
modern Europe.
– In 1986 Portugal was admitted to the E.U., which greatly
benefited the wine industry.
– The improvement in the quality of table wines can be
attributed to improved technology and innovative
winemakers.
– A group called the G7 is made up of seven vintners from
seven different regions working since 1993 to promote
awareness of Portuguese table wines in foreign markets.
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Government Involvement
• The governments of Spain and Portugal have been
actively involved with promoting wine trade. This
support takes three forms:
– quality control laws that set boundaries of regions, and
regulations for the production of wines
– support of research in viticultural and enological
technologies and investment in training and equipment
– national programs that promote their countries as worldclass wine regions and assist in developing marketing
strategies
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Spain’s Denominación de Origen Laws
• Spain’s efforts to control the production of wine
began in 1926 with the official demarcation of the
Rioja region.
– The process was completed in 1972 with the passage of
legislation that created the Instituto de Denominaciones de
Origen (INDO) and established a system of Denominaciones
de Origen (DO), the equivalent of France’s appellations
d’origens.
– There are presently fifty-five DOs in Spain.
– Each of the DOs has its own consejo regulador, the local
authority that oversees viticulture, production, labeling,
and distribution of wine for that region.
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Spain’s Denominación de Origen Laws
(continued)
• The regulations overseen by INDO include
boundaries of wine regions, allowed varietals, yield
per hectare, pruning and trellising methods,
vinification and aging requirements, minimum
alcohol content, and labeling information.
• Furthermore, since joining the E.U., Spain has had
to conform to continent-wide standards for
winemaking, land use, and marketing and
distribution of alcoholic beverages.
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Quality Designations of the INDO
• Within the Spanish system, all wine regions
are designated at one of four levels of quality,
and all wines coming from each region carry
that same designation.
• In ascending order of quality they are
–
–
–
–
vino de mesa
vino comarcal
vino de la tierra
quality wines
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Vino de Mesa
• Vino de mesa: Basic table wine, the equivalent of
France’s vin de table.
• These wines are often blends of various grape
varietals, and may come from several different
regions.
• No vintage date is shown, nor may any region of
origin be mentioned on the label.
– Within the vino de mesa designation there is a second tier
for winemakers who produce a wine within a DO, but
using unauthorized grapes or methods.
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Vino Comarcal
• Vino comarcal: This is a regional wine designation,
similar to France’s vin de pays.
– There are 21 regions in Spain, all of them quite large,
with diverse growing conditions.
– The label of a wine at this level would read “Vino
Comarcal de [name of classified region].”
– The producer can also choose to designate his wine as
“Vino de Mesa de [the name of the province],” followed
by the vintage year.
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Vino de la Tierra
• Vino de la tierra: This designation is the same
as France’s VDQS in that it is essentially a
stepping-stone to the highest designation.
– Producers of wines at this level hope that their
district will someday receive DO status.
– The wines are made entirely from authorized
grape varietals, and they are grown within one
district.
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Quality Wines
• Quality wines: Wines from official
Denominaciones de Origen, made from
authorized varietals and vinified and aged
according to the regulations of that DO.
– An additional level of quality was created in 1986
specifying that the most prestigious districts
would be designated as Denominación de Origen
Calificada (DOCa).
– To date, only Rioja has been elevated to DOCa
status.
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Quality Designations of the INDO
• The quality level of a DO or DOCa wine is
indicated on its label by the amount of aging
the wine received.
– Vino de Cosheca: Vintage wine. At least 85
percent of the grapes used must be from the year
shown.
– Crianza: Wine is released in its third year, after
spending at least 6 months in barrels, and an
additional 2 years in the bottle. Some districts
specify even more aging.
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Quality Designations of the INDO
(continued)
– Reserva: Red wines aged at least 3 years, with
one of those years spent in oak barrels. Most
producers of fine reds will exceed the minimum
requirements.
– Gran Reserva: Produced only in the finest years,
and only with the approval of the local consejo
regulador, these wines must be aged for a
minimum of 3 years in barrels and an additional
2 years in bottle.
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Wine Laws of Portugal
• Portugal created the world’s first demarcated wine
region in 1756.
– Demand for Port was so strong that some shippers began
stretching the supply by adulterating the wine.
