| Baga | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 | |
| Color of berry skin | Noir |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | see list of synonyms |
| Origin | Portugal |
| VIVC number | 885 |
Baga is a red Portuguese wine grape variety [1] planted primarily in the Bairrada DOC. As a varietal, Baga produces tannic wines with high acidity. [2]
Baga is also known under the synonyms Baga de Louro, Baguinha, Bairrada, Bairrado Tinta, Baya, Carrasquenho, Carrega Burros, Goncalveira, Morete, Moreto, Paga Dividas, Poeirinha, Poeirinho, Povolide, Preiinho, Pretinho, Preto Rifete, Rifete, Rosete, Tinta Bairrada, Tinta Bairradina, Tinta da Bairrada, Tinta de Baga, and Tinta Fina. [1]
Alicante Bouschet or Alicante Henri Bouschet is a wine grape variety that has been widely cultivated since 1866. It is a cross of Petit Bouschet and Grenache. Alicante is a teinturier, a grape with red flesh. It is one of the few teinturier grapes that belong to the Vitis vinifera species. Its deep colour makes it useful for blending with light red wine. It was planted heavily during Prohibition in California for export to the East Coast. Its thick skin made it resistant to rot during the transportation process. The intense red color was also helpful for stretching the wine during prohibition, as it could be diluted without detracting from the appearance. At the turn of the 21st century, Alicante Bouschet was the 12th most planted red wine grape in France with sizable plantings in the Languedoc, Provence and Cognac regions. In 1958, Alicante Bouschet covered 24,168 hectares ; by 2011, plantings represented less than 4,000 hectares. This scenario is largely reversed in other regions of Europe, and in southern Portugal, where its wines are highly prized and frequently outscore traditional autochthonous varieties.
Tempranillo is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano ("early"), a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. Tempranillo has been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since the time of Phoenician settlements. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's noble grape. The grape has been planted throughout the globe's wine regions.
Portuguese wine was mostly introduced by the Romans and other ancient Mediterranean peoples who traded with local coastal populations, mainly in the South. In pre-Roman Gallaecia-Lusitania times, the native peoples only drank beer and were unfamiliar with wine production. Portugal started to export its wines to Rome during the Roman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after the Methuen Treaty in 1703. From this commerce a wide variety of wines started to be grown in Portugal. In 1758, one of the first wine-producing regions of the world, the Região Demarcada do Douro was created under the orientation of Marquis of Pombal, in the Douro Valley. Portugal has two wine-producing regions protected by UNESCO as World Heritage: the Douro Valley Wine Region and Pico Island Wine Region. Portugal has a big variety of local kinds, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality.
Bairrada is a Portuguese wine region located in the Beira Litoral Province. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC), and its popularity has surged over the last years. It is small and quite narrow coastal region, part of the broader region of Beira Atlântico, and it is bordered to the northeast by the Lafões IPR and to the east by the Dão DOC.
Touriga Francesa is one of the major grape varieties used to produce port wine. Touriga Francesa is lighter and more perfumed than Touriga Nacional, adding finesse to the wine. Touriga Francesa has been described by Jancis Robinson as playing "Cabernet Franc to Touriga Nacional’s Cabernet Sauvignon". It is a cross of two other indigenous Portuguese wine grape varieties Mourisco tinto and Touriga Nacional. Touriga Francesa is quite similar to Touriga Nacional, needing harsh conditions to keep vigor down as it gets on the steep arid slopes of the Douro. It is usually trained low to the ground under one of the Royat systems. Yields are medium (1,5 kg/vine), not as bad as Touriga Nacional.
Grand Noir de la Calmette is a red teinturier grape variety that is a crossing of Petit Bouschet and Aramon noir created in 1855 by French grape breeder Henri Bouschet at his vineyard in Mauguio in the Hérault department. The grape was named after the breeding station Domaine de la Calmette. As a teinturier, Grand noir is often used to add color to wines that it is blended into but is paler than other choices such as Alicante Bouschet. The vine tends to bud late and has a high productivity but with some susceptibility to the viticultural hazard of powdery mildew.
Almeirim is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Almeirim in the Ribatejo wine region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2003, it became one of six subregions of the Ribatejo DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Ribatejo, as Ribatejo-Almeirim.
Beiras is a Portuguese wine region producing wines with the classification Denominação de Origem Controlada. Located in the northern regions of Portugal, the Beiras region produces a wide range of wines, including sparkling and fortified wine. Quality varies dramatically depending on producer and region.
Lisboa, until 2009 named Estremadura, is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as the Estremadura region, and taking its name from the country's capital. The region is classified as a Vinho Regional (VR), a designation similar to a French vin de pays region. While the Beiras and Alentejo VRs are largest geographically, the Lisboa region is Portugal's largest producer of wine by volume. The region stretches from Lisbon along the Atlantic coast to the Bairrada DOC.
Tinta Negra Mole is a red Portuguese wine grape commonly used in the production of Madeira. It is the most widely planted variety on the Madeira islands and is considered the industry's "workhorse grape".
Bical is a white Portuguese wine grape planted primarily in the Bairrada region. It can produce high acid wines and is often used in sparkling wine production.
Fernão Pires is a white Portuguese wine grape grown throughout Portugal, especially in the Tejo and Bairrada, where it is also known as "Maria Gomes". This variety is known to produce wines with a spicy aromatic character, though often with delicate exotic fruity notes. Generally not expected to be a long-living wine, this wine is best drunk in its infancy or matured for up to 2 or 3 years. Outside of Portugal there are some significant plantings in South Africa.
Alfrocheiro Preto is a red Portuguese wine grape variety planted primarily in the Dão DOC and Alentejano VR. The grape is known for the deep coloring it can add to wine blends. Under the name Baboso negro, it is considered a minor Spanish red grape variety, growing mainly in the provinces of Zamora and Salamanca, in the region of Castile and León. It is one of the authorized varieties of the La Gomera and El Hierro Denominación de Origen, in the Canary Islands (Spain).
Moreto is a red Portuguese wine grape variety that is planted primarily in the Alentejo. As a varietal, the grape makes neutral wines.
Marufo or Mourisco tinto is a red Portuguese wine grape that is planted primarily in the Douro DOC. It is a recommended grape in Port wine production.
Rabo de Ovelha is white Portuguese wine grape variety that is grown all over Portugal. It should not be confused with the red Rabo de Anho grape variety that is found in the Vinho Verde region. Rabo de Ovelha is an authorized grape variety in the Bairrada, Borba, Bucelas, Redondo, Reguengos, Setúbal and Vidigueira Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC). The grape variety gets its name from the way its grape bunches resembles the end of a ewe's tail. In winemaking, Rabo de Ovelha is known for producing highly alcoholic wines that wine expert Jancis Robinson describes as lacking subtlety.
Tinta Carvalha is a red Portuguese wine grape variety that is widely planted throughout Portugal, most notably in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Province, due to its easy maintenance and high yield potential. It is primarily a blending grape that on its own tends to produce light bodied, nondescript wines. It is an approved grape variety used in Port wine production as well as the non-fortified wines of the Chaves and Valpaços wine region.
Rufete is a red Spanish/Portuguese wine grape variety that is grown primarily used in port wine production in the Douro region of Portugal. It is also grown up along the Duero basin across the border in the Spanish province of Castile and León and can be found in the Dão DOC of Portugal where the variety is known as Tinta Pinheira.