After my mother's knee operation, my wife and I moved to Portugal to help her – specifically in our small vineyard on the silver coast.
For about 8 years she has been producing wine in small batches (>5000L per year) and most of it has been gifted to friends or enjoyed over dinner en famille.
I had NO idea just how much work is required to produce a decent bottle of wine. Even more so when you're using organic farming methods, and with zero automation or industrialisation beyond a tractor. As you can see from the pictures we still stomp the grapes manually.
It has been a humbling year – but an extremely satisfying one. As a gift to my mum I put together new labels and branding to reflect the absolutely stellar quality of the wine she's producing.
Happy to answer any questions about running a hobby/personal vineyard!
(Hopefully sharing this isn't against the rules @mods – we're not commercial/selling to the public!)
by thereluctantpoet
6 Comments
Finally, the chance to ask some niche questions!
Is it 100% Syrah? How did you age the wine (if at all)? Why did you choose to bottle it in a Bordeaux bottle? Is the wine within a designation of origin?
I guess per the automod I should add tasting notes. Okay so this is Incognita’s 2024 Syrah Gran Riserva. Aged 6 months in French oak, organic and untreated. ~14.6%, deep colour and strong bouquet.
It’s remarkably complex for such a young wine. Notes strongly lean towards Christmas spices, vanilla, rum, raisins and a hint of blackberries. Zero burn going down – dangerously smooth. Has converted many “I don’t really drink red wine” people.
Honestly I don’t know beyond that. I’m sober now, I just help make the stuff and design pretty bottles 🤷🏽
Why is it called Gran riserva?
Beautiful women stomping the grapes barefoot could be a really good selling point for the subsequent wine
How long do you tread the grapes? Is that time standard or did you copy what the port producers do?
Congrats