Author Archive
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 [...]
Why is Sweden a special market for wine? Because of the Systembolaget
Image by quevedoports via Flickr
For several reasons Sweden is a very special market for wine:
State control of ALL retail alcohol sales of over 3.5% ABV
high taxes on alcohol beverages
restriction in the number of brands and types of wines listed on the shelves
new launches of wine only if Systembolaget (Swedish wine retail monopoly) wants
offers [...]
Practicing the pronunciation of Quevedo in Denmark, class #2
For those who remember what happened in Denmark around 1 year ago, watch the video. I’m sure you will realize Danish people are improving their pronunciation skills. For those who don’t remember, click here first to see class #1 of pronunciation. Only after check this video, class #2 of pronunciation!
Enjoy, at [...]
2010 Harvest: the big show must start in a couple of weeks
Quick update from Denmark about how things are going in the vineyards. Yesterday in our vineyard in Quinta das Olgas, Mós, center of the Douro Superior, maturity control of the grapes showed already 12,5% potential alcohol. It seems grapes maturation is few days behind the average, but evolving quicker than expected. [...]
Will Forest Fires in the Douro Valley affect the quality of 2010 wines?
Since the beginning of the season over 68,000 hectares of forest have burnt in Portugal, around 10,000 of which were in the Douro. A part from the severe consequences of these disasters, the inevitable question now is, will the smoke of these fires affect the wines of the upcoming harvest, which [...]
2010 harvest: first maturity control results
Following a kind of tradition that we started in 2007, the first maturity control of the grapes are carried out on August 10th. The chosen place is always Quinta Vale d’Agodinho, which we divide in 4 parts: top entrance; house; orange trees and northern water containers. At 6pm yesterday, there I [...]
Top 5 reasons why I fell in love with Africa
1. Children still know from where chickens and potatoes come from and what a real goat looks like
2. Nature is almost untouched with wild animals living just in the outskirts of towns and villages
3. Dancing with an African girl is a bigger lesson than a whole week in Ibiza
4. They make the best no-alcoholic beverage [...]
Trip to Niger - the wedding that will mark all my life
This year has been marked by a rainy Winter, a hot Summer and by the high number of weddings I am attending to. One of those weddings was far away from the Douro. Mouna, the bride, is from Niger and Andreas, the groom, is Hungarian, who I met when I was working in Madrid.
Due to [...]
Landslides show vines’ deep roots: consequence of a wet Winter
The high levels or rainfall during the first quarter of this year left an indelible mark on our vineyards. You never know how much rain you want. On one side, if it rains profusely, the vines have good levels of humidity in the soil, bearing better the hot and dry Summer in [...]
Drinking Port Wine in restaurants; margins too high?
While I was researching for consumer trends on the Port Wine industry, I found an interesting article on Restaurant Wine. The text is from 2005 and shows satisfying conclusions about Port Wine consumption, defending that Premium Tawny Ports were increasingly popular in the US restaurants. I wonder if this trend has changed [...]
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. 