NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Port wine

Port wine (also known as Vinho do Porto, Oporto, Porto, and often simply Port) is a sweet Portuguese fortified wine from the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is often served as a dessert wine. Several imitations of Port are produced around the world in several countries—most notably Australia, South Africa, India, Canada and the United States. However, under European Union guidelines (and in Canada), only the product from Portugal may be labelled as Port. In the United States, Federal law mandates that the Portuguese-made product be labeled Porto or Vinho do Porto. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 134 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 134 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Look up Sweet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A fortified wine is a wine to which additional alcohol has been added, most commonly in the form of brandy (a spirit distilled from wine). ... The Douro or Duero (Latin: Durius, Spanish: Duero, Portuguese: Douro, pron. ... RegiÃ£o Norte (pron. ... Dessert wines are those wines which are typically served with dessert, although they are also drunk on their own, i. ...

Port is produced from grapes grown and processed in the Douro region. The wine produced is then fortified with the addition of distilled grape spirits in order to boost the alcohol content. The wine is then stored and aged, often in barrels stored in caves (Portuguese meaning "cellars") as is the case in Vila Nova de Gaia, before being bottled. The wine received its name, "Port," in the latter half of the 17th century from the seaport city of Porto at the mouth of the Douro River, where much of the product was brought to market or for export to other countries in Europe from the Leixões docks. The Douro valley where Port wine is produced was defined and established as a protected region, or appellation in 1756 — making it the second oldest defined and protected wine region in the world. Species Vitis acerifolia Vitis aestivalis Vitis amurensis Vitis arizonica Vitis x bourquina Vitis californica Vitis x champinii Vitis cinerea Vitis x doaniana Vitis girdiana Vitis labrusca Vitis x labruscana Vitis monticola Vitis mustangensis Vitis x novae-angliae Vitis palmata Vitis riparia Vitis rotundifolia Vitis rupestris Vitis shuttleworthii Vitis tiliifolia Vitis... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ageing or aging is the process of getting older. ... Traditional wooden barrels in Cutchogue Modern stainless steel beer barrelsâ€”also called casks or kegsâ€”outside the Castle Rock microbrewery in Nottingham, England For other uses, see Barrel (disambiguation). ... Vila Nova de Gaia is a city and municipality of Portugal. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Port. ... Location - Country Portugal - Region Norte - Subregion Grande Porto - District or A.R. Porto Mayor Rui Rio - Party PSD Area 41. ... View of the river mouth from Portos Crystal Palace Gardens, facing West Douro (Latin Durius, Spanish Duero, Portuguese Douro) is one of the major rivers of Portugal and Spain, flowing from its source near Soria across central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Oporto. ... Football Club from Portugal ... An appellation in its broadest sense is a name or designation. ... An appellation in its broadest sense is a name or designation. ...

The Douro River Valley: growth and production

The reaches of the valley of the Douro River in northern Portugal have a microclimate that is optimal for cultivation of olives, almonds, and especially grapes important for making the famous Port wine. The region around Pinhão and São João da Pesqueira is considered to be the centre of Port production, and is known for its picturesque quintas—farms clinging on to almost vertical slopes dropping down to the river. Image File history File links Rio_douro. ... Image File history File links Rio_douro. ... View of the river mouth from Portos Crystal Palace Gardens, facing West Douro (Latin Durius, Spanish Duero, Portuguese Douro) is one of the major rivers of Portugal and Spain, flowing from its source near Soria across central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Oporto. ... Tree ferns thrive in a protected dell at Heligan Gardens, in Cornwall, England, latitude 50Â° 15N A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. ... Horticulture (Latin: hortus (garden plant) + cultura (culture)) is classically defined as the culture or growing of garden plants. ... Binomial name L. 19th century illustration The Olive (Olea europaea) is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Lebanon and the maritime parts of Asia Minor and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. ... Binomial name (Mill. ... It has been suggested that Veraison be merged into this article or section. ... Binomial name Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. ... District or region Viseu Mayor - Party AntÃ³nio Lima Costa PSD Area 266. ...

