Távora-Varosa DOC

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Map of the DOCs and IPRs of Portugal - number 17 is Tavora-Varosa DOC. Vinos DOC de Portugal.png
Map of the DOCs and IPRs of Portugal - number 17 is Távora-Varosa DOC.

Távora-Varosa is a Portuguese wine region located in the northwestern section of the Beiras region. The region is designated as Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) [1] [2] after it was promoted from its former Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) status, when it was called Varosa IPR. At the same time, the former Encostas da Nave IPR, bordering the Douro, was absorbed into the Távora-Varosa DOC.

Portuguese wine

Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. 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. And, 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.

The denominação de origem controlada is the system of protected designation of origin for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal.

Douro DOC Portuguese wine

Douro is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Douro River in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. It is sometimes referred to as the Alto Douro, as it is located some distance upstream from Porto, sheltered by mountain ranges from coastal influence. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC). While the region is associated primarily with Port wine production, the Douro produces just as much table wine as it does fortified wine. The non-fortified wines are typically referred to as "Douro wines".

Contents

The white wines of Távora-Varosa have traditionally been used by Portuguese sparkling wine producers as part of a base cuvée , [3] while the wines of the former Encostas da Nave IPR are very similar to the wines of the Douro region. [4]

Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, EU countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wine is usually either white or rosé, but there are examples of red sparkling wines such as the Italian Brachetto, Bonarda and Lambrusco, Australian sparkling Shiraz, and Azerbaijani "Pearl of Azerbaijan" made from Madrasa grapes. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry brut styles to sweeter doux varieties.

<i>Cuvée</i>

Cuvée is a French wine term that derives from cuve, meaning vat or tank. Wine makers use the term cuvée with several different meanings, more or less based on the concept of a tank of wine put to some purpose.

Grapes

The principle grapes of the Távora-Varosa region (including the former Encostas da Nave IPR) include Alvarelhao, Arinto, Borrado das Moscas, Cercial, Chardonnay, Fernao Pires, Folgosao, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Mourisco Tinto, Pinot blanc, Pinot noir, Tempranillo, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Francesa and Touriga Nacional. [3] [4]

Arinto or Arinto de Bucelas is a white Portuguese wine grape planted primarily in the Bucelas, Tejo and Vinho Verde regions. It can produce high acid wines with lemon notes.

Chardonnay green-skinned grape variety used in wine production

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new and developing wine regions, growing Chardonnay is seen as a "rite of passage" and an easy entry into the international wine market.

Pinot blanc varietal

Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produces white fruit.

See also

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Chaves wine

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Encostas dAire DOC

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Lafões is a Portuguese wine region, near Viseu, overlapping into the Dão and Vinho Verde DOCs. The region has the second tier Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) classification and may some day be promoted to Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC). The region is known for its acidic, light bodied, red and white wines.

Óbidos is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Óbidos in the Lisboa region. The region is designated as Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) after it was promoted from its former Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) status in 2006.

Palmela is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Palmela in the Setúbal Peninsula subregion. The wine region has the Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status after having been elevated from its former Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) status. At the same time, the former Arrábida IPR, centered on the Arrabida hills, was absorbed into Palmela DOC.

Pinhel is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Pinhel in the wider Beiras wine region. Pinhel was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2005, it became one of three subregions of the Beira Interior DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Beira Interior, as Beira Interior-Pinhel.

Planalto Mirandes is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Miranda do Douro in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2006, it became one of three subregions of the Trás-os-Montes DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Trás-os-Montes, as Trás-os-Montes-Planalto Mirandês.

Torres Vedras is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Torres Vedras in the Lisboa wine region. The region is designated as Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) after it was promoted from its former Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR) status. The high yields produced in this region have historically be used by bulk wine producers for inexpensive vindo de mesa wines. The area was known by the shorthand "Torres" until Spanish wine producer Miguel A. Torres objected to the association with the region.

Valpaços wine

Valpaços is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Valpaços in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2006, it became one of three subregions of the Trás-os-Montes DOC, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Trás-os-Montes, as Trás-os-Montes-Valpaços. Located along the Tua River, the region is known for its slightly sparkling rosé.

Beiras VR

Beiras is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as its namesake region. The region is classified as a Vinho Regional (VR), a designation similar to a French vin de pays region. Located in the northern regions of Portugal, Beiras produces wines of every imaginable style including sparkling and fortified wines but quality varies dramatically depending on producer and region.

Tejo VR

Tejo, until 2009 named Ribatejo, is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as the Ribatejo Province. It takes its name from the river Tejo (Tagus). The entire region is entitled to use the Vinho Regional designation Tejo VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) level under the designation DoTejo DOC. VR is similar to the French vin de pays and DOC to the French AOC.

Trás-os-Montes wine

Trás-os-Montes is a Portuguese wine region located in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. The entire wine region is entitled to use the Vinho Regional designation Transmontano VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) level under the designation Trás-os-Montes DOC. VR is similar to the French vin de pays and DOC to the French AOC.

Vital (grape) grape variety

Vital is a white Portuguese wine grape variety that is grown primarily in Western Portugal. Sometimes known under the synonym Malvasia Corado, the variety tends to produce rather neutral flavor wine with low acidity unless the grape is grown in vineyards of high altitude.

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.

References

  1. ↑ ViniPortugal: Wine Regions, accessed on January 25, 2010
  2. ↑ Denominaciones de Origen e Indicaciones Geográficas protegidas: DOC Távora-Varosa
  3. 1 2 T. Stevenson "The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" pg 332 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ISBN   0-7566-1324-8
  4. 1 2 T. Stevenson "The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" pg 331 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ISBN   0-7566-1324-8

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