Archive for September, 2010
Fortifying Port Wine – adding alcohol to the must
This photo is a good example of what we have been doing during the last days. After two weeks harvesting, we decided to take a brake so the grapes on the vines can finish the phenolic maturation. All our vineyards located in the bottom of the valley were already harvested. During the next week, should [...]
Sediment of a Port Wine vat
Few months ago I made a post about the sediment of 2009 still wines. Huge amounts of sediment were accumulating in the bottom of the vats. At that time two members of our community, Andy and Derek, were wondering how the sediment of a 2009 Port Wine vat would look like. This photo brings the [...]
Brief report about Harvest 2010
On the 11th day of harvest, here I leave some comments about the current situation: the weather is good, dry and clear, with temperatures between 20º to 30º – still okay to swim in the Douro river day after day musts are showing deeper and deeper colors – best indicator is the skin of my [...]
Two controversial points in my speech at Vindouro
Vindouro oscar quevedo There are some amazing traditions that have been created from the beginning of the 21st century that I truly want to keep alive. One of those traditions is Vindouro, a wine, food and culture festival which takes place at the beginning of September in my town, S. João da Pesqueira. Additionally, there [...]
Happy yeasts cover the top of the tank with foam
This is the fermentation tank that received the first grapes of 2010 harvest. Must is already fermenting and yeasts are so happy for the juice they have inside that are sending a lot of foam outside. Strange way of communicating…! With all this excitement, we can only get a great wine from this tank! Oscar
Harvest 2010: first grapes arrive to he winery
And finally the harvest has began. This is the first case of grapes of 2010! We started yesterday, September 11th, picking up the grapes of our vineyards in Mós and in Quinta Vale d’Agodinho. The weather is clear and warm again, with temperatures in these vineyards on the earlies 30sº C. In general, the sugar [...]
Life on the Douro – a documentary by Zev Robinson
Do you remember when I talked here about the documentary Zev Robinson is making about our life in the Douro? After a second visit to Portugal, late July, where Zev recorded more material, a new trailer is now available, which you can see above. Zev is coming to the Douro and Porto for a couple [...]
Harvest 2010: rain may delay grapes harvest in the Douro
Last night it finally rained in S. João da Pesqueira. This morning started cloudy, and now is raining again. Temperatures are much lower now, around 14ºC – 15ºC. Hopefully it rains during today, tomorrow clears out and temperatures go back to the early 20s. Oscar
2010 Harvest: this is the week for us to start harvesting
Were you in the Douro and I’m sure you could feel that harvest is getting closer. You can already breath harvest air, people are getting more and more excited about picking up grapes. The new vintage is in the mouth of everybody across the valley. Now, everybody is looking for the best moment to start [...]
Hailstone 2 weeks before the harvest starts it is not what we in the Douro were asking for
Finally it rained in the Douro, but only in a small part of it. In our vineyards almost nothing, but in Alijó, which is in the north of S. João da Pesqueira/ Pinhão, it rained heavily. Actually, too much. Check this video from this morning and you will see the damage caused by hailstone to [...]
Quevedo was founded in 1991 as a family owned business in the heart of the Douro valley, responding to the needs of the generations that preceded the associate founders. These ancestors were passionately dedicated to their vineyards and to the culture that surrounded the production of wine. Consequently, the company was created as a seamless marriage between the initial phase of production and the promotion and selling of their wines. Currently, the estate is comprised of 100 hectares located in the regions of Cima-Corgo and Douro Superior, producing both red and port wines from only the five traditional port grapes Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Tinta Barroca.