History

Recent archaeological excavations have shown evidence of wine production in the Douro valley dating back to the 3rd or 4th century AD. However, the present-day wine industry started in the mid-15th Century, with the fortification of local wines beginning in the early 18th Century.

Vineyard

Red port can be made from many types of grapes (castas), but the main ones are Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional. While not technically "port" because they are not made in Portugal, some wineries in the United States have had some success in leveraging the Port idea with other grapes, such as Frontenac. In fact, a Frontenac Port won Gold at the 2006 Indy International -- one of the most prestigious competitions in the world. Tinta Barroca is a Portuguese red wine grape that is grown primarily in the Douro region with some plantings in South Africa. ... Tinta Cao is a Portuguese red wine grape that has been grown primarily in the Douro region since the sixteenth century. ... Tempranillo is a variety of vitis vinifera, the red grape used commonly in winemaking. ... One of the major grape varieties used to produce port wine. ... Touriga Nacional is a variety of wine grape used predominantly to make port, and considered by many to be Portugals finest grape. ...

White ports are produced the same way as red ports, except that they use white grapes—Esgana-Cão, Folgasão, Malvasia, Rabigato, Verdelho, and Viosinho. While Porto produced in Portugal is strictly regulated by the Instituto do Vinho do Porto, many wines in the U. S. use the above names but do not conform to the same standards. Thus each genuine port style has a corresponding, often very different, style that can be found in wines made outside Portugal. Malvasia (also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. ... Verdelho is a white grape grown throughout Portugal, though most associated with the island of Madeira, and also gives its name to one of the four main types of Madeira wine. ... The Port and Douro Wines Institute is an official body belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture, and is a key institution in promoting the industry and knowledge of making Port_Wine. ...

Production

Transport

Traditionally, the wine was taken downriver in flat-bottom boats called rabelos, to be stored in barrels in cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the river from Porto. During the 1950s and 1960s, several hydroelectric power dams were built along the river, ending this traditional conveyance down the river. Currently, the wine is transported from the vineyards by tanker trucks. Vila Nova de Gaia is a city and municipality of Portugal. ... Location - Country Portugal - Region Norte - Subregion Grande Porto - District or A.R. Porto Mayor Rui Rio - Party PSD Area 41. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... This article is about structures for water impoundment. ... A tank truck or tanker lorry is a motor vehicle designed to carry liquefied loads or cargo on roadways. ...

Authentication

The Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP or Port and Douro Wine Institute) regulates the Port industry in Portugal. The Port and Douro Wines Institute is an official body belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture of Portugal, and is a key institution in promoting the industry and knowledge of making Port Wine. ...

Properties

Port wine is typically richer, sweeter, heavier, and possesses a higher alcohol content than most other wines. This is caused by the addition of distilled grape spirits (aguardente similar to brandy) to fortify the wine and halt fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol. Aguardente is a kind of Portuguese brandy. ... For other uses, see Brandy (disambiguation). ...

It is commonly served after meals as a dessert wine, often with cheese. White and tawny ports are often served as an apéritif. It has an alcohol content of roughly 20%. Dessert wines are those wines which are typically served with dessert, although they are also drunk on their own, i. ... Campari apÃ©ritif. ...

Wine with less than 16% ethanol cannot protect itself against spoilage if exposed to air; with an alcohol content of 18% or higher, port wine can safely be stored in wooden casks that 'breathe', thereby permitting the fine ageing of port wine. Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless, slightly toxic chemical compound, and is best known as the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. ...

Styles

Port from Portugal comes in several styles, which can be divided into two broad categories: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (809x1133, 400 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Port wine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (809x1133, 400 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Port wine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera...

When white ports are matured for long periods, the colour darkens, eventually reaching a point where it can be hard to discern (from appearance alone) whether the original wine was red or white.

