PORTUGEUSE WINE(3)

1. Bottle-Aged Port

• Vintage: Made from the best single-year vintages, aged 2 to 3 years in wood and then aged in the bottle for decades.

• Late Bottled Vintage (LBV): Port from a single vintage, aged 4 to 6 years in wood, then fined and filtered before going to the bottle.

• Single-Quinta: A mix of both tawny and vintage styles but from ONE vineyard, aged 2 to 3 years in wood and then aged in the bottle for decades.

2. Wood-Aged Port

• Crusted: A mix of several vintages, aged for 3 years in the cask before bottling.

• Colheita: Tawny from a single vintage, aged 7 years or longer in wood.

• Aged Tawny: Aged 10, 20, 30, and 40 years as labeled; price increases with age.

• Tawny: Aged for at least 6 years in the cask.

• Ruby: Aged less than 3 years.

3. White Port

Madeira designations, defined by original grape varieties and sweetness levels of the finished wine.

• Sercial: Pale, dry, light-bodied wine, aged at least 8 years.

• Verdelho: Tangy, medium-dry, medium-bodied wine.

• Bual (or Boal): Full-bodied, medium-sweet wine.

• Malmsey (or Malvasia): Full-bodied, fully sweet wine.

CHOOSING A PORTUGUESE WINE

Various Duoro Producers

Various Dão and Bairrada Producers

Various Madeira Producers

LEGAL QUALITY CODES

Portugal has specific laws in place to strictly control wine quality and ensure each wine’s origin, authenticity, and style. In fact, all Portuguese Port makers are required to use government-produced brandy to make their wines. These laws also standardize wine labels with regard to:

1. Country of Origin
2. Appellation of Origin
3. Quality Standard Classification

• Denominacao de Origem Controlada (DOC) – Appellation controllee; superior quality, only awarded to Riojas so far.

• Indicacao de Provenienca Reglamentada (IPR) – Wine of controlled origin.

• Vinho regional – Regional wine.

• Vinho de Mesa – Table wines.

4. Vintage
5. Name/address of producer/brand owner
6. Bottle content
7. Alcohol Content
8. Authenticity Seal

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