• The government realized that fraudulent practices
damaged the reputation of Port, so the boundaries
of the Douro region were set and the government
supervised production.
• Between 1908 and 1929, geographic demarcations
were drawn up for other major regions, such as
Vinho Verde, Dão, Madeira, and Setúbal.
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Wine Laws of Portugal (continued)
• Portugal did not finalize the quality control laws for its
wine trade until its admittance into the E.U. in 1986.
– Portugal’s Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) is based on
France’s Appellation d’Origin e Controlée.
– Regulations set wine regions, viticultural practices, grape
varietals, yields per hectare, vinification techniques, and
labeling requirements.
– All laws are set by the Instituto da Vinha e Vinho (Institute of
Viticulture and Wines), which works with local authorities.
– The Instituto do Vinho do Porto supervises the production and
selling of Port.
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Quality Designations
• Within Portugal’s DOC system, wine regions are
classified as:
– Vinho de Mesa: Table wines are the lowest level of
quality and are produced with minimal regulations and
oversight. No vintage year may be stated.
– Vinho Regional: There are eight regional wine areas.
Moving from north to south (these VRs are Minho, Trásos-Montes, Beiras, Ribatejo, Estremadura, Alentejo,
Terras do Sado, and Algarve. At least 85 percent of the
grapes that go into a wine at this level must be grown in
the region, and the varietals used must be authorized for
that region.
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Wine Laws of Portugal
• Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC): Quality
wines made under specific requirements and high
standards from authorized grapes grown entirely
within the DOC specified.
– To date there are 40 DOCs. At this highest level of
quality, additional information on the wine is found in the
terms on the label. For instance, garrafeira signifies a red
wine aged a minimum of 2½ years, including a year in the
bottle.
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Wine Laws of Portugal (continued)
• For whites and rosés, the aging requirement is a
minimum of 1 year. For all wines, a minimum
alcohol content of 11.5 percent is required.
– The term reserva is used for high-quality wines from
superior vintage years.
– Colheita selecionada signifies a very high quality wine, from
excellent vintages and often from prime vineyards.
– The alcohol content must be 1 percent above the
requirement for that DOC.
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The Wine Regions of Portugal
• Portugal occupies the western flank of the Iberian
Peninsula.
• The culture and the climate are strongly influenced
by the Atlantic Ocean.
• Portugal is a small country—only 360 miles long
and 120 miles wide. However, there is great diversity
of terroirs.
– In the North’s flat littoral areas along the Atlantic coast,
the maritime climate produces warm summers and wet,
cool winters.
– As one moves inland or to the south, rainfall is
considerably lower and temperatures more extreme.
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The Wine Regions of Portugal
(continued)
• Portugal developed its viticulture in isolation, and
few varieties were brought in from the rest of
Europe.
– Among the indigenous grapes, the most important are
Touriga National, Touriga Francesca, and Tinta Roriz (the
Tempranillo of Spain).
– In the cool damp north, the white grape Alvarinho (same
as Spain’s Albariño) is prominent, especially in Vinho
Verde. In the warmer drier south, a red grape that thrives
is Castelão Frances, also known as Periquita.
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The Wine Regions of Portugal
(continued)
• There has been little experimentation in
Portugal with common international varietals
such as Chardonnay and Merlot.
• Portuguese vintners and the government
agencies are concentrating their marketing
efforts on promoting indigenous varietals.
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The Wine Regions of Spain
• Spain encompasses most of the Iberian
Peninsula and has 3.5 million acres of
grapevines, more than any other country.
– Due to the arid and warm climate in most of the
country and to a ban on irrigation, yields are low,
averaging 1.4 tons per acre.
– In the north, at the foot of the Pyrenees and on
the northwestern coast, temperatures are more
moderate and rainfall adequate.
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Grape Varieties of Spain
• In these cooler regions, the primary grape varietals
for white wines are Viura (also called Macabeo),
Albariño, and Verdejo. In the south and interior,
Airén, is very widely planted.
• For red wines Tempranillo is the most-widely planted
of the quality wine-producing varietals and
Garnarcha (Grenache) is the second.
• In Spain’s warmest and driest section, the southern
Andalucía province, most vineyards are planted to
grapes for Sherry—Palomino and Pedro Ximénez.