Tawny port and Colheita

Tawny ports are wines made from red grapes that are aged in wooden barrels, exposing them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. As a result, they gradually mellow to a golden-brown colour. The exposure to wood imparts "nutty" flavours to the wine, which is blended to match the house style. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 352 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Port wine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 352 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Port wine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera...

Tawny Reserve port (without an indication of age) is a basic blend of wood aged port that has spent at least seven years in barrels.

Tawny with an indication of age is a blend of several vintages, with the average years "in wood" stated on the label, the official categories being 10, 20, 30 and over 40 years. For each category, the average age of the various vintage is at least that of the given category.

The cheapest forms of Tawny Port are young wines made from a blend of red and white grapes. Unlike Tawny Reserve and Tawnies with an indication of age, they may have spent little or no time maturing in wood.

Tawny ports from a single vintage are called Colheitas (pronounced col-YATE-ah, meaning harvest). Instead of an indication of age (10, 20...) their actual vintage year is mentioned. However, they should not be mistaken with Vintage port (see below). The term colheita is also applied to madeiras produced from grapes of a single vintage. Madeira is a fortified wine made in the Madeira Islands of Portugal, which is prized equally for drinking and cooking; the latter use including the dessert plum in Madeira. ...

Garrafeira

Garrafeira is an intermediate vintage dated style of Port made from the grapes of a single harvest that combines both the oxidative maturation of years in wood, with further reductive maturation in large glass demijohns. It is required by the IVDP that wines spend some time in wood, usually between three and six years, followed by at least a further eight years in glass, before bottling. In practice the times spent in glass are much longer. At present, only one company, Niepoort, markets Garrafeiras. Their black demijohns, affectionately known as bon-bons, hold approximately 11 litres each. A carboy is a glass vessel used in fermenting wine, mead and sometimes beer. ...

Confusingly, the word Garrafeira may be found on some very old Tawny labels, where the contents of the bottle are of exceptional age.

Ruby port

Ruby port is the cheapest and most extensively produced type of port. After fermentation it is stored in tanks made of concrete or stainless steel to prevent oxidative aging, and preserve its rich claret colour. The wine is usually blended to match the style of the brand to which it is to be sold. Image File history File links Photographer: Thomas Istvan Seibel Free reuse of this picture is permitted as long as the photographer is credited: You have my full consent to use the photos for the Wikipedia project. ... Image File history File links Photographer: Thomas Istvan Seibel Free reuse of this picture is permitted as long as the photographer is credited: You have my full consent to use the photos for the Wikipedia project. ... The 630 foot high, stainless-clad (type 304L) Gateway Arch defines St. ...

The wine is fined and cold filtered prior to bottling, and does not generally improve with age. It is aged for about 3 to 5 years from wines of two or three different vintages.

White port

White port is made from white grapes, and should always be served cool or cold. It can be used as the basis for a cocktail, or served on its own. There is a range of styles of white port, from dry to very sweet.

Vintage port

Although it accounts for only about two percent of production, vintage port is the flagship wine of all Portugal. Vintage port is made entirely from the grapes of a declared vintage year. Not every year is declared a vintage in the Douro; only those when conditions are favourable to the production of a fine and lasting wine. The decision on whether to declare a vintage is made in the spring of the second year following the harvest. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 419 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Port wine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 419 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Port wine Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera...

The decision to declare a vintage is made by each individual port house, often referred to as a 'shipper'. The port industry is one where reputations are hard won and easily lost, so the decision is never taken lightly. During periods of recession and war, potential 'declarations' have sometimes been missed for economic reasons. In recent years, some shippers have adopted the 'chateau' principle for declarations, declaring all but the worst years. More conventional shippers will declare, on average, about three times a decade.

