faq_title
What is wine?
Wine is an alcoholic drink obtained by total or partial fermentation of fresh grapes and musts.
Why do the grapes ferment?
Grapes share chemical characteristics that allow the fermentation process without any extra sugars, acids and enzymes. The sugars present in grapes are consumed by several types of yeasts and transformed in alcohol.
How many wines exist in Portugal?
Five types of wine are produced in Portugal: red, white, rosé, sparkling and sweet. There is also the Vinho Verde (“Green Wine”), a typical white or red wine considered as a fully-fledged category because of its acidity.
How can we obtain different wines?
Red wines are obtained with red coloured varieties which pulp contains pigments. The white wines are produced with white varieties. The rosé can be produced mixing red and white varieties, or reducing the maceration time (contact of musts with grape’ skins and seeds) during the vinification of a red wine.
How can you classify a wine according to its sugar concentration?
Dry wines: between 0 and 5g/L; half-Dry wines: between 5 and 20g/L; soft wines: between and 40g/L; and liquors: 40g/L and more.
What is the difference between single-varietal and a composed wine?
A wine produced with only one variety is called “single-variety wine”. Whereas, composed wines are produced with several varieties of grape. They are not worse, some of the best wines in the world are composed with several varieties from the same harvest.
What is the Terroir?
According to the Larousse Dictionary definition, “Terroir” means: The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.
How wine is evaluated?
A degustation consists in three analyses: visual, olfactory and gustatory.
What is olfactory analyse?
It consists in an analysis of the aromas present in the wine. Theses aromas are characteristics of the wine’s personality. The most famous ones are: floral, vegetal, balsamic, fruited, animals and spiced. They are classified in three general families: Primary aromas: from fruits; Secondary aromas: concerning the fermentation process; Tertiary aromas: bouquet and maturation.
What is gustatory analyse?
It is the evaluation of the wine’s qualities using our taste buds. Le most typical flavours come from the oak-barrels: chocolate, vanilla, coffee and leather. Some mineral tastes can also be conferred to wines.
What is the visual analysis?
It may be the most neglected step of the degustation. However, you can learn a lot from a wine (evolution, maturity and alcohol degree) observing it. To visually analyse it, you have to evaluate its colour intensity, clarity, transparency and tears.
How can you correctly serve a wine?
You need some precautions to open a bottle of wine. Some wines need to be opened a few hours before degustation so that the wine can respire. On the contrary, other wines need to be consumed just after opening. If you see some deposits in the wine, you have to decant it. The decanter is perfect to aerate the wine and collect the solid particles. You need to degust the wine in an appropriate glass that you moderately fill (2 or 3 sips). Once you prove it, fill until the two third of the wine glass. This way, the aromas can be concentred in the glass, and you can really appreciate the colours of the wine.
What is the ideal temperature to degust a wine?
It depends on the type of wine you are degusting. Structured red wines: between 17 and 18°; Young red wines: between 12 and 14°C; Structured white wines: between 10 and 11°C; Fresh and fruited white wines: between 8 and 10°C; Vinhos Verdes: between 6 and 8°C. In spite of these information, all the wines are different. Before consuming, read the indications on the wine label, you will find there every information about degustation.
Why the relationship between wine and culinary art is that important?
The choice of an appropriate wine for a specific meal is important because it can enhance the tastes of a good dish. In other words, one dish… one wine. From the most traditional to the most sophisticated and complex.
How to match the savours?
It is essential to find a harmony between a wine and a meal. In general, meat and pasta dishes match with red wines. Fishes and sea foods better match with white wines. However, you shouldn’t always apply these rules. You have to consider all the savours of the meal. Adjust the wine to the dishes, structured match with strong or spicy. Young and fresh well matches with light…
Why do we associate cork and wine?
