Varietals

A TASTE MADE OF MANY FLAVORS.

Everyone talks about varietals, but does everyone knows what a varietal is?
Varietal is what we call the grape variety destined for winemaking and not for immediate consumption. Like climate and soil, the varietal type is essential for the quality of a wine. It is what gives personality to the wine. It is from its characteristics that we can define not only the type of wine but also the style.

And as in other regions, wines from the Setúbal Peninsula are also made from a selection of national and international grape varietals that, individually or combined with others, give birth to some of the best and tastiest portuguese wines.

White Grapes

Other white varietals:
Antão Vaz, Verdelho, Chardonnay, Viosinho, Viognier, Síria, Malvasia Fina, Sauvignon, Alvarinho, Sercial, Rabo de Ovelha, Pinot Blanc, Moscatel Galego Branco, Tamarez, Semillon, Loureiro, Boal Branco and Encruzado.

Red Grapes

Other red varietals:
Trincadeira, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Alicante-Bouschet, Touriga-Franca, Merlot, Alfrocheiro, Tinta-Barroca, Tinta-Miúda, Tannat, Tinto-Cão, Petit-Verdot, Pinot Noir, Bastardo, Tinta-Caiada, Baga and Moreto.

To know more about the authorized varietals to produce the designations Palmela D.O., Setúbal D.O. and Setúbal Peninsula G.I., read the legislation.

file_download Palmela D.O. Legislation
file_download Setúbal D.O. Legislation
file_download Portaria 118 (2014)
file_download G.I. Legislation

Curiosities

Not every wine improves with time. There are wines that are created by winemakers in order to be consumed in a short time and these must be consumed quickly. Most counter-labels indicate the producer’s suggestion about opening and storing the bottle.

In red wine, the reddish color is due to the extraction of pigments present in the bark of the grape. The white wine, however, is fermented without the bark and therefore is white. A good example is the sparkling wines made mostly with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grape varietals.

While the winemaker is the professional who works directly in the wine industry, coordinating and supervising the production, the sommelier is a specialist that assists the customers of a restaurant in the choice and harmonization of the best wines.


file_download How to read a label

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