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The Wine Regions of Spain
• Spain is divided into seventeen autonomías, or
“autonomous communities,” analogous to the
50 U.S. states.
• Most of these regions have demarcated wine
zones, or denominaciones de origen, within their
boundaries.
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Galicia: Rías Baixas and Ribeiro
• The northwest region of Galicia is Spain’s coolest
and most humid section.
– The Albariño covers 90 percent of vineyard acreage
throughout Rías Baixas, even though the DO law allows
11 different varietals.
– After the phylloxera devastation in the late 1900s many
of Rías Baixas’ vineyards were torn out or replanted to
hybrid vines that produced mediocre wine.
– Today many property owners have replanted their land to
Albariño.
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Galicia: Rías Baixas and Ribeiro
(continued)
• The DO Ribeiro extends along the Miño River and
concentrates on white wine.
– The small quantities of light-bodied red wine (primarily
Garnacha) are mostly consumed locally.
– After phylloxera, most farmers chose to replant with
Palomino, which was unsuited to the cool maritime
climate.
– Recently landowners have begun to replant, using two
white varietals better suited to their climate, Torrontés
and Treixadura.
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Castilla y Léon: Ribera del Duero,
Rueda
• The two most important of the five DOs in the
region are located on opposite sides of the Duero
River, they are Ribiero del Duero and Rueda.
– Ribeiro del Duero straddles the wide valley of the Duero
River (called the Douro in Portugal).
– The vineyards lie on the slopes of the hills reaching 2,600
feet. At this altitude there is considerable temperature
fluctuation between day and night.
– Although such conditions make viticulture risky, they help
to maintain acidity levels.
– The principal grape here is Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo).
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Castilla y Léon: Ribera del Duero,
Rueda (continued)
• Extending south from the Duero River, on a bleak
flat plain, is the DO Rueda.
– Rueda fell into mediocrity after phylloxera wiped out her
vineyards. When property owners replanted in the early
years of the twentieth century, they made the same
mistake as vintners in the Ribeiro district planting
Palomino.
– Fortunately the region now produces good quantities of
fresh, crisp, Verdejo, as well as Sauvignon Blanc
fermented in stainless steel tanks and released young.
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Rioja
• Rioja is Spain’s best-known and most
prestigious wine region and has 120,000 acres
of vineyards.
– In 1991, a ministerial decree granted Rioja the
status of Denominaçion do Origen Calificada, the
first, and so far the only, wine region to be
granted this ranking.
– Rioja is located in the northernmost part of the
country, near the Pyrenees Mountains.
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Rioja (contnued)
• Although small, Rioja is divided into three subzones, each with a distinct microclimate and terroir.
– The northwest zone is called Rioja Alta. The soil is a
combination of clay and limestone, and the climate is
cool.
– The center zone, Rioja Alavesa, mixes Atlantic influences
with warmer drier air from the Mediterranean. The soil is
similar to the limestone and clay of Rioja Alta.
– The eastern zone, Rioja Baja (lower Rioja), has warmer,
drier weather, and its soil is mostly alluvial.
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Rioja (contnued)
• Seventy-five percent of the wine produced in
Rioja is red, and the principal grape is
Tempranillo.
– Three other red grapes are authorized. Garnacha,
Mazuelo (Carignan), and Graciano are blended
into red wine in small quantities.
– There are three authorized white varietals, Viura,
Malvasia, and Garnacha Blanca.
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Navarra
• Next to Rioja in the foothills of the Pyrenees is the
DO of Navarra, which has been producing wine
since Roman times.
– Fully 80 percent of Navarra’s vineyards are planted to
Garnacha grape. Under proper conditions, Garnacha can
produce soft, fruity, and aromatic reds.
– Tempranillo is the second most widely planted red
varietal.
– White wines account for only 10 percent of Navarra’s
production and are made primarily from Viura.
– Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay are now
authorized by the local Consejo Regulado.
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Cataluña: Penedès, Priorato
• Cataluña on the Mediterranean Sea in northeast
Spain is centered around Barcelona, a busy
commercial center for Cataluña’s wine trade.
A short drive inland from Barcelona lie the
vineyards and bodegas of several exciting DOs.
• Penedès is home to the Torres family, who run a
large, thoroughly modern winemaking facility in
Penedès, as well as properties in Chile and Sonoma,
California.
