🍷 JMF Branco 2021

JMF Branco 2021 is a white IG Península de Setúbal wine from the 2021 harvest by the house José Maria da Fonseca of Vila Nogueira de Azeitão.

According to the house, the grape varieties are Fernão Pires (75 %) and Moscatel de Setúbal (25 %); the alcohol is 12 %; it is best served at 12 °C.

José Maria da Fonseca is a family wine company in Vila Nogueira de Azeitão on the Setúbal Peninsula, founded in 1834; maker of Periquita (since 1850), Lancers and Moscatel de Setúbal.

Península de Setúbal is a geographical indication (IG; in EU terms a PGI) in Portugal; the name has been protected in the EU since 1 August 2009. The area covers every municipality of the district of Setúbal, and the vineyards must stand on the limestone, Mediterranean, sandstone or sandy soils listed in the law. Yields are capped at 30 tonnes of grapes per hectare; the must needs a natural strength of at least 9 % for white wine, 9.5 % for rosé and 10 % for red, and the finished wine at least 9.5 %, 10 % and 10.5 % respectively.

Under the IG Península de Setúbal rules, wines may be sold only after certification by the certifying body, which also approves the labels and registers the vineyards and producers. The terms «ligeiro» or «baixo grau» are allowed for wines of 9 to 10.5 % alcohol.

Under EU rules, a wine label must show the designation of origin, the actual alcoholic strength, allergens such as sulphites, and the name of the bottler.

Why it matters to you. The IG on the label tells you which region the grapes come from and under which rules the wine was made; the harvest year shows that different years are different wines. The WHO reminds: there is no safe level of alcohol. The year on the label is the harvest year, so different years of the same line are different wines.