Portugal | Wine Terms

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Portugal

Although Portugal may be best known internationally for its two FORTIFIED WINES (PORT and MADEIRA) and its ROSÉS (such as Lancer’s and Mateus), it produces a large amount of red and white TABLE WINE. In fact, it ranks as one world’s top ten wine-producing nations, even though it only has a population of around 10 million. Most of Portugal’s wine is consumed within its borders—it usually ranks in the world’s top five for per capita consumption. As a wine-producing country, Portugal’s somewhat of an enigma. In one sense it’s innovative—it was the first country to implement an APPELLATION system with its REGIÃO DEMARCADA (RD), now called DENOMINAÇÃO DE ORIGEM CONTROLADA (DOC). It instituted this “demarcated region” system in 1756, almost 180 years before the French adopted their APPELLATION D’ORIGINE CONTRÔLÉE system. Yet Portugal has been so steeped in tradition that, in general, its winemaking techniques are far from progressive by today’s standards. Those producers who have kept up with modern methods have done so outside Portugal’s appellation system. To do so, they’ve adopted proprietary brand names and dropped the use of regional names. This means, of course, that there’s no sense of regional identification as there is with French and Italian wines. Neither do the Portuguese have a labeling procedure to identify their wines by grape varieties, as is popular in some countries like Australia, Chile, and the United States. Portugal began to sharpen its image only after joining the European Economic Community in 1987 (which made European countries more accessible) and realizing that their table wines have tremendous export potential. It reviewed the structure of the Região Demarcada (now DOC) system, adding a few regions to increase the number of DOCs. The areas currently entitled to DOC status are Alenquer, ALENTEJO, Arruda, BAIRRADA, Bucelas (which produces full-bodied white wines), CARCAVELOS, COLARES, DÃO, DOURO, Lagoa, Lagos, LOURINHA, MADEIRA, Obidoos, PALMELA, PORT, Portimão, RIBATEJO, SETÚBAL, Tavora-Varosa, and VINHO VERDE. Portugal has also established INDICAÇÃO DE PROVENIENCIA REGULAMENTADA (IPR) system to denote regions that are striving to become DOCs. A third tier that addresses regional wines is the VINHO REGIONAL wines like those from BEIRAS, ESTREMADURA, and RIBATEJANO. These designations are for wines that either are made outside the DOC or IPR areas or don’t satisfy the requirements for these demarcated areas. Some producers in the DOC or IPR areas think that they can produce better wines by avoiding various DOC and IPR restrictions, such as by using prohibited grape varieties. These vintners get around such confines by labeling their wines “vinho regional.” A big problem for Portuguese DOC wines is the continued requirement for extensive AGING, which causes some of the wines to become dull and lifeless. In addition, cooperatives, many of which often lacked the modern equipment necessary to produce fresh fruity wines, make a majority of the Portuguese wines. However, this has been changing since the 1980s, and many producers are updating their winemaking equipment and methods and are producing good high-quality wines. As Portugal continues to make improvements, its wines continue to gain acceptance, offering international markets new and interesting wines made from the many local varieties. Portuguese white wines are made from a wide variety of grapes including ARINTO, Assario, BICAL, BOAL, Cerceal do Douro (SERCIAL), ENCRUZADO, FERNÃO PIRES, Galego Dourado, LOUREIRO, MALVASIA, Moscatel (MUSCAT), Rabo de Ovelha, Roupeiro (also called Codega), TREBBIANO, and VERDELHO. Red wines are made from Alfrocheiro Preto, Azal Tinto, Bastardo (TROUSSEAU), Borraçal, Espadeiro, NEGRA MOLE (also called Tinta Negra Mole), Parreira Matias, PERIQUITA, Ramisco, TINTA AMARELA, Tinta Bairrada (BAGA), Tinta Pinheira, Tinta Roriz (TEMPRANILLO), TOURIGA FRANCESA, TOURIGA NACIONAL, and Trajadura.

Related Links: fortification, rosé, table wine, Denominaç

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