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Cataluña: Penedès, Priorato (continued)
• Penedès remains the principal source for Cava,
producing 90 percent of the country’s sparkling
wine.
– The term “Cava,” from the Spanish word for “cave” or
aging cellar, was adopted by the Spanish government in
1970 as an official denominaçión.
– The term Cava is limited to sparkling wine made in the
Champagne method from grapes grown in certain
regions.
– Total production of Cava is now over 12.5 million cases
per year. Major producers include Codorníu, Freixenet,
Paul Cheneau, and Segura Viudas
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Cataluña: Penedès, Priorato (continued)
• Priorato is a small DO with only 4,300 acres of
vineyards surrounded by the large DO of
Tarragona.
– The region has cold winters but long hot and dry
summers. The grapes, mostly Garnacha and Cariñena
(Carignan), get very ripe in these conditions.
– The result is a very full-bodied, intense red wine with
high alcohol levels (the legal minimum is 13.5 percent,
but the wine usually goes higher).
– French varieties, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and
Syrah, are also being produced and show promise.
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La Mancha
• The Central Plain of Spain is vast and flat, and
vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see.
– There are over 1 million acres of vineyard in the DO. La
Mancha produces one-third of Spain’s wine production.
– Most of the wine is sold in bulk, or is distilled into
brandy or used to make vinegar. Over 90 percent of the
acreage is devoted to the hearty white varietal with little
character Airén.
– The local Consejo Regulado is encouraging growers to
replace Airén.
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Andalucía: Jerez (Sherry)
• The great fortified wine, Sherry, is made in the small
Jerez section of Andalucía in Southern Spain and
often underappreciated.
– The name “Sherry” is an English corruption of “Jerez.”
– Sherry can be a crisp dry aperitif (fino) or a deeplyflavored dessert wine (oloroso), with a range of styles in
between.
– Today the winemaking adheres to traditions but is also
thoroughly modern.
– The grapes used, Palomino and Pedro Ximénez, are well
adapted to the dry warm climate.
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Andalucía: Jerez (Sherry) (continued)
• Once harvested, the grapes are brought to the Sherry houses,
where they go through a normal first fermentation until dry.
• The new wine is then placed into casks where it is left for the
flor yeast to form on the surface of the wine.
• The flor develops like a thin white carpet over the entire
surface of the wine.
• These casks will become Fino Sherry and aged in a fractional
aging system called a solera.
• At the end of the aging period, Fino is removed from the
older casks in the solera and fortified sparingly with
additional alcohol.
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Andalucía: Jerez (Sherry) (continued)
• Amontillado is a style of Fino that is left longer in the solera.
It is, accordingly, darker in color, richer, but dry, and nutty in
flavor.
• In other casks, minimal flor will grow, thus exposing the
wine to air inside the cask. These casks will be classified as
oloroso, and fortified to 18° Brix.
• The fortification kills the remaining yeast and leaving
unfermented sugars. Oloroso Sherries spend longer in the
solera, acquiring a deep color and richly concentrated,
sweetly raisined flavors.
• Some olorosos are further sweetened through the addition
of juice from sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes.
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The Wine Regions of Portugal
• There are a total of 988,000 acres of
vineyards planted in eight vinho regional
areas.
• Within those VRs are 40 Denominçãos de
Origem Contralada.
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Vinho Verde
• The northwest vinho regional of Minho is famous for
its bright, acidic, very dry white wines.
• The best-known DOC is Vinho Verde (literal
translation: “green wine”).
– Vinho Verde is Portugal’s largest demarcated wine region,
extending from the city of Oporto north to the border
with Spain.
– Vintners here employ high trellises, allowing vegetables to
be grown under the vines.
– The principal white grape is Alvarinho, made into
popular, sprightly wine.
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Douro
• This region is named for the Douro River, which
begins as the Duero in Spain and flows across
Portugal to empty into the Atlantic.
– Famous for its fortified wine, Port, the Douro region is
gaining a reputation for solid, balanced red table wines,
which now make up one half its production.
– The vineyards for both Port and table wines are located
inland, in the rocky, rugged hills of Trás-os-Montes
(“behind the mountains”).
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Douro (continued)
• The soil is primarily hard, mineral-laden rock that
retains heat and is very difficult for roots to
penetrate.
