The Passion Lies Beyond Vines

I believe every winery owner has that passion beyond vines, with wine being the fuel that ignites the flames. The union of owner José de Mello at Ravasqueira Family Winery and internationally acclaimed winemaker David Baverstock, prove my point.

 

Why My Own Passion?

My fist trip to the Alentejo region of Portugal in 2009, left a long standing memory, which has kindled my flames in Alentejo. That trip was for the First Wine Bloggers Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. I was whisked away, after it to clients in the Alentejo region of Portugal, once the conference ended. It was like going home to my childhood on Lisbon Street in Maine. And, it re-sparked a flame on my second trip, which was very similar to my moving from Maine to California, in 1993. Now, I want to rekindle that flame for a third time.

Wizard Behind The Curtain

I long to discovering the magic behind wines though winemakers. They let us know what to expect, from soils, to gapes, and to glass. I get all the best eye candy in the world, as a writer. It falls short, however, without an expert candy maker. In this case, the chief winemaker at Ravasqueira Winery is David Baverstock. David is truly delivering the metamorphosis details behind this story.

David was born in Adelaide, Australia, and grew up in its Barossa Valley. “David became the head winemaker of Esporão Wines in 1992. But David is originally from another winemaking region. He was born in Adelaide and grew up in the Barossa Valley. After completing his enological education in Australia, David began working in the Australian wine industry,” from a Terroirist interview. It goes on, “but he was itching for a new experience. Next, David went to Beaujolais to work with Marcel Lapierre, and then he moved to Portugal.”

Side Passion at Ravasqueira

The family at Ravesqueira Winery has this side passion, fueled by the breathtaking craftsmanship and elegance of restored, 17th-century carriages. Each carriage, especially the Berline, serves as a testament to the enduring beauty, artistry, and design of that era. Each surrey also reflects the culture and history, which was their personal transportation. They were status symbols, which also represented works of art in their time.

I’ve never seen any other collection quite like this one, which – as you can see – are just dazzling imagines of the most amazing horse drawn carriages. While I’ve seen them elsewhere around Europe, never this loved or appreciated. When we walked into this barn, what to my wondering eyes did I see? Sleigh after sleigh of the most extraordinarily restored carriages from the 18th Century. The coaches were perfect and delightful in every possible way.

From Many Hands, One Vision

A harmonious winery is both easy and difficult, as I grasp a lot of visuals,while I connect all the dots. It’s easy when I see the components, as they all look really impressive! Then, it’s difficult to recapture the true collective spirit, to clarify what I felt. It’s always a process.

I believe it can happen with multi talented PR people. I know, as a public relations specialist, I need that heart and soul, and I don’t stop until I find it. Here I found the entire enchilada (“situação toda”). Every point / counter point seamlessly clicked, because it just naturally flowed. They were totally prepared for us, even though someone was a bit late, due to complications (which can happen). The team spirit of each person was in sync. And the memory still lingers, and that’s since the end of 2023. In fact, I need to return this year, because the urge is overwhelming.

 

And So We Tasted

Beginning With White Wines

The Ravasqueira White wines was really refreshing. And I found a prefect combination to pair what I would love to cook, and I will. We’re all different, I know. I also know that Portuguese cuisine is pretty straight forward if you’re on a mission to make everything the Portuguese create for tourists, as your only mission. Going to be linear in flavors, as they believe that’s what is expected from us. It might not be adventurous enough, though, I’ve heard from tourists. If we step outside of our own expectation, and head for new restaurants, we’ll be really delighted.

This wine was lean and clean, and a blend of Alvrinho, Arinto, and Viognier. I believe the Viognier rounded it out a bit. Only 13 percent alcohol, it was just as smooth as it could be.

Let’s also think of foods, then apply them to a dish, based on the wines’ flavors. The matches are divine! Paprika adds a bit of a pink hue to the beans (below), bay leaves bring in a slight mint. Salt and pepper (just a bit of each) is a great balance to the beans, with a touch of garlic. All of this is based on the fact that Portuguese foods are on the straight and narrow with flavors. A light hand in cooking allows the wines to shine through and blends in nicely with the ingredients.

 

Onto Their Red Wines

The Encantado Ravesqueira Red wine is composed of three grape varieties: Syrah, Touriga Franca, and Alicante Bouschet. While we know Syrah is a Rhone variety, the next two are a lot more indigenous, in their histories.

Touriga Franca was originally called Touriga Francesa, but it was renamed to Touriga Franca in 2000. It was developed in Portugal in the late nineteenth century in response to the phylloxera epidemic devastating vineyards throughout Europe. (BRIEF HISTORY: Phylloxera, for those of you not familiar, is a parasite louse, in more ways than one. When Europeans brought our American indigenous grape vines to Europe, the louse had a heyday. It almost destroyed Europe’s natural wine grape business, so grafting vitis vinifera onto US root stock’s natural vines saved the day.)

And, the Alicante Bouchet grape has an interesting past. It’s also know as Garnacha Tintorera. This wine grape variety was originally developed in France by Louis Bouschet, in the mid-19th century, along with his son Henri’s help, who wanted to create another grape variety. It’s widely used in Portugal’s blending of grapes, adding a distinctive flavor of Alicante Bouschet, which has a mint flavor. This wine was big, rich, and delicious. I’d consider pairing it with cheeses and rich stews.

In Summation

This is one winery where I really look forward to returning, because I could just spend an afternoon here, just taking it all in. With breathtaking landscapes, it’s heaven on earth in the Alentejo region of Portugal! And, if you’re really curious about Talha, because they are now an integral part of the Alentejo, check out Wine Disclosures

 

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Written by Jo Diaz, edited by Jose Diaz, owners of Diaz Communications, helping to make stars realize their dreams. To reprint, please contact Jo Diaz.