Corkstoppers possess a very complex cellular structure (around 40 million cells per cm³). This structure allows a low quantity of oxygen to penetrate into the bottle favouring the wine maturation after bottling. A good corkstopper transform a good wine in a better one! The corkstopper possesses a unique combination of physical properties: elasticity, flexibility, impermeability, resistance to compression and torsion forces. This is why corkstoppers are always more appreciated by wine consumers and producers. Moreover, it is an ecologic, 100% natural and recyclable product.
How to stock a wine?
You have to preserve it in ideal conditions to guaranty its longevity and quality. Protect it from heat, light, vibrations, hydric and thermic changes. Prefer a local with stable temperature (between 14 and 17°C.), controlled humidity (60 or 70%) and without any light source. Lay the bottle so that the wine stays in contact with the corkstopper.
What are the professions linked with wine production and consumption?
The vine-grower produces grapes and sometimes wines. The oenologist is responsible for the “wine chemistry”, he is an alchemist who examines and determines the qualities and characteristics of a wine. The distributor commercializes the wines. A sommelier is a wine specialist, in a restaurant, he chooses the wines for the wine-menu, preserves the wines in a cellar and gives advices to the clients. Finally, an oenophile is not a professional but has an important knowledge about wines. He is an expert.
How the wine impacts on health?
A moderate consumption of white and red wines can have cardio-protector effects. Some recent studies attest that red wines impact a lot on the prevention of some diseases like cancer because of their polyphenol and anti-oxidant concentration. An exaggerate consumption can cause the development of serious illness (cirrhosis and alcoholism).
What are the sulphites?
The sulphites are naturally produced during the vinification process. The major part of wine-growers use sulphur-dioxide to stimulate the wine conservation. It has been used since antiquity in the wine production. The sulphites are inoffensive for everyone, but people who suffer from asthma can see repercussions on their health conditions. The major part of alimentary products contains sulphites, particularly dry fruits (with 10 times more sulphites than wine). You can find sulphites in fruit juices, cheeses, seafood and vinegar. Their use is regulated by the European Union.
What is the “Designation of Origin”?
The “Designation of Origin” designate wines from a delimited region with specific and single characteristics. This designation concerns a particular geography with unique natural and human factors. The vinification process is strictly controlled as well as the selected varieties and organoleptic characteristics. After these controls, the “Regional Wine Commissions” determine if the wine belongs to this Designation of Origin. Portugal makes part of the EU and uses the European Nomenclature for wine classification. VQPRD : Vin de Qualité Produit dans des régions déterminées (Quality wine produced in determined regions). This label designates the following appellations: DOC: Designation of Origin Controlled IGP: Protected Geographic Indication DOC is a label affixed on quality wine exclusively produced in delimitated regions. To dispose of this designation, a wine must fill all requirements specification about soils, climate, production process, selected varieties and alcohol content. The major part of Portuguese Wine-production regions dispose of this label. IGP identifies wines with very particular characteristics. A wine with this label is a potential DOC wine. “Table wine” designates all the wines that don’t fill the requirements specification to be named DOC or IGP. Regional Wine: Table wine from a defined region, produced with at least 85% of grapes from this region and authorized varieties.
What is olive oil?
An alimentary product obtained with olives. Extremely profitable for your health, olive oil is used as a condiment, particularly in the Mediterranean food offering authentic savours.
Where is olive oil produced?
95% of the global olive oil production comes from Mediterranean Basin where soils and climate are completely appropriate for olive tree culture.
How is olive oil produced?
You need 1300 to 2000 olives to produce 250mL of olive oil. In the ancient time, the production process was exclusively mechanical. Nowadays, the tradition has been replaced by more modern extraction process (combination of thermic and mechanical processes).
How can you classify olive oils?
The quality of an olive oil depends on the production process. Extra Virgin oil is produced by mechanical process only (press or centrifugation) without any extra chemical product. Its acidity mustn’t exceed 0.8%. Virgin olive oil is produced by mechanical process exclusively without any extra chemical product. Its acidity must be inferior to 2%. (Basic) Olive oil is a vegetable fat obtained mixing refined oils and virgin oil. Refined olive oil is produced with fats (poor quality olive oil and vegetable oils) which pass through several refinery process (chemical processes, distillation) in order to extract the solid residues, acidity and bad aromas. Virgin and Extra Virgin olive oils are 100% natural product, pure olive juices without additives nor preservatives.
