Vital is a white

Portuguese wine Portuguese wine was mostly introduced by the Romans and other ancient Mediterranean peoples who traded with local coastal populations, mainly in the South. In pre-Roman Gallaecia-Lusitania times, the native peoples only drank beer and were unfami ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

that is grown primarily in Western Portugal. Sometimes known under the

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

Malvasia Corado, the variety tends to produce rather neutral flavor wine with low

acidity In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

unless the grape is grown in vineyards of high altitude.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 198 Oxford University Press 1996 Another common synonym in the

Lisboa VR Lisboa, until 2009 named Estremadura, is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as the Estremadura region, and taking its name from the country's capital. The region is classified as a '' Vinho Regional'' (VR), a designation similar to ...

of the former Estremadura Province is ''Malvasia Fina'' though ampelographers are not sure if Vital is related to the

Malvasia Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. I ...

grown widely in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

and throughout Europe. One key difference that ampelographers note is that the shape of the leaves of Vital and the various Malvasia species tend to be very different. Even in the

Douro DOC Douro is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Douro River in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. It is sometimes referred to as the ''Alto Douro'' (upper Douro), as it is located some distance upstream from Porto, sheltered by mountain r ...

there is a Malvasia Fina used in

Port wine Port wine (also known as vinho do Porto, , or simply port) is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert, although it also comes in dry, semi- ...

production that may or may not be the same variety as Vital.Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 284 Harcourt Books 2001

List of DOCs

Vital is a permitted variety in several

Portuguese wine regions Portuguese wine regions are grouped into three levels of classification. At the top are the '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (or DOCs) which are Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions (QWpsr) under the European Union wine regulations ...

including the following '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC)s:T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 330-333 Dorling Kindersley 2005 *

Alenquer DOC Alenquer is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Alenquer in the Lisboa wine region. The region is designated as '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC)Arruda DOC Arruda is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Arruda dos Vinhos in the Lisboa wine region. The region is designated as '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC)Encostas d'Aire DOC Encostas d'Aire is a Portuguese wine region located on the limestone hills extending across the northern end of the wider Lisboa wine region into the southwestern corner of the Beiras region. The region was initially an '' Indicação de Provenie ...

Óbidos DOC Óbidos is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Óbidos in the Lisboa region. The region is designated as '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC)Tejo DOC Tejo, until 2009 named Ribatejo, is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as the Ribatejo Province. It takes its name from the river Tejo (Tagus). The entire region is entitled to use the '' Vinho Regional'' designation Tejo VR, while so ...

Setúbal DOC Moscatel de Setúbal is a Portuguese muscatel produced around the Setúbal Municipality on the Península de Setúbal. The region is known primarily for its fortified Muscat wines known as Moscatel de Setúbal. The style was believed to have b ...

Torres Vedras DOC Torres Vedras is a Portuguese wine region centered on the town of Torres Vedras in the Lisboa wine region. The region is designated as '' Denominação de Origem Controlada'' (DOC)oak aging Oak is used in winemaking to vary the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of wine. It can be introduced in the form of a barrel during the fermentation or aging periods, or as free-floating chips or staves added to wine fermented in a v ...

. According to wine expert

Oz Clarke Robert Owen Clarke (born 1949), known as Oz Clarke, is a British wine writer, actor, television presenter and broadcaster. Early life Clarke's parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He is of Irish descent and was brought up Roman ...

, well made examples of Vital can exhibit an interesting

minerality The use of wine tasting descriptors allows the taster to qualitatively relate the Aroma of wine, aromas and Flavor (taste), flavors that the taster experiences and can be used in assessing the overall quality of wine. Wine writers differentiat ...

Synonyms

In addition to Malvasia Corada and Malvasia Fina, Vital is known under several various synonyms including: Boal Bonifacio, Malvazia Corada, Malvasia Fina de Douro, Malvasia Fina do Douro and Malvasia ou Malvazia.

Vitis International Variety Catalogue The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung Gei ...

(VIVC)
Vital
' Accessed: July 3rd, 2012

References

{{reflist White wine grape varieties