The most ancient wine production occurred during the IXth century before J.-C. The Greek civilisation exported the vines (Latin: Vitis Vinifera) to the Iberian Peninsula. Dionysus was at the time considerate as the wine divinity and frequently mentioned in Homer and Aesop’s tales. The wine was a very common merchandise in the Greco-Roman civilization. The most part of European wine-growing areas, as the wine production technics make part of the heritage left by the Romans. This ancient civilization notably created and democratized the use of wine wooden-barrels for transport and housing. Our wines are completely produced in Portuguese vineyards and wine-growing housings with the best conditions to obtain high quality products which taste notes proudly share its origins. Every details are important in the production of a good wine. Obtained by grape’s fermentation, it appears to be necessary to have the greatest fruit quality. The climate and terroir are determining factors to produce a high quality grape. The harvest that usually occurs in September must be done at the right time. Of an early harvest will result a diluted wine with a low sugar concentration and thus poor in alcohol. Besides, a late harvest will generate a wine with a high level of alcohol and low acidity. Harvest are often realized manually by experimented pickers. The selection of the grapes as well as their transport represent crucial phases to obtain high quality wines. The step after picking is called crushing. Traditionally, this production step is done by persons who press the fruits with their own feet. Nowadays, this phase which consist in crushing the grapes to extract its juice, is entirely mechanized without any human contact. The crushing phase allows to produce a mix of grape juice, skins and seeds called grape must. During this step, several varieties can be blended to obtain some special tasting notes. Next step: The fermentation of the musts. It is the most complex and important production phase because of the necessary control of the temperature and micro-organisms responsible for the fermentation. At the end of this phase, the wine is filtered and free from any impurities and residues. The final production step: The maturation process. It can be operated in oak barrels or in bottles, in appropriate rooms without any light and thermic control systems. During this phase, the oxygen infiltrates the wine through the pores of the oak barrel or corkstopper and chemically reacts with wine. This reaction gives to wine taste, smell and colour. The decision of maturation time taken by our oenologist is essential. In fact, it is during this period that the wine is gaining personality. These production phases mentioned above, heritage of an ancestral tradition perpetuate the natural alchemy between a man and his terroir. A sensorial fusion which offers taste to life.
Wine production is an alchemy of ancient tradition which is revealed in so many of the unique moments that life is made. Therefore this is for us an art.
