Trás-os-Montes wine region

Trás-os-Montes is a Portuguese DOC (Denominacao de Origem Controlada) title of the Transmontano region in the far north-eastern corner of Portugal.

As its name (trans meaning ''across'' and montano ''mountains'') implies, Transmontano lies on the eastern, inland side of the low mountains which separate the Douro Valley from Toro and Rueda, and thus Portugal from Spain. This geological profile influences the region's shallow granite soils, and the high-quality wines they are capable of producing. Oddly enough, however, this region's most famous wine is not a supple, rich, dry red, but a semi-sweet, lightly sparkling rose known as rosado.

The mountains also have a dramatic impact on the climate. Sheltering the region from rain blowing in from the Atlantic, the hills cast a large rain shadow over Transmontano and a wide strip of western Spain beyond. This makes the area one of Portugal's driest, and consequently Transmontano's prime viticultural areas follow the paths of the region's four main rivers: the Douro, the Sabor, the Tua and the Tamega. This in turn has helped wines made in these vineyards to be elevated from IGP (Indicacoes Geograficas Protegidas, an area classification formerly known as Vinho Regional) status to full DOC status.

Wine drinkers live longer

Drinking red wine and cooking with olive oil may help us to live longer, say scientists. Figures from the European Union show that people living in Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy can expect to live longer on average than people in other countries. Key ingredients in both substances can significantly increase the lifespan of yeast. Since yeast and humans share many genes, scientists have speculated they may have the same effect in people. The findings provide more evidence to suggest that the Mediterranean diet may be the secret to living a long and healthy life.

Drinking up to half a glass of wine a day may boost life expectancy by five years, at least in men. Red wine consumption - roughly 1 or 2 glasses a day - to a longer, healthier life. And for years researchers have hypothesized that wine’s unique antioxidants like resveratrol were the key to the liquid’s life-extending benefits. Wine drinkers make healthier food choices than beer drinkers.

Another interesting finding is that wine buyers spent more than beer buyers, though people who bought both wine and beer spent most of all. Wine drinkers tend to be better educated and wealthier than beer drinkers, which also results in better health.

Portuguese grapes varieties

Portuguese red grapes:

Alfrocheiro Preto: main grape in the Dao, rich in color.

Aragonês: see Tinta Roriz.

Baga: main grape used for wines in Bairrada appellation, also used in Alentejo and Ribatejo. High quality grape.

Bastardo: funny named grape grown in the Douro, early ripening. Used in Dao extensively.

Castelão Frances: see "Tricadeira Preta". Called "Periquita" in Ribatejo, and "Joao do Santarem".

Encruzado: high alcoholic white grape seen frequently in the Dão.

Moreto: widely grown blender grape all over Portugal, not used in single varietal wines.

Mourisco: small plantings in the Douro.

Portuguese wines

Some of the more famous Portuguese wines include:

Port. Is a fortified wine that is blended with grape brandy and is higher in alcohol, usually between 19 and 22 percent. Port can be very sweet, sweet, semi-dry or dry and is often served as a dessert wine. Port wine is typically aged for several years, often in barrels stored in cellars.

Vinho Verde ("Green" wine). This semi-sparkling wine is called "green" not because of its color, but due to the fact that it is consumed while the wine is still young, preferably within a year or two after its release. Vinho Verde is unique to Portugal and is not produced anywhere else in the world. Vinho Verdes in the U.S. are predominantly white wines, with medium alcohol content and citrusy palates and aromas.

Portuguese wines fall into one of 3 categories, and this is usually indicated on the front label:

Table Wines (Vinho de Mesa) are cheaper wines which usually include a diverse collection of grapes grown in many different regions. They often don't list the varietals or the year the wine was produced.

Regional Wines (Vinho Regional) are certified as to the region of Portugal where the grapes were grown. There are 11 wine regions in Portugal and a numbered stamp of certification should be visible on the back label for any certified Regional Wine.

Demarcated Wines (Denominação de Origem Controlada or DOC) have the highest wine certification in Portugal. DOC zones are more specific and strictly controlled. Similar to the Italian Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) classification. A numbered stamp of certification - with the words D.O.C. and the zone - should be on the back label.

Global warming and wine

We are all aware of the importance and consequences of global warming, but now another concern has added over this sensitive issue, global warming affects wine, consequently the wine producers and of course, consumers.

In the Third World Congress on Climate Change and Wine, held a few days in the city of Marbella (Spain), it reached many important conclusions about the future of wine at the imminent global warming. Among these, the most shocking news related to wine, was that global warming would increase wines level of alcohol.

But it was not the only news mentioned in this conference, they also discussed that some red wines would lose their color and flavor, the acidity of Wine itself would also be lower and in the case of light wines the opposite would happen. These unmanageable changes will affect many of the own qualities of each wine.

The strains were also topics of discussion, concluding that the “indigenous" grapes are those that resist best to these vagaries of nature.

The wine industry is not a significant contributor to greenhouse gases. Speaking by video link to a recent Climate Change and Wine Conference in Barcelona, former US vice president Al Gore said that it was responsible for around 0,1 % of global emissions, he also commended wineries for their carbon-offsetting initiatives.