While it is by far the most renowned type of porto, from a volume and revenue standpoint, vintage port actually makes up only a small percentage of the production of most shippers. Vintage ports are aged in barrels for a maximum of two and a half years before bottling, and generally require another ten to thirty years of aging in the bottle before reaching what is considered a proper drinking age. Since they are aged in barrels for only a short time, they retain their dark ruby colour and fresh fruit flavours. Particularly fine vintage ports can continue to gain complexity and drink wonderfully for many decades after they were bottled, and therefore can be particularly sought-after and expensive wines.

Single Quinta Vintage Port is vintage port produced from a particular vineyard and sometimes from a lesser "undeclared" year. However, some of the most renowned Vintage Ports are Single Quintas.

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)

Late Bottled Vintage (often referred to simply as LBV) was originally wine that had been destined for bottling as Vintage Port, but due to lack of demand was left in the barrel for rather longer than had been planned. Over time it has become two distinct styles of wine, both of them bottled between four and six years after the vintage, but one style is fined and filtered prior to bottling while the other is not.

The filtered wine has the advantage of being ready to drink without decanting, and is bottled in a stoppered bottle that can be easily resealed. However many wine experts feel that this convenience comes at a price and believe that the filtration process strips out much of the character of the wine.^[1] Decantation is a process for the separation of mixtures, carefully pouring a solution from a container, leaving the precipitate (sediments) in the bottom of the container. ...

Unfiltered wines are bottled with conventional corks and need to be decanted. Recent bottlings are identified by the label wording 'Unfiltered' or 'Bottle matured' (or both). Prior to the 2002 regulations, this style was often marketed as 'Traditional', a description that is no longer permitted.

If in doubt, a prospective purchaser can check the cork, and examine the top of the bottle to see if there is a stopper underneath the capsule; the serrated edge of a stopper is usually visible, or can be detected with a thumbnail. LBV is intended to provide some of the experience of drinking a Vintage Port but without the decade-long wait of bottle aging. To a limited extent it succeeds, as the extra years of oxidative aging in barrel does mature the wine more quickly.

Typically ready to drink when released, LBV ports are the product of a single year's harvest and tend to be lighter bodied than a vintage port. Filtered LBVs do not improve significantly with age, whereas the unfiltered wines will usually be improved by a few extra years in the bottle. Since 2002, bottles that carry the words 'Bottle matured' must have enjoyed at least three years of bottle maturation prior to release.

Reserve or vintage character

Reserve port is a premium Ruby port approved by the IVDP's tasting panel, the Câmara de Provadores. In 2002, the IVDP prohibited the use of the term "Vintage Character", as the wine had neither attribute.

Crusted

Crusted Port may be considered a 'poor man's vintage port'. It is a blend of port wine from several vintages, which, like Vintage Port, is bottled unfiltered, and sealed with a driven cork. Like Vintage Port it needs to be decanted before drinking. Although Crusted ports will improve with age, the blending process is intended to make these wines approachable at a much younger age. The date on a Crusted Port bottle refers to the bottling date, not the year the grapes were grown.

Vintages

Strictly speaking, the vintage is the harvest period when the grapes are gathered, and the wine made. Be it a good year or bad, there is therefore a vintage every year. If a shipper decides that his wine is of sufficient quality, and wishes to market some of it as Vintage Port, then they will send samples to the IVDP for approval, and declare the vintage. In very good years, almost all the shippers will declare their wines, although there are a small number of independent Quintas who never produce Vintage Port. In good intermediate years, the producers of blended Vintage Ports will not declare their flagship blended wine, but will study the quality of the wine from the component Quintas that make up the blend, to see if they are of sufficient quality to be declared in their own right.

Thus from 1996, which was not declared by Dow or Taylor for their main blend, you can find Dow's Quinta do Bomfim, and Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas, amongst others. However, you will not normally find these wines marketed for years when the main blend is declared. Some shippers now choose to declare their wines on all but the worst years. Quinta do Vesuvio, which has been producing Vintage Ports in its own name since it was acquired by the Symington family in 1989, has declared a vintage every year with the exceptions of 1993 and 2002.

