🥃 Aguardente Vínica Bairrada
Portuguese wine spirit from DO Bairrada wines between Aveiro and Coimbra: at least 40% ABV, glass bottles only; EU application filed in 2017.
Aguardente Vínica Bairrada is a Portuguese wine spirit made from wines of the Bairrada appellation, between Aveiro and Coimbra. At home it is recognised by Portaria 212/2014 on the DO «Bairrada» and must reach at least 40% ABV; an EU geographical indication application was filed in 2017, and registration is not yet complete.
Law. Portaria 212/2014 lists the product categories under the name Bairrada, including wine spirit and bagaceira. The origin of the base wine and how it is distilled are set by the internal rules of the Bairrada Wine Commission (CVB), which also certifies the product. The vines must have been grafted at least four years earlier, and production takes place on approved holdings inside the zone.
The region. The zone covers the municipalities of Anadia, Mealhada and Oliveira do Bairro and individual parishes of Águeda, Aveiro, Cantanhede, Coimbra and Vagos. The climate is Mediterranean-Atlantic: 900–1,100 mm of rain a year, soils mostly clay and calcareous clay, and vineyards rarely above 120 m. The region's boundaries were drawn as early as 1867.
EU rules. In the eAmbrosia register the application carries number PGI-PT-02400 and the status «applied». So the general requirements for wine spirits (category 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787) also apply: distillation below 86% ABV, methanol up to 200 g and volatile substances from 125 g per hectolitre of pure alcohol. Bottling is allowed only in glass, and the label is agreed in advance with the CVB.
Why it matters to you. The 40% ABV threshold is higher than the EU-wide 37.5%, and the name Bairrada certifies the origin of the wine. Do not confuse this spirit with Aguardente Bagaceira Bairrada: that one is made from marc and has been registered in the EU since 1989. WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | Portaria 212/2014 (DO «Bairrada»), Articles 2 and 12; EU application EUGI00000015848, PGI-PT-02400, of 16.11.2017 — status «applied» |
|---|---|
| EU category | 4 — wine spirit |
| Raw material | wine from grapes of the DO Bairrada zone; origin of the base wine set by CVB rules |
| Distillation method | set by the CVB internal rules; general EU rule — below 86% ABV |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Aguardente Vínica Bairrada → kind of → 🍇 Grape brandies → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Wine label
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape brandies, 🥃 Brandy
- Related to
- 📍 Bairrada
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Aguardente Bagaceira Bairrada, 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho Douro, 🥃 Cognac
- In other topics
- 🗺️ Portuguese wine
Frequently asked questions
What is Aguardente Vínica Bairrada?
A Portuguese wine spirit from DO Bairrada wines between Aveiro and Coimbra; under Portaria 212/2014 it is at least 40% ABV and certified by the Bairrada Wine Commission (CVB).
Are the Bairrada wine spirit and the Bairrada bagaceira the same?
No. The wine spirit is distilled from wine, the bagaceira from marc. The bagaceira has been registered in the EU since 1989, while the wine spirit application was filed only in 2017.
What is its strength?
At least 40% ABV under Article 12 of Portaria 212/2014, which is more than the general EU minimum for wine spirits (37.5% ABV).
Is oak ageing required?
Portaria 212/2014 sets no ageing periods for aguardentes; the origin of the wine and the distillation are governed by the CVB's internal rules.
Is the name protected in the EU?
Application PGI-PT-02400 was filed on 16 November 2017; in the eAmbrosia register it has the status «applied». In Portugal the name is protected by the DO «Bairrada».
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Wine label — The sticker on a bottle: who made it, where from, the year and strength.
- 🥃 Cognac — French AOC grape spirit from the Charente: double-distilled and aged at least 2 years in oak.
- 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho Douro — Portuguese wine spirit from Douro wine: at least a year in oak, bottled only in the region, from 37.5% ABV.
Similar
🥃 Aguardente Vínica Lisboa · 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho Alentejo · 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho da Região dos Vinhos Verdes · 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho Ribatejo · 🥃 Singani · 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho Douro
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- eAmbrosia (EU GI register API): Aguardente Vínica Bairrada, EUGI00000015848, file PGI-PT-02400 — spirit drink, CN 2208 20 (spirits from grape wine or grape marc), status "applied", application date 16.11.2017
- Portaria n.º 212/2014 (DO «Bairrada»), text on informador.pt: art. 2 categories incl. aguardente vínica and bagaceira; art. 12.4 aguardente vínica from 40 % vol.; art. 14.2 glass bottles only; art. 16 Comissão Vitivinícola da Bairrada
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I: category 4 wine spirit (distilled < 86 % vol., from 37.5 % vol., methanol ≤ 200 g/hl p.a.) and category 6 grape marc spirit (from 37.5 % vol., methanol ≤ 1000 g/hl p.a., no flavouring)
- Vine to Wine Circle: Beira Atlântico — Bairrada DO (borders 1867, Mediterranean-Atlantic climate, 900–1100 mm rain, clay and calcareous clay soils, CVB)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)