But global warming could still have a huge impact on wine. According to the worst-case scenario, many of the world's best-known regions will have to make radical changes to the styles of wine they make or face extinction. If you like drinking red Bordeaux, Mosel Riesling, Rioja, Chianti or Barossa Shiraz, enjoy them while you can. Fifty years from now, they could be unrecognisable.

Recognize wines defects

Corks

Your wine smells of damp cardboard or musty basement. Wheather the odor is pronounced or just slightly dank, it came from a cork tainted with a chemical compound called TCA. When the wine is damaged in this way, it's said to be corked. By industry estimates, 3 to 5 percent of all wines are corked. Cork processing improvements have been made to eliminate TCA, but many wineries are so fed up they are resorting to closures such as screw tops as permanent remedies. Very rarely does cork taint enhance a wine, even in small doses.

Oxygen

The wine tastes dull, cooked, or a little sherry-like. A white wine has an off color — brownish or very dark yellow. These are all indications that the wine has been exposed to excessive oxygen.

It could have happened while the wine was being made or when it was being stored. If wines are stored upright for long periods instead of on their sides, the cork can dry out and let air into the bottle.

Perhaps your wine smells like vinegar or nail polish remover. This is an extreme case traceable to a bacterium called acetobacter and oxygen. Acetobacter is everywhere — on grape skins, winery walls, barrels. By itself, it has no aroma or flavor, but when it meets oxygen in winemaking, it first produces the compound ethyl acetate (nail polish remover) before completely reducing the wine to acetic acid (the vinegar aroma).

The term “volatile acidity” (VA) accounts for these two conditions, although once a wine reaches the level of acetic acid, it's considered oxidized. Many wine connoisseurs enjoy low levels of ethyl acetate.

Smelling wine cork

When a waiter presents you with your wine selection, it is often thought that it is a good time to smell the cork. Well, it is not wrong to do so as you can smell a few things on the cork such as a stale cork.

I would suggest that you feel the cork and notice if it is warm or cool, wet or dry, hard or soft. By feeling the cork can tell you wheather the wine has been properly stored or at least hint a few clues to you.

The cork should be flexible, elastic, soft enough to be compressible and hard enough to hold together. Older wines will show some age on the cork. The “fill” line on the wine should be pretty close to the bottom of the cork. Hopefully the wine bottle has been kept in good storage to reduce evaporation.

Wine alcohol and the body

Alcohol can be both a tonic and a poison for the body.

In recent years, debate has been heated about alcohol's impact on health. Some researchers claim that moderate drinking actually makes you healthier than those who do not drink. "Moderate drinking," as defined by the U.S. Department of agriculture and the dietary guidelines for Americans, is no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men.

One drink is considered to be 330 ml of beer, 150 ml of wine, or 40 ml of spirits (hard liquor). Each of these contains about 12 to 14 grams of alcohol.

The active ingredient in alcoholic beverages is ethanol, a molecule that directly affects the stomach, brain, heart, gall bladder and liver. It also affects levels of lipids and insulin in the blood.

If consumed moderately, alcohol can lower a person's chances of having a heart attack, ischemic (clot-caused) stroke, or other forms of cardiovascular disease. This effect is found in both men and women.

Alcohol raises levels of the "good" cholesterol, HDL, which provides protection against heart disease. In addition, moderate drinkers (as opposed to non-drinkers or heavy drinkers), are more likely to be at a healthy weight, get 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night and exercise regularly, according to a 1985 national health interview survey.

Equipment to make wine

Although there are may  hoem brewing kits available, fundamentally you can make wine effectively using basic tools found at any good hardware store.  The tools that you will need to make wine at home include:

• A two gallon bucket with a lid that fits securely on top.
• A spoon for stirring
• A pan that can be used to boil the ingredients
• A fine mesh strainer
• A fermenting vessel with a rubber bung and airlock
• A funnel
• Bottles and corks
• Tubes for siphoning
• Brushes and bottle brushes to maintain the equipment
• Wine making instrumentation including a hydrometer.

Wine serving

Perhaps the most important aspect of wine service as it can greatly affect the taste and the aroma of the wine.

Chill white or rosé wines in the refrigerator 1-2 hours before serving, to about 12°C. Do not use the refrigerator to store wine. This can encourage the development of bitartrate crystals and make the wine taste simple and flat. The high acidity of white wines will taste less tart when cool. Alcohol evaporates faster at warmer temperatures, and can interfere with the delicate aromas of these lighter-bodied wines.

If a wine needs to be chilled quickly, iced water is a far more effective means than placing it in a container of ice cubes.

Red wines should be chilled about 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator before serving, to about 18-20°C. You have probably heard that red wines should be served at room temperature, and you are right. However, the term "room temperature" refers to rooms in Europe way back when, and they were around 15°C, not the 22-24° we find in modern-day America. The slightly colder temperature slows the evaporation of alcohol, thus improving the aroma and flavor, and making the wine smoother. Don't over chill; this makes the tannins in the wine taste rough and bitter.

If a red wine is very cold try decanting it into a warm jug or pouring it into warm glasses. You can also use a microwave but be careful not to cook the wine - 15-20 seconds will usually suffice. Some light red fruity wines benefit from light chilling to around 10° e.g. Beaujolais, especially for summer drinking.