Our Competition Answers

Many of our Competition Entrants asked if they could see the competition answers. They are published below.

 8 people got to round 2 and 5 people made it to round 3. Nobody got the exact answers to round 3, but we decided to give a prize on the tie-breaker  to Andrea Weston with the slogan, “What I really, really, really want is to go to a Wines and Tours wine tour because ‘ it’s my Quinta’ssential port of call; with Wines and Tours I’ll have a ball.”

Sadly we did not have the minimum required 20 applicants for  the tour – or enough even to run the tour. In accordance with rule 9, the winner will receive the alternative prize of £195 worth of Premium Australian wines from our sister company, Chateau Select Ltd.

We have decided to award two bonus prizes. Everyone who got to round 2 will receive a £25 voucher against any purchase made up to  31/12/2012 from the Wines and Tours Website or the Chateau Select or the Pewsey Vale Wine Company websites. Additionally, we will be giving the five entrants who reached round 3 a £100 voucher to spend against any purchase made, up to 31/12/2012 for any wine-tour taken abroad from the Wines and Tours Website.

Here are the round 1 Answers:

1. What wine, in north Portugal, is sometimes described as a “Green wine”?  = Vinho Verde.

2. What is the Portuguese word used, for a Douro wine farm?  = Quinta.

3. Name the three main Portuguese wine grape varieties used in making both Port and Douro Valley red wines? = Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz.

4. Other than Port, what is the name of the other famous Portuguese fortified wine – produced in an island with the same name? = Madeira.

5. What do the words “clairette”, “tinto” and “branco” mean? = Light red, red and white.

6. What is schist? = Type of soil found in the Douro Valley.

7. What is “must” and what is the traditional method used in producing it in the Douro Valley?  = Grape juice. Grape treading, by foot.

8. As shown on a Portuguese wine label, what does “Vinho de Mesa” mean? = Table wine.

9. As usually found in a Port Lodge in Oporto, what is a pipe? = Large type of cask used for Port. [Holds 115 gallons or 522 litres].

10. Name in chronological order the five nations who originally helped to develop Portugal’s wine industry. = Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Moors and British. [Between 12^th & 14^th centuries].

Here are the answers to round 2:

To the question “What is Oenology”?

It is the knowledge and study of wine and wine-making – derived from the Greek “oinos” meaning   “wine”. (This excludes “viticulture” which concerns vines).

To the Question “What is (a) a fortified wine? And (b) name the four most well-known fortified wines and their respective country of origin?”

(a) It is a wine made (mainly) with the addition of Brandy spirit; (b) Madeira (Madeira), Marsala (Sicily), Port (Portugal), Sherry (Spain).

Here are the answers to round 3:

To the question, “What emanating from Portugal got the nickname of “blackstrap” and when & how exactly did it originate?”

In 1678, two Englishmen visited Lamego (mountain town in the Douro Valley) and discovered Porto (Port), a sweet, fortified vinous concoction produced at a local monastery. The Abbot of Lamego practiced mutation, arresting fermentation of his wines with brandy while sugar was still present.  The Englishmen sent the wines home to Liverpool, where the strength and richness of Port, nicknamed “blackstrap”, earned it wide popularity.

To the question, “Determine how many styles of Port exist, and then name them.”

Acceptably, there are between 12 – 15 styles of Port.

Port styles are:

White, Rosé, Ruby, Tawny,

10 year old aged Tawny, 20 year old aged Tawny, 30 year old aged Tawny, over 40 year old aged Tawny, Colheita, Vintage, LBV (late bottled vintage), Vintage character, Crusted, Single Quinta Vintage, and Garrafeira.

To the question  “Determine where else in the world Port-style wines are produced, (other than Italy, Madeira, Portugal and Spain),”

Acceptably, Port-style wines are produced in 6 countries. These are: South Africa, Australia, USA (California), Canada, India and Argentina.

From: South Africa

Port-style wines are produced in the Cape & existing styles include White, Ruby, Tawny, LBV, Vintage and Vintage Reserve.

From: Australia

Port-style wines are produced in (i) the Barossa Valley (Yalumba Antique Reserve Tawny),

(ii) McLaren Vale (d’Arenburg Daddy Long Legs Tawny), (iii) Yarra Valley (Portsort Vintage) and (iv) South Australia (Tawny).

From: USA (California)

Port-style wines (Ruby, Tawny & White) are produced in California and “Starboard” (a Port-style wine) from A Quady in Madera County.

From: Canada

Port-style wines are produced in Quebec, Nova Scotia, Ontario and BC.

From: India

Port-style wines are produced in the Bangalore area (Heritage Port) and New Delhi area (Mitra Port wine).

From: Argentina

Port-style wine – a fortified Malbec – called Malamado Liqueur Wine is produced by Zuccardi in the Mendoza area.

It is worth mentioning that wines like Mavrodaphne from Greece and Buckfast from England are only lightly fortified and not to the magnitude of fortification found in Port.