What is acidity?
The fat of olive oil is composed of triglycerides. These glycerides are constituted of several fatty acids which repartition is characteristic of olive oils. When triglycerides are degraded, the fatty acids that constituted them are separated and wander freely in the olive oil. At this moment, we call them “free fatty acids”. Their concentration in oils is what we call acidity.
Is acidity a myth?
One of the classification parameters for olive oil is acidity. But, we can’t consider it as the most important, in fact, some technics allow a lower acidity. Acidity doesn’t have a lot of influence on tastes and savours, not even on homeopathic virtues. This is the reason why the European Commission decreed that acidity is a quality factor, at the same level as peroxide concentration, or ultra violet absorption, so that olive oils wouldn’t be evaluated only on their low acidity. An extra virgin olive oil (acidity 1%) is better than a refined olive oil (0,3%)…
What is the difference between virgin olive oil and olive oil?
Virgin olive oil is produced with sane fruity and fresh olives. It is extracted and packaged in order to preserve the fruit quality. On the contrary, olive oil is the product of an artificial purification of fats by refinery processes. The producers of this product often add some virgin oil to give taste.
How olive oil is beneficial for health?
Olive oil contains a lot of good substances for health. Its use can reduce the LDL-cholesterol concentration thanks to its high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids. In this way, olive oil contributes to reduce infarcts and CVA risks. Olive oil contains 5 to 10% of polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega 3 and 6 that have an important role in the body. Olive oil is rich in polyphenols, it is a real natural antioxidant and prevents biologic oxidation risks. In other words, it prevents cellular aging and degenerative illness like cancer. A regular consumption of olive oil and sane food, as it is the case in the Mediterranean food is beneficial for your health and a real delight for you.
What is wine?
Wine is an alcoholic drink obtained by total or partial fermentation of fresh grapes and musts.
Why do the grapes ferment?
Grapes share chemical characteristics that allow the fermentation process without any extra sugars, acids and enzymes. The sugars present in grapes are consumed by several types of yeasts and transformed in alcohol.
How many wines exist in Portugal?
Five types of wine are produced in Portugal: red, white, rosé, sparkling and sweet. There is also the Vinho Verde (“Green Wine”), a typical white or red wine considered as a fully-fledged category because of its acidity.
How can we obtain different wines?
Red wines are obtained with red coloured varieties which pulp contains pigments. The white wines are produced with white varieties. The rosé can be produced mixing red and white varieties, or reducing the maceration time (contact of musts with grape’ skins and seeds) during the vinification of a red wine.
How can you classify a wine according to its sugar concentration?
Dry wines: between 0 and 5g/L; half-Dry wines: between 5 and 20g/L; soft wines: between and 40g/L; and liquors: 40g/L and more.
What is the difference between single-varietal and a composed wine?
A wine produced with only one variety is called “single-variety wine”. Whereas, composed wines are produced with several varieties of grape. They are not worse, some of the best wines in the world are composed with several varieties from the same harvest.
What is the Terroir?
According to the Larousse Dictionary definition, “Terroir” means: The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.
How wine is evaluated?
A degustation consists in three analyses: visual, olfactory and gustatory.
What is olfactory analyse?
It consists in an analysis of the aromas present in the wine. Theses aromas are characteristics of the wine’s personality. The most famous ones are: floral, vegetal, balsamic, fruited, animals and spiced. They are classified in three general families: Primary aromas: from fruits; Secondary aromas: concerning the fermentation process; Tertiary aromas: bouquet and maturation.
What is gustatory analyse?
It is the evaluation of the wine’s qualities using our taste buds. Le most typical flavours come from the oak-barrels: chocolate, vanilla, coffee and leather. Some mineral tastes can also be conferred to wines.
