WSET Diploma D5
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_be05lr
1. THE ADVANTAGE OF A WIDE RANGE OF VARIETIES IN PORT?: • Differing
characteristics
• Reduce vintage variation (eg cool wet years disrupt some varities more than
others)
• Spread out the harvest (us hand / labour intensive) so can pick all at optimum
ripeness
• Old wines (vinha velha) key part in premium/ super-premium Ports
2. WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF TEMPRANILLO IN PORT?: • Tinta Roriz (also
Aragonez elsewhere in Portugal)
• Early ripening, prone to water stress (likes cool sites, elevation).
• Body, deep colour.
• Need to limit high yield as can get dilute.
3. WHY ARE VINTAGE PORTS SO PROFITABLE FOR PRODUCERS?: • Out-
standing quality so (super) premium priced
• Limited time in wooden vessels (us 18-20 mths) early release from winery.
4. BREAKDOWN OF THE BUSINESSES INVOLVED IN PORT PRODUCTION: •
21000 growers (43% less 0.5ha, 92% less 5 ha)
• Most sell grapes to med/large producer or co-op
• Cooperatives make 20% wine, mostly sold to producers
• Brokers often employed to trade grapes & wine
• 30-35 producers make significant volumes
• Top 5 make 80% vol
o Porto Cruz
o Symington Family Estates
o Sogrape
o Fladgate Partnership
o Sogevinus
5. WHAT WAS CASA DO DOURO AND WHAT HAPPENED TO IT?: • 1932 Casa
do Douro a secondary authority to supervise growers within the Port demarcation,
controlled the purchase of the aguardente until IVP in 1933
• 1990 controversially bought 40% of big shipper Royal Oporto - to allow growers to
trade own products. Failed, Casa do Douro bankrupt
• 2003 new interprofessional body IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Porto e do Douro
created to supervise both Port & Douro producers (reflects growing importance of
dry wines of Douro)
6. DESCRIBE SINGLE QUINTA PORT: • Grapes from one estate (Quinta) and one
vintage
• Made when grapes not good enough for Vintage declaration
• eg Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas, Graham's Quinta dos Malvedos
, WSET Diploma D5
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_be05lr
7. HOW DOES BENEFICIO CARD TRADING WORK (OR NOT?!): • Landowners
get card (certificate) for each parcel of land, and can trade that card for the grapes
grown on it, in reality may be from different parcel of land
• The beneficio sets prices for Port grapes - relatively high 1.2-1.4€ inside system,
0.25-0.4 outside
• So growers give lesser quality grapes as beneficio cards (guaranteed a high price),
and sell their best quality grapes on open market (no price controls, will get higher
price)
• Producers may then substitute the inferior beneficio grapes for their own high
quality grapes that are not part of beneficio system to make a better quality Port!
• the inferior grapes may be used/ resold for unfortified wines
8. PROS & CONS OF PATAMARES: Description: (modern) vineyard terraces in
the Douro, wider than Socalcos, supported by steep earth ramp, not stone wall, to
allow mechanisation (tractors). Original form: wider 2 row terraces, made by bulky
bulldozers. Diagonal ramps. Pros: cheaper to build & maintain, not UNESCO pro-
tected, mechanisation. Cons: uneven ripeness of one row shading other. Reduced
vine density 3-3500 vines/ha. Wasted space - access ramps. Weeds on ramps. Soil
erosion. o New improved narrow 1 row terrace, precision (laser technology), often
tilted toward slope & from one side terrace to other for water retention/drainage/
reduce erosion. 1 row - less uneven ripeness. Less wasted space.
9. ACIDIFICATION IN PORT?: • Port grapes are picked when flavours/tannins ripe
(pot alcohol not an issue), so acidity can be low and PH high
10. WHAT INFLUENCES THE STYLE OF PORT?: • Mainly quality of base wine and
form of maturation
• Minimum ageing wines legally defined and analysed by IVDP before permitted to
label
• Producers start to make decisions on grapes/styles during growing season -
weather crucial - but producers can impact o re canopy management and harvest
dates o in winery eg gentle extraction on least ripe grapes to avoid underripe
flavours/tannins, so suited to less concentrated styles like basic Tawny
11. WHAT IS PORT MATURED IN?: • Oak, even if short time
• Sizes vary according to oxidation required o Balseiros (100,000l vats) store wines
fresh o Pipes (600l barrels) gentle oxidation
• Only old oak: don't want new oak aromas
12. WHAT IS KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VINTAGE PORT AND TAWNY
PORT?: • Tawny Port is aged in barrels and when Tawny is bottled, it is ready to
drink and will not improve in bottle. )
• Vintage Port is aged in bottle and will improve in bottle (depending on age
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_be05lr
1. THE ADVANTAGE OF A WIDE RANGE OF VARIETIES IN PORT?: • Differing
characteristics
• Reduce vintage variation (eg cool wet years disrupt some varities more than
others)
• Spread out the harvest (us hand / labour intensive) so can pick all at optimum
ripeness
• Old wines (vinha velha) key part in premium/ super-premium Ports
2. WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF TEMPRANILLO IN PORT?: • Tinta Roriz (also
Aragonez elsewhere in Portugal)
• Early ripening, prone to water stress (likes cool sites, elevation).