Although there have been years when only one or two wines have been declared, it is over thirty years since there was a year with no declarations at all. With improved wine making technologies, and better weather forecasts during the harvest, it is possible that we will never again see a year without any Vintage Port to its name.

History and tradition

Established in 1756, the Port Wine-producing Douro region is the second-oldest protected wine region in the world. 1756 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... An appellation in its broadest sense is a name or designation. ...

In 1756, during the rule of the Marquês do Pombal, the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro (C.G.A.V.A.D., also known as the General Company of Viticulture of the Upper Douro) was founded to guarantee the quality of the product and fair pricing to the end consumer. The C.G.A.V.A.D. was also in charge of regulating which Port Wine would be for export or internal consumption and managing the protected geographic indication. SebastiÃ£o JosÃ© de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal (in Portuguese, MarquÃªs de Pombal), (13 May 1699 â€“ 15 May 1782) was a Portuguese statesman. ...

Port became very popular in England after the Methuen Treaty of 1703, when merchants were permitted to import it at a low duty, while war with France deprived English wine drinkers of French wine. The long trip to England often resulted in spoiled wine; the fortification of the wine was introduced to improve the shipping and shelf-life of the wine for its journey. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Methuen Treaty was a treaty on wine and textiles trade treaty between Portugal and England signed in 1703. ... Events February 2 - Earthquake in Aquila, Italy February 4 - In Japan, the 47 samurai commit seppuku (ritual suicide) February 14 - Earthquake in Norcia, Italy April 21 - Company of Quenching of Fire (ie. ... French gastronomy France is one of the oldest wine producing regions of Europe. ...

The continued English involvement in the port trade can be seen in the names of many port shippers: Cockburn, Croft, Dow, Graham, Osborne, Sandeman, Taylor and Warre being amongst the best known. Shippers of Dutch and German origin are also prominent, such as Niepoort and Burmester.

There is a unique body of English ritual and etiquette surrounding the consumption of port, stemming from British naval custom.

Traditionally, the wine is passed "port to port": the host will pour a glass for the person seated at their right and then pass the bottle or decanter to the left (the port side); this practice is then repeated around the table. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

If the port becomes forestalled at some point, it is considered poor form to ask for the decanter directly. Instead, the person seeking a refill would ask of the person who has the bottle: "Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?" (after the notoriously stingy Bishop). If the person being thus queried does not know the ritual (and so replies in the negative), the querent will remark "He's an awfully nice fellow, but he never remembers to pass the port." Arms of the Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. ...

A technical solution to the potential problem of a guest forgetting their manners and "hogging" the port can be found in a Hoggett Decanter which has a rounded bottom, which makes it impossible to put it down until it has been returned to the host, who can rest it in a specially designed wooden stand known as "the Hoggett."

In other old English traditions when port is decanted, commonly at the dining table, the whole bottle should be finished in one sitting by the diners, and the table should not be vacated until this is done.

See also

Aguardente is a kind of Portuguese brandy. ... AlvarelhÃ£o is a wine grape used for producing red wines, rosÃ©s and in port wine blends. ... Dessert wines are those wines which are typically served with dessert, although they are also drunk on their own, i. ... A fortified wine is a wine to which additional alcohol has been added, most commonly in the form of brandy (a spirit distilled from wine). ... The Port and Douro Wines Institute is an official body belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture, and is a key institution in promoting the industry and knowledge of making Port_Wine. ... Madeira is a fortified wine made in the Madeira Islands of Portugal, which is prized equally for drinking and cooking; the latter use including the dessert plum in Madeira. ... For other uses, see Muscat (disambiguation). ... Location - Country Portugal - Region Norte - Subregion Grande Porto - District or A.R. Porto Mayor Rui Rio - Party PSD Area 41. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... A port-wine stain or naevus flammeus is a vascular birthmark consisting of superficial and deep dilated capillaries in the skin which produce a reddish to purplish discoloration of the skin. ... The Douro wine (or Vinho do Douro), from the same region of Port Wines, were bitter wines, but the relation between Portugal and England, had toke the English to enrich this wine with a kind of Portuguese Brandy known has aguardente for it to support a voyage from Portugal to... For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ...