What is the visual analysis?
It may be the most neglected step of the degustation. However, you can learn a lot from a wine (evolution, maturity and alcohol degree) observing it. To visually analyse it, you have to evaluate its colour intensity, clarity, transparency and tears.
How can you correctly serve a wine?
You need some precautions to open a bottle of wine. Some wines need to be opened a few hours before degustation so that the wine can respire. On the contrary, other wines need to be consumed just after opening. If you see some deposits in the wine, you have to decant it. The decanter is perfect to aerate the wine and collect the solid particles. You need to degust the wine in an appropriate glass that you moderately fill (2 or 3 sips). Once you prove it, fill until the two third of the wine glass. This way, the aromas can be concentred in the glass, and you can really appreciate the colours of the wine.
What is the ideal temperature to degust a wine?
It depends on the type of wine you are degusting. Structured red wines: between 17 and 18°; Young red wines: between 12 and 14°C; Structured white wines: between 10 and 11°C; Fresh and fruited white wines: between 8 and 10°C; Vinhos Verdes: between 6 and 8°C. In spite of these information, all the wines are different. Before consuming, read the indications on the wine label, you will find there every information about degustation.
Why the relationship between wine and culinary art is that important?
The choice of an appropriate wine for a specific meal is important because it can enhance the tastes of a good dish. In other words, one dish… one wine. From the most traditional to the most sophisticated and complex.
How to match the savours?
It is essential to find a harmony between a wine and a meal. In general, meat and pasta dishes match with red wines. Fishes and sea foods better match with white wines. However, you shouldn’t always apply these rules. You have to consider all the savours of the meal. Adjust the wine to the dishes, structured match with strong or spicy. Young and fresh well matches with light…
Why do we associate cork and wine?
Corkstoppers possess a very complex cellular structure (around 40 million cells per cm³). This structure allows a low quantity of oxygen to penetrate into the bottle favouring the wine maturation after bottling. A good corkstopper transform a good wine in a better one! The corkstopper possesses a unique combination of physical properties: elasticity, flexibility, impermeability, resistance to compression and torsion forces. This is why corkstoppers are always more appreciated by wine consumers and producers. Moreover, it is an ecologic, 100% natural and recyclable product.
How to stock a wine?
You have to preserve it in ideal conditions to guaranty its longevity and quality. Protect it from heat, light, vibrations, hydric and thermic changes. Prefer a local with stable temperature (between 14 and 17°C.), controlled humidity (60 or 70%) and without any light source. Lay the bottle so that the wine stays in contact with the corkstopper.
What are the professions linked with wine production and consumption?
The vine-grower produces grapes and sometimes wines. The oenologist is responsible for the “wine chemistry”, he is an alchemist who examines and determines the qualities and characteristics of a wine. The distributor commercializes the wines. A sommelier is a wine specialist, in a restaurant, he chooses the wines for the wine-menu, preserves the wines in a cellar and gives advices to the clients. Finally, an oenophile is not a professional but has an important knowledge about wines. He is an expert.
How the wine impacts on health?
A moderate consumption of white and red wines can have cardio-protector effects. Some recent studies attest that red wines impact a lot on the prevention of some diseases like cancer because of their polyphenol and anti-oxidant concentration. An exaggerate consumption can cause the development of serious illness (cirrhosis and alcoholism).
What are the sulphites?
The sulphites are naturally produced during the vinification process. The major part of wine-growers use sulphur-dioxide to stimulate the wine conservation. It has been used since antiquity in the wine production. The sulphites are inoffensive for everyone, but people who suffer from asthma can see repercussions on their health conditions. The major part of alimentary products contains sulphites, particularly dry fruits (with 10 times more sulphites than wine). You can find sulphites in fruit juices, cheeses, seafood and vinegar. Their use is regulated by the European Union.
What is the “Designation of Origin”?
