List of Portuguese wine grape varieties
In addition, through experimentation and field trials a number of new varieties have emerged and are now playing key roles in producing the country's wide array of wines.
Evidence gained from recent research may suggest that the industry has not yet reached its maximum level of winegrape output efficiency.
[d] These homonyms and synonyms indicate how many of the wine grape varieties grown in Portugal are known by more than one name both within the country itself and internationally.
[17] In an international context, some varieties have more than 200 or 300 homonyms or synonyms: over 250 for Chasselas Blanc,[18] about 300 for Pinot Noir,[19] and close to 350 for Moscatel Galego Branco.
The occurrence of mislabelling was also frequent in the past, especially when the gathering and exchanging of cuttings were carried out informally and without some form of control.
In his words, the widespread nature of this problem to confusion which, in turn, "had very negative effects on the knowledge and management of the rich viticultural heritage of the country.
[45] New information from CAN continues to be provided to the government for the updating of its list,[41] to VIVC[46] and to the EU's certification body, the European Commission (EC).
In recent years, genetic testing, DNA profiling and genomics have played a major role in establishing the identity and parentage of grape varieties.
But the availability of these services has been limited and largely concentrated on those varieties playing key roles in wine production.
One groundbreaking Portuguese research program carried out in the Douro-Porto regions[48] was set up: "…to compare the effectiveness of RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) and ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeat) molecular techniques in the detection of synonyms, homonyms and misnames.
"[49] The findings from this research illustrated why it has become necessary to sort out the confusion that has been caused and sustained by the use of false and misleading synonyms and homonyms.
In some cases, when varieties had different berry colours but shared the same Simple Sequence Repeat DNA marker) profiles (SSR), it was taken that one was a mutation of the other and they were listed together.
However, these observations are time consuming and error-prone due to environmental variations that may alter the expression of the measured characteristics.
"[53] Another research program carried out prior to 2015 involved the use of microsatellites and SSR profiling set out to survey and correctly identify 39 less-known cultivars in the Vinhos Verdes region.
)[54] Taking into account this reports closing paragraph, the findings of this research offer outcomes as significant for the Vinhos Verdes region as they could be for the country's entire wine industry:"Besides the genetic interest in the correct identification and preservation of these autochthonous and minor cultivars in order to prevent their extinction and maintain the biodiversity of Vinhos Verdes DOC Region, they could also be restored and introduced on the production of new and original wines."(p.
57) Investigating the origin and identity of Portugal's native vines[55] was built on the theory that those cultivars of Vitis vinifera L. ssp.vinifera, which had originated from the eastern part of the Mediterranean and been brought west by Phoenician, Greek and Roman settlers, had crossed with a pre-existing generation of wild vines from the Vitis vinifera L. ssp.
sylvestris population which had either originated on the Iberian peninsula or had survived there during the last glacial period which ended approximately 11,700 years ago.
Various research programs made use of microsatellites along with morphological and SSR analyses and their findings are outlined in various reports, the most detailed being from Cunha et al. who concluded by saying:,"The relationships revealed between local wild-vines and local grapevine cultivars further stresses the importance of protecting the populations were this important repository of genetic variability exists, not only from a biodiversity point of view but also as a source of traits potentially useful to viticulture and oenology.
This problem, common to all wine-growing countries, requires the adoption of an official nomenclature in which each grape variety is identified by a unique name.
"[59] The use of genome typing for the standardising of the prime names of Portugal's grape variety list was the primary goal of Cunha and his team, and their findings are contained in that report.
From 1990, smaller regions or sub-regions within DOCs used to label their wines under a classification called Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (Indication of Regulated Provenance or IPR) or VQPRD (Vinho De Qualidade Produzido Em Região Demarcada or Quality Wine Produced in a Demarcated Region) and either IPR or VQPRD.
The looser regulations for Vinho Regional give producers greater scope for individuality, although these wines still have to fulfil certain criteria regarding grape variety, minimum alcohol content and so on.
Geographical Indication or the association of a product with a specific place or region has had a long history at a national level in Europe.
Regarding Portugal's wine industry, reports say that the majority of producers are continuing to use only the country's own internal appellation categories on their labels.
"[6]"This cultivar and their progenies represent about 15% of the total grapevine acreage in Portugal, stressing the importance of 'Alfrocheiro' in the Portuguese wine character.