Footnotes

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Categories: Articles with sections needing expansion | Portuguese wines | Fortified wine | Dessert wines Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ... For the song by The Feeling, see RosÃ© (song). ... A glass of sparkling wine A Sparkling wine cork It has been suggested that Spumante, Frizzante, Sekt and Cremant be merged into this article or section. ... Dessert wines are those wines which are typically served with dessert, although they are also drunk on their own, i. ... A fortified wine is a wine to which additional alcohol has been added, most commonly in the form of brandy (a spirit distilled from wine). ... Fruit wines are wine-like beverages made from fruits other than grapes. ... Grapes for ice wine, still frozen on the vine. ... AlbariÃ±o (ahl-bar-EEN-yoh â€“ Galician) or Alvarinho (ahl-vah-REE-nyoh â€“ Portuguese) is a variety of white wine grape grown in Galicia (northwest Spain) and northern Portugal, where it is used to make varietal white wines. ... Oak-aged Chardonnay is particularly popular in the United States. ... Chenin Blanc (or often simply Chenin) is a widely grown wine grape variety, also known as Steen in South Africa, Pineau de la Loire in the Loire region of France. ... GewÃ¼rztraminer grapes on the vine GewÃ¼rztraminer (IPA: , sounds like guh-VERTS-truh-MEE-ner; IPA: in German; Croatian: ; Hungarian: ), sometimes referred to as GewÃ¼rz or Traminer, is a white wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. ... For other uses, see Muscat (disambiguation). ... Pinot Blanc is a white wine grape. ... Pinot Gris (or Tokay Pinot Gris) is a white wine grape of species Vitis vinifera related to Pinot noir which goes by a lot of other names: Pinot Grigio (Italy) Pinot Beurot (Loire Valley, France) RulÃ¤nder (Austria and Germany, Romania, sweet) Grauburgunder or Grauer burgunder (Austria and Germany, dry... Riesling is a white grape variety and varietal appellation of wines grown historically in Germany (see German wine), Alsace (France), Austria, and northern Italy. ... Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. ... SÃ©millon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia. ... Viognier (pronounced vee-own-YAY[1]) is a white wine grape. ... Aglianico is a red wine grape grown in the Campania and Basilicata regions of Italy. ... Cabernet Franc is a red wine grape variety similar to and a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. ... Old vine Cabernet Sauvignon at Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley. ... The Carmenere grape is a wine grape variety originally planted in the MÃ©doc region of Bordeaux, France where it is used to produce deep red wines occasionally used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot. ... Dolcetto is a well-known wine grape variety widely grown in Piedmont region of Italy. ... A California Gamay Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais. ... Grenache is a sweet red grape variety grown primarily for the making of wine. ... Malbec is a black, mellow grape variety originally grown in France, in the Loire Valley and Cahors. ... Merlot grapes on the vine. ... Nebbiolo is the most important wine grape variety of Italys Piedmont region. ... Barbera is a wine grape variety from Monferrato in Piemonte, Italy. ... Durif (or Duriff) is a minor variety of red wine grape grown in France, California and Australia. ... Petit verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally in classic Bordeaux blends. ... Pinot noir is a red wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. ... Pinotage is a wine grape that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault (called Hermitage in South Africa and parts of Europe, hence the portmanteau name of this grape variety). ... Sangiovese (synonyms: Sangiovese grosso, Brunello, Uva brunella, Morellino, Prugnolo, Prugnolo gentile, Sangioveto, Tignolo and Uva Canina) is a red wine grape variety originating in Italy where it is now recognised as a superior variety. ... Shiraz grapes have a characteristically deep purple color that is reflected in their wine. ... Tempranillo is a variety of vitis vinifera, the red grape used commonly in winemaking. ... Zinfandel, also known as Zin, is a red-skinned wine grape popular in California for its intense fruitiness and lush texture. ... Amarone della Valpolicella is an often powerful Italian wine made from dried grapes of the Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara varieties. ... Asti is a DOCG sparkling wine produced