The Inauguration of an Exceptional New Winery.
I was delighted to be asked to attend the inauguration of the Costa Atlantica winery. I love wine. I even have the T-shirt: ‘Wine Improves with Age, The Older I Get, the More I Like it.’
The vineyard and winery are just across the border from the Algarve into the Alentejo region, about an hour’s pleasant drive from Lagos on the N120. As my wife Monique and I passed the pretty village of Odeceixe and spotted rows and rows of vines, we knew we were in the right place.
For those who may be confused about the terminology, the winery is the actual processing centre that includes the crusher for extracting the juice, the tanks for the initial fermentation, tanks for secondary fermentation and rows of barrels for the continuation of the maturing process. There’s a laboratory for testing the various stages of the wine during the fermentation process (PH value, alcoholic content, etc.), a bottling plant and a packaging area. This winery is the lower level or cellar which is kept cool.
The vineyard is where the vines are grown and the grapes are ultimately harvested. Vicentino has 60 hectares under cultivation and 12 varieties of grapes.
We met the Norwegian proprietor, Ole Martin Siem, on the upper level of the winery. It comprises a pleasant area of shelves for displaying the wines, a long marble countertop with seating, and a large table with chairs at the end of the room, suitable for groups to enjoy wine tastings and lectures about the operation. A patio outside is adjacent to a well-kept lawn and garden.
Ole Martin first came to Portugal 40 years ago and was impressed with the great possibilities the area offered for growing fruits and vegetables. His background is in agriculture and he recognised that the region had a special terroir and would be ideal for a vineyard. “The properties of the soil, the clay schist rich in minerals and the sandy loam are perfect for vines. If you couple this with the warm climate (30 –35 oC) and ideal humidity, you have a winning combination. Also, the Atlantic breezes from the northwesterly prevailing winds cool the temperature in the hot summer months and allow for the grapes to grow slowly and evenly, creating a smooth and elegant product rather than a heavier, robust one. It’s our aim to produce the finest wines in Portugal, even Europe,” he explained.
A new addition to the list of Vicentino wines is the 2019 Brut Nature. It’s a sparkling wine made using the champagne method, which means that it goes through double fermentation in the bottle, unlike the cheaper sparkling wines that go through double fermentation in the tank. All of Portugal’s sparkling wines are called espumante, as champagne is reserved for the French sparkling wine with grapes grown in the Champagne region.
On our way down to the cellar, I asked Martin if the Vicentino winery used additives like sulphur. “We use very little additional sulphur or artificial additives because we take great care to have a clean and bacteria-free product before it enters the fermentation process. Stalks, odd leaves and debris are removed, but we may add a very small amount of sulphur to prevent oxidation.”
We toured the new and immaculate cellar, and saw the different tanks used during the fermentation process. Oak barrels and stainless tanks were conspicuous, but a row of concrete tanks was an unusual sight. “Concrete tanks have been around for many years,” explained Siem. We decided on the option because they provide a consistent temperature during fermentation as well as controlled oxygenation, which is very important for some varieties.”
We saw the bottling plant with its conveyor belt, which is a part of the operation that is likely to be busy in the upcoming years. “In 2024, we will have produced 300,000 bottles as the grape harvest was down; our average is 350,000. But, in previous years, a winery had to be accessed,” explained Siem. “With our new facility, we are making huge steps forward.” Another section of the cellar held so many barrels they ran almost out of sight in the distance.
Back in the tasting centre, we examined the many bottles on display. The unfiltered natural wines were called ‘Naked’, a clever marketing ploy. We chose a rosé to try and then a Sauvignon Blanc. The latter won our approval. At the end of the long room, a group of tasters were enjoying samples from a row of bottles on the counter. Much hilarity was evidence of everyone having a good time.
We had an interesting visit and were convinced that Vicentino can only go from strength to strength.
For Tours and Tastings: info@vicentinowines.com +351 282 940 000
Vicentino wines fall into 5 categories:
Sunset, Naked, Sunrise, Foggy and Moonlight. The Sunset range are blends.The whites use sauvignon blanc, viosinho, chardonnay, arinto, semillon and alvarinho grapes and the oenologist’s (Bernardo Cabral) expertise comes into play here. The rosé may include the touriga nacional, a prized Portuguese grape blended with the aragonez grape. The reds are syrah, aragonez, merlot and the touriga nacional. Seven of the grape varieties are indigenous to the Iberian Peninsula.
The Sunrise selections are monovarietal (unblended) and include a syrah, sauvignon blanc and Alvarinho. The category includes rosés and reds classified as premium or reserve, and all these varieties are matured in oak casks. The Moonlight range features a red Pinot Noir.
