Text Patrícia Leite 

Over the past 21 years since the creation of the Geographical Indication in the wine region of Lisbon and after several changes in the rules of production and trade, now come new changes to this region. Soon we will see in the market new categories of wine products with the designation GI «Lisboa», susch as semi-sparkling wines, wine vinegars and spirits.

The New Regime of GI «Lisboa»

On 26 June, the new regime for the production and trade of wines and other wine products of the Geographical Indication (GI) «Lisboa» entered into force, pursuant to the publication of Portaria (Ministerial Order) No. 130/2014 on the day before.

This law repeals the previous regime in force since 2009 and establishes new rules, under current EU law on the common organization of the markets in agricultural products, the so-called Single CMO, maintaining the quality and the traditional practices that characterize the wine products of the region and recognizing its importance and the economic value that they generate.

The main amendments to GI «Lisboa» are as follows:
– Definition of maximum yield per hectare of the vineyards for the production of wines and wine products entitled to GI «Lisboa» on 200 hl;
– Inclusion of new categories of wine products entitled to the use of GI «Lisboa», namely: quality sparkling wine, semi-sparkling wine, aerated semi-sparkling wine, wine vinegar, wine spirit and grape marc spirit;
– Updating of the grape varieties suitable for the production of wine and its nomenclature, due to the amendments introduced through the list of grape varieties for the production of wine in Portugal, published in 2012.

In this new regime, GI «Lisboa» can be used to identify the following wine categories: still wine (already provided in the previous regime), liqueur wine (already provided in the previous regime), sparkling wine (already provided in the previous scheme), quality sparkling wine (new category), semi-sparkling wine (new category) and aerated semi-sparkling wine (new category).

[To know more about the different wine categories, please see our previous article about it]

In addition to the wines, GI «Lisboa» will identify the following wine products: Wine vinegar, Wine spirit and Grape marc spirit.

As for any other GI, this new regime also provides for GI «Lisboa» other rules concerning the production and trade, in particular on the following topics:
– Definition of the geographical area of production and sub-regions (Estremadura and Alta-Estremadura);
– Soils, grape varieties and cultural practices;
– Registration and characterization of vineyards and yield per hectare;
– Vinification and oenological practices;
– The characteristics of the products;
– Registration of economic operators;
– Labelling and trade;
– Circulation and accompanying documents;
– Control and certification.

You may see all the rules in detail in the legal diploma.

From «Estremadura» to «Lisboa»

It was in 1993, with the Portaria (Ministerial Order) No. 351/93, that was created the GI for the region of Lisbon, at that time called the «Estremadura», which was designed to still wines, called «Vinho Regional Estremadura».

The GI geographical area of production covered the same counties that now covers, namely:
– The district of Lisbon, with the exception of the city of Azambuja;
– From Leiria district, the municipalities of Alcobaça, Batalha, Bombarral, Caldas da Rainha, Leiria, Marinha Grande, Nazaré, Óbidos, Peniche, Pombal (except the parishes of Abiul, Pelariga, Redinha and Vila Cã) and Porto de Mós;
– The District of Santarém, the municipality of Ourém.

In 2000, the use of the earlier GI «Estremadura» was extended to liqueur wine (Portaria No. 244/2000) and, in 2003, there was a change in the regime on the alcoholic strength of grape must for winemaking (Portaria No. 1066 / 2003).

The GI of Lisbon region was renamed «Lisboa» in 2009 as it was concluded that this place name should have positive effects on the wines dissemination and trade, namely on foreign markets, by its notoriety, easier readability and best geographical reference (Portaria No. 426/2009, later amended by Portaria No. 1393/2009). Along with the new name, the GI also began to have two sub-regions – Estremadura and Alta-Estremadura- and to be used in the sparkling wine category.

Other Certified Products

In addition to the certification as GI «Lisboa», the wine products of this region may as well be certified as products of one of the 9 Designations of Origin (DO): «Alenquer», «Arruda», «Bucelas», «Carcavelos», «Colares», «Encostas d’Aire», «Lourinhã», «Óbidos» and «Torres Vedras».

Note that the geographic areas of production of GI «Lisboa» and of the DO of the region are different, each one corresponding to a specific territorial boundary, as we can see on the map below.

[To know more about the concept and differences between DO and GI, please see our previous article about it]

It is the Regional Wine Commission of Lisbon, Comissão Vitivinícola da Região de Lisboa (CVRLx) that controls the production and trade and certifies the wine products entitled to DO «Alenquer», «Arruda», «Bucelas», «Carcavelos», «Colares», «Encostas d’Aire», «Lourinhã», «Óbidos» and «Torres Vedras» and to GI «Lisboa».

This Wine Commission was designated as Certifying Body in 2008, by Portaria (Ministerial Order) No. 739/2008, under the institutional reorganization process of the Portuguese wine sector that began in 2006.

[To know more about the history of the Wine Sector in Portugal and the CVRLx role as Certifying Body, please see our previous article about it]

Contacts
Comissão Vitivinícola da Região de Lisboa
Rua Cândido dos Reis – Apartado 145
2560-312 Torres Vedras
Tel.: 261 316 724
Fax: 261 313 541
Email: cvr.lisboa@mail.telepac.pt
Site: www.vinhosdelisboa.com