Vadio Bairrada Espumante Brut
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Though viticulture has existed in this region since the Moor withdrawal in the 10th century, Bairrada gained recognition in the 17th century when it became a critical supplier to Port producers who needed juice to meet the ever-growing demand in Britain. In the centuries that followed, Bairrada dropped off the wine map; vignerons sold their juice in bulk or made wine for personal consumption. Luís now grows grapes for the Vadio project on land passed down through his family, as well as on a parcel of purchased land.
Vadio grows on two very distinct vineyard blocks: Rexarte and Barrio. The Rexarte vineyard features sloping westerly exposure and sandy loam soil. On .3 ha, Luis planted an experimental plot of various white varieties including Encruzado, Arinto, and Verdelho. They also have slightly larger plot of .5 ha planted to Cercial and Bical, their mainstay white cépages. In 2009, Luis purchased an equal sized .5 ha parcel of clay and sand soils to which he planted his red grape, Baga. The Barrio vineyard exhibits calcareous clay soil from the Jurassic Period. It’s actually split into two vineyards: the old portion called Barrio Belho, and a new portion planted in 2007, Barrio do Forno. Barrio is where the lion’s share of Baga grows. Viticulture is entirely organic.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Best known for intense, impressive and age-worthy fortified wines, Portugal relies almost exclusively on its many indigenous grape varieties. Bordering Spain to its north and east, and the Atlantic Ocean on its west and south coasts, this is a land where tradition reigns supreme, due to its relative geographical and, for much of the 20th century, political isolation. A long and narrow but small country, Portugal claims considerable diversity in climate and wine styles, with milder weather in the north and significantly more rainfall near the coast.
While Port (named after its city of Oporto on the Atlantic Coast at the end of the Douro Valley), made Portugal famous, Portugal is also an excellent source of dry red and white Portuguese wines of various styles.
The Douro Valley produces full-bodied and concentrated dry red Portuguese wines made from the same set of grape varieties used for Port, which include Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Spain’s Tempranillo), Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão, among a long list of others in minor proportions.
Other dry Portuguese wines include the tart, slightly effervescent Vinho Verde white wine, made in the north, and the bright, elegant reds and whites of the Dão as well as the bold, and fruit-driven reds and whites of the southern, Alentejo.
The nation’s other important fortified wine, Madeira, is produced on the eponymous island off the North African coast.