• There are almost 90 approved varietals for Douro,
but the favored grapes for both types of wine are
Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo).
• For white Port, the favored varietals are Malvasia
Fina and Gouveio (thought to be the Verdelho of
Madeira.)
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Douro and Port
• Unquestionably the most famous wine
coming out of the Douro is still Port.
– Fortified with clear grape brandy that kills the
yeast cells before fermentation is completed, Port
has a natural sweetness from the sugars that were
prevented from fermenting.
– The final product is between 18 and 20 percent
alcohol.
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Douro and Port (continued)
• After fermentation, the wine is pumped into barrels
where it rests through the winter.
– The following spring the wine is shipped to the coastal
city of Oporto where the major Port companies, such as
Croft, Fonseca, and Dow, have their caves or aging
facilities.
– The wine is then classified, aged, and bottled before
shipping to markets throughout the world.
– By law no more than one-third of a company’s stock can
be released for sale in any year.
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Styles of Port
• It is the aging process that determines a Port’s
style. There are two basic categories:
– Wood-matured Ports are left for a short time in
large wooden casks to age and are ready to be
drunk when bottled and released.
– Bottle-aged Ports, on the other hand, are
intended to be aged further upon release. They
are bottled young and aged for up to 20 to 30
years to fully mature.
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Styles of Port (continued)
• Ruby: This is the youngest and simplest style of
Port. It is meant to be consumed early.
– Wine from several vintages are blended together and aged
briefly before being filtered and bottled.
• Tawny: One would assume that the amber color has
come from aging but most commercial tawnies are
not much older than rubies.
– The light color is attained by fermenting inferior, lightercolored grapes, or by blending in white Port.
• Approximately 80 percent of Port is simple ruby or
commercial tawny.
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Styles of Port (continued)
• Aged Tawny: This style of tawny comes by its color
legitimately, as it must be aged in wood casks for six
years or more.
– Aging gives the wine a smooth soft texture.
– Aged tawny carries an indication of age, either 10, 20, 30,
or over 40 years, which is an average of the ages of the
various years’ produce in that bottling.
– Aged tawnies are made from quality grapes and must pass
a taste test by the IVP before bottling.
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Styles of Port (continued)
• Vintage Port: For an exceptional vintage, a Port
maker will keep the resulting wine separate.
– After a year aging, the wine is assessed to determine
whether it is of quality to be made into Vintage Port.
– If so, the company will send a sample to the IVP, and if
the wine passes the test, the Port maker can declare a
vintage.
– The single-vintage wine is then aged a further two to
three years before being bottled and released.
– After bottling, consumers can age vintage Port for an
additional 20 to 30 years.
– These are the rarest and most expensive of Ports. Only 1
percent of Port sold is from this category.
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Styles of Port (continued)
• LBV: Late-bottled vintage Port is a single
vintage wine bottled between the fourth and
sixth year after harvest.
– Filtered and cold-stabilized before bottling, they
throw less sediment than vintage Port.
– LBV wines are made in good years that were not
good enough to be declared a vintage.
– They need less time to mature than a vintage
Port, and can be consumed within 5 years after
bottling.
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Styles of Port (continued)
• White: White Port is made in essentially the same
method as red.
– Brandy is added to arrest fermentation at the same stage,
leaving residual sugars.
– White Ports, therefore, are medium-sweet. Alcohol
content is between 16.5 and 17 percent as opposed to the
19 to 20 percent common in red Port.
– White Ports are aged usually no longer than 18 months,
mostly in stainless steel tanks.
– White Port is usually served chilled as an aperitif.
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Bairrada and Dão
• The vinho regional, Beiras is a large region that stretches the
width of Portugal, south of Vinho Verde and Douro, from
the Atlantic Coast inland to the mountains.
• Bairrada is along the coast. Vineyards were once banned due
to their use to adulterate Port, but after efforts by vineyard
owners, it was recognized as an official wine region in 1979.
– Over 70 percent of the vineyards are planted to Baga, which
produces the stout, tannic red wine for which the region is famous.
– All Bairrada wine must contain at least 50 percent Baga, and most
growers sell their grapes to one of the six cooperatives.
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Bairrada and Dão (continued)
• Dão lies inland to the east of Bairrada.
Surrounded by hills, it is protected from the
winds and moisture of the Atlantic.