• Body, deep colour.
• Need to limit high yield as can get dilute.
3. WHY ARE VINTAGE PORTS SO PROFITABLE FOR PRODUCERS?: • Out-
standing quality so (super) premium priced
• Limited time in wooden vessels (us 18-20 mths) early release from winery.
4. BREAKDOWN OF THE BUSINESSES INVOLVED IN PORT PRODUCTION: •
21000 growers (43% less 0.5ha, 92% less 5 ha)
• Most sell grapes to med/large producer or co-op
• Cooperatives make 20% wine, mostly sold to producers
• Brokers often employed to trade grapes & wine
• 30-35 producers make significant volumes
• Top 5 make 80% vol
o Porto Cruz
o Symington Family Estates
o Sogrape
o Fladgate Partnership
o Sogevinus
5. WHAT WAS CASA DO DOURO AND WHAT HAPPENED TO IT?: • 1932 Casa
do Douro a secondary authority to supervise growers within the Port demarcation,
controlled the purchase of the aguardente until IVP in 1933
• 1990 controversially bought 40% of big shipper Royal Oporto - to allow growers to
trade own products. Failed, Casa do Douro bankrupt
• 2003 new interprofessional body IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Porto e do Douro
created to supervise both Port & Douro producers (reflects growing importance of
dry wines of Douro)
6. DESCRIBE SINGLE QUINTA PORT: • Grapes from one estate (Quinta) and one
vintage
• Made when grapes not good enough for Vintage declaration
• eg Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas, Graham's Quinta dos Malvedos
, WSET Diploma D5
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_be05lr
7. HOW DOES BENEFICIO CARD TRADING WORK (OR NOT?!): • Landowners
get card (certificate) for each parcel of land, and can trade that card for the grapes
grown on it, in reality may be from different parcel of land
• The beneficio sets prices for Port grapes - relatively high 1.2-1.4€ inside system,
0.25-0.4 outside
• So growers give lesser quality grapes as beneficio cards (guaranteed a high price),
and sell their best quality grapes on open market (no price controls, will get higher
price)
• Producers may then substitute the inferior beneficio grapes for their own high
quality grapes that are not part of beneficio system to make a better quality Port!
• the inferior grapes may be used/ resold for unfortified wines
8. PROS & CONS OF PATAMARES: Description: (modern) vineyard terraces in
the Douro, wider than Socalcos, supported by steep earth ramp, not stone wall, to
allow mechanisation (tractors). Original form: wider 2 row terraces, made by bulky
bulldozers. Diagonal ramps. Pros: cheaper to build & maintain, not UNESCO pro-
tected, mechanisation. Cons: uneven ripeness of one row shading other. Reduced
vine density 3-3500 vines/ha. Wasted space - access ramps. Weeds on ramps. Soil
erosion. o New improved narrow 1 row terrace, precision (laser technology), often
tilted toward slope & from one side terrace to other for water retention/drainage/
reduce erosion. 1 row - less uneven ripeness. Less wasted space.
9. ACIDIFICATION IN PORT?: • Port grapes are picked when flavours/tannins ripe
(pot alcohol not an issue), so acidity can be low and PH high
10. WHAT INFLUENCES THE STYLE OF PORT?: • Mainly quality of base wine and
form of maturation
• Minimum ageing wines legally defined and analysed by IVDP before permitted to
label
• Producers start to make decisions on grapes/styles during growing season -
weather crucial - but producers can impact o re canopy management and harvest
dates o in winery eg gentle extraction on least ripe grapes to avoid underripe
flavours/tannins, so suited to less concentrated styles like basic Tawny
11. WHAT IS PORT MATURED IN?: • Oak, even if short time
• Sizes vary according to oxidation required o Balseiros (100,000l vats) store wines
fresh o Pipes (600l barrels) gentle oxidation
• Only old oak: don't want new oak aromas
12. WHAT IS KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VINTAGE PORT AND TAWNY
PORT?: • Tawny Port is aged in barrels and when Tawny is bottled, it is ready to
drink and will not improve in bottle. )
• Vintage Port is aged in bottle and will improve in bottle (depending on age