in the Asti region in Piedmont, Italy. ... A classic northern Italian wine, Barbaresco is a powerful wine that is made purely from the Nebbiolo grape. ... Barbera dAsti Superiore DOC Tre Vescovi 2003 Vinchio e Vaglio Barbera dAsti is a red wine variety. ... Castle and Village of Barolo. ... It has been suggested that Barossa Shiraz be merged into this article or section. ... A Beaujolais label Beaujolais is a historical province and a wine-producing region in France. ... Bordeaux with sub-wine regions A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. ... Chardonnay vineyards in the south of the CÃ´te de Beaune surrounding the town of Meursault. ... The Chablis wine region is the northernmost sector of Burgundy, France, and also the name of a town located there. ... It has been suggested that Blanc de noirs be merged into this article or section. ... Chianti is Italys most famous red wine. ... Commandaria is an amber-colored dessert wine made from the indigenous Mavro and Xynistery varieties of red grapes in the Commandaria region of Cyprus (centered near the city of Kolossi). ... DÃ£o Wine (or Vinho do DÃ£o) is from the RegiÃ£o Demarcada do DÃ£o, a region demarcated in 1908, but already in 1390 there were taken some measures to protect this wine. ... Egri BikavÃ©r (Bulls Blood) is one of the most reputed and traditional Hungarian wines besides the Tokaji wines. ... Madeira is a fortified wine made in the Madeira Islands of Portugal, which is prized equally for drinking and cooking; the latter use including the dessert plum in Madeira. ... Marsala is the name for a wine produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily. ... Mosel is a German wine-growing region (Anbaugebiet) that takes its name from the river Mosel (or Moselle). ... Muscadet is a type of dry French white wine. ... Retsina is a Greek resinated white (or rosÃ©) wine dating back at least 2700 years. ... Rheingau valley with the River Rhein The Rheingau (in English: Rhine District) is the hill country on the north side of the Rhine River between Wiesbaden and RÃ¼desheim near Frankfurt, reaching from the western Taunus to the Rhine. ... Rheinhessen (in English: Rhenish Hesse) refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine river and now part of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... The RhÃ´ne wine region is first divided into north and south. ... Rioja Wine Rioja is a wine from a region named after the Rio Oja in Spain, a tributary of the Ebro. ... Sancerre is one of the most famous white wines in France named from the town Sancerre. ... A half bottle of Sauternes from ChÃ¢teau dYquem Sauternes is a type of dessert wine made from SÃ©millon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. ... Sherry solera For other uses, see Sherry (disambiguation). ... Tokaj cellar Tokaji, meaning of Tokaj in Hungarian, is used to label wines from the wine region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary. ... Valpolicella is a zone of the province of Verona, Italy, east of Lake Garda. ... It has been suggested that Punt e mes be merged into this article or section. ... Vinho Verde is Portuguese and literally means Green Wine. There are red, white and, more rarely, rosÃ© varieties of the appellation Vinho Verde, but only the white wines are exported. ... Vouvray, from the region of the same name is made through the vinification of the Chenin Blanc grape. ... The Glossary of wine terms lists the definitions of many terms used within the wine industry. ... This is a list of varieties of cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a Table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). ... This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. ... The following is a list of wine producing countries and their volume of wine production for the year 2003 in metric tonnes. ... Varietal describes wines made from a single named grape variety. ... It has been suggested that Wine thief, Tastevin, Wine clip, Wine collar and Wine stopper be merged into this article or section. ... This is a list of varieties of cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a Table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). ... Winemakers often use carboys like these to ferment smaller quantities of wine Winemaking, or vinification, is the process of wine production, from the selection of grapes to the bottling of finished wine. ...

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The Douro River Valley: growth and production var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};