– The region suffered from the creation of many
cooperatives whose numbers restricted the
amount of grapes available to private producers,
thus lowering standards.
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Bairrada and Dão (continued)
• Such monopolistic practices were deemed
inappropriate by the EU and were
discontinued in 1986.
– Now Dão has re-emerged as a producer of fine
table wines, and 80 percent of the region’s wine
production is red.
– There are nine red grapes authorized, including
Touriga Nacional.
– Dão reds must be at least 30 percent Touriga
Nacional.
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Setúbal
• The Setúbal Peninsula, south of Lisbon, protrudes
into the Atlantic between the estuaries of the Sado
and Tagus rivers.
– The ocean and rivers provide moderating influences on
the climate, and the warm temperatures and regular
rainfall are excellent for growing grapes.
– The fishing town of Setúbal lends its name to the
peninsula, and Terras do Sado is the regional name for
the wide range of table wines made on the peninsula.
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Setúbal (continued)
• The most famous wine, though, is a sweet fortified
wine that also carries the name Setúbal, now a DOC.
– In 1907, the region was demarcated as Moscatel do
Setúbal for the principal grape, Moscatel (Muscat).
– E.U. regulations, however, state that, to include the name
of a varietal, a wine must be made at least 85 percent
from that grape, and local customs allow as much as 30
percent other grapes.
– Accordingly, since 1986 the DOC has been simply Setúbal.
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Alentejo
• Alentejo is a huge agricultural region, stretching
from the Tagus River east to the border with Spain,
and encompassing one-third of Portugal’s land
mass.
– Alentejo contains the majority of the country’s cork
forests.
– After a period of disarray in the 1970s, Alentejo is again
emerging as an important source of good table wines.
– There is limited rainfall and extreme temperatures that
often soar to over 100°F in summer.
– Red wines are made mostly from Aragonêz (local name
for Tinta Roriz or Tempranillo).
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Madeira
• The small island of Madeira (only 36 miles long and
15 miles wide) lies off the coast of Africa.
– Claimed by Portugal in 1420, the island was soon the site
of vineyards.
– The soil is mineral-rich clay atop volcanic rock, sunshine
and rainfall are abundant, and the terraced slopes of the
southeastern facing hills were soon producing high
quality wine.
– With the help of the British, Madeira wines were soon
shipped to the Continent and to the New World.
– By 1768, Madeira was demarcated as an official wine
region.
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Madeira (continued)
• In the mid-1800s shippers began to fortify the wine
with additional alcohol so it could better withstand
the long sea voyages.
• It was discovered that the heat in the ships’ holds
gave the wine additional smoothness and richness.
• Today modern equipment is used. Brandy is added
to arrest fermentation, the wine is placed for 3 to 4
months in an estufa, a heated vat that emulates the
sun and shipboard heat.
• After the aging and heating are complete,
sweetening in the form caramel is added.
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Madeira (continued)
• The process is regulated by Madeira’s quality control
agency, Insituto do Vinho da Madeira or IVM.
• Even though 85 percent of the island’s vineyards are
planted to the lesser red grape, Tinta Negra Mole,
quality Madeira is made from four premium white
grapes.
• In accordance with E.U. regulations, each style of
Madeira contains at least 85 percent of the grape for
which it is named.
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Madeira (continued)
• In ascending order of sweetness, the styles of
Madeira are:
– Sercial: The most delicate and dry, with naturally high
acidity.
– Verdelho: With higher sugar content and lower acidity
than Sercial, it is made in an off-dry style.
– Bual (Boal): A heavier, richer wine, made in a sweet or
semisweet style.
– Malmsey: This is the sweetest of the Madeiras. It is
made from Malvasia grapes grown in the warmest,
sunniest vineyards. Additional richness and concentration
of flavors are acquired during several years in wooden
casks.
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Summary
• The progress made in the wine trade in both
Portugal and Spain in the last half of the twentieth
century, especially in the 20 years since both joined
the European Union in 1986,
is truly remarkable.
• Innovation in the vineyard and modernization of
wineries combined with the efforts of governments
and private companies working together have
brought new levels of quality.
• All this has helped move Spain’s and Portugal’s
many wines into competitive and improving
positions within the worldwide marketplace.
© 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.