The “Designation of Origin” designate wines from a delimited region with specific and single characteristics. This designation concerns a particular geography with unique natural and human factors. The vinification process is strictly controlled as well as the selected varieties and organoleptic characteristics. After these controls, the “Regional Wine Commissions” determine if the wine belongs to this Designation of Origin. Portugal makes part of the EU and uses the European Nomenclature for wine classification. VQPRD : Vin de Qualité Produit dans des régions déterminées (Quality wine produced in determined regions). This label designates the following appellations: DOC: Designation of Origin Controlled IGP: Protected Geographic Indication DOC is a label affixed on quality wine exclusively produced in delimitated regions. To dispose of this designation, a wine must fill all requirements specification about soils, climate, production process, selected varieties and alcohol content. The major part of Portuguese Wine-production regions dispose of this label. IGP identifies wines with very particular characteristics. A wine with this label is a potential DOC wine. “Table wine” designates all the wines that don’t fill the requirements specification to be named DOC or IGP. Regional Wine: Table wine from a defined region, produced with at least 85% of grapes from this region and authorized varieties.
What is olive oil?
An alimentary product obtained with olives. Extremely profitable for your health, olive oil is used as a condiment, particularly in the Mediterranean food offering authentic savours.
Where is olive oil produced?
95% of the global olive oil production comes from Mediterranean Basin where soils and climate are completely appropriate for olive tree culture.
How is olive oil produced?
You need 1300 to 2000 olives to produce 250mL of olive oil. In the ancient time, the production process was exclusively mechanical. Nowadays, the tradition has been replaced by more modern extraction process (combination of thermic and mechanical processes).
How can you classify olive oils?
The quality of an olive oil depends on the production process. Extra Virgin oil is produced by mechanical process only (press or centrifugation) without any extra chemical product. Its acidity mustn’t exceed 0.8%. Virgin olive oil is produced by mechanical process exclusively without any extra chemical product. Its acidity must be inferior to 2%. (Basic) Olive oil is a vegetable fat obtained mixing refined oils and virgin oil. Refined olive oil is produced with fats (poor quality olive oil and vegetable oils) which pass through several refinery process (chemical processes, distillation) in order to extract the solid residues, acidity and bad aromas. Virgin and Extra Virgin olive oils are 100% natural product, pure olive juices without additives nor preservatives.
What is acidity?
The fat of olive oil is composed of triglycerides. These glycerides are constituted of several fatty acids which repartition is characteristic of olive oils. When triglycerides are degraded, the fatty acids that constituted them are separated and wander freely in the olive oil. At this moment, we call them “free fatty acids”. Their concentration in oils is what we call acidity.
Is acidity a myth?
One of the classification parameters for olive oil is acidity. But, we can’t consider it as the most important, in fact, some technics allow a lower acidity. Acidity doesn’t have a lot of influence on tastes and savours, not even on homeopathic virtues. This is the reason why the European Commission decreed that acidity is a quality factor, at the same level as peroxide concentration, or ultra violet absorption, so that olive oils wouldn’t be evaluated only on their low acidity. An extra virgin olive oil (acidity 1%) is better than a refined olive oil (0,3%)…
What is the difference between virgin olive oil and olive oil?
Virgin olive oil is produced with sane fruity and fresh olives. It is extracted and packaged in order to preserve the fruit quality. On the contrary, olive oil is the product of an artificial purification of fats by refinery processes. The producers of this product often add some virgin oil to give taste.
How olive oil is beneficial for health?
Olive oil contains a lot of good substances for health. Its use can reduce the LDL-cholesterol concentration thanks to its high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids. In this way, olive oil contributes to reduce infarcts and CVA risks. Olive oil contains 5 to 10% of polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega 3 and 6 that have an important role in the body. Olive oil is rich in polyphenols, it is a real natural antioxidant and prevents biologic oxidation risks. In other words, it prevents cellular aging and degenerative illness like cancer. A regular consumption of olive oil and sane food, as it is the case in the Mediterranean food is beneficial for your health and a real delight for you.
