JOãO NICOLAU DE ALMEIDA - November's Guest Corner Host

Join in on discussions with winemakers and other personalities in the Port, Madeira and Douro Wine trades.

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Joao Nicolau
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Location: Oporto, Portugal

Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Joao Nicolau »

Dear Roy

In fact that is a quite complicated question. Until the 18th century most of the vineyards were planted in "pilheiros" (a kind of a square hole dig in the stone wall where vines could be planted horizontally and trained onto a sideways trellis that overhangs the terrace below). Please note that at the time the terraces were used to the plantation of daily used products such as potatoes. However, in the 18th century there was less and less pilheiros because the demand of Port increased. At this time the vines started to be planted in the noble place - the terrace itself - abandoning the pilheiro and leaving a hole in the wall of the terrace.
On the 20th century, after phylloxera hit the region, the terraces became bigger with a deeper and homogeneous surface as a result of the "surriba" (scarifying) and the vines occupied that surface instead of being in the pilheiro. So, after this period the terraces became bigger and the stone wall higher and higher. The notion of rentability hit the Douro Region in this period! (However, we still keep looking for that. If you have any suggestion please keep us posted!)

Cheers
João
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Andy Velebil
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Andy Velebil »

João,

Like several others here, it was good to see you again last month on the Harvest Trip, and thank you for showing us such a great time. My question is related to tourism in the Douro. In the last four years I am amazed to see so much growth, so fast, in hotels and small Quinta Bed & Breakfast (B&B) type hotels. Not to mention how many producers/quintas either now have or are building visitor centers. What are your thoughts on how fast things are now changing in the Douro Valley? And where do you see tourism at for the future of the Douro?

Thank you for being here and taking the time to answer our questions!
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Daniel R.
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Daniel R. »

Dear João (ou Caro Sr Eng. Nicolau de Almeida?),

My question regards Douro wines.

I am well aware of your father's groundbreaking work and his and your impact on Douro wines. I have also been following with interest the wines your son Mateus is making: Muxagat - Mux. In stark contrast with the stability of Port (with some exceptions, of course), Douro wines seem to come and go, brands that are very popular sometimes fail to maintain their quality, some hyped brands of the new Douro do not seem to be in good shape after 10 years, etc.

This introduction serves to pay homage to your Duas Quintas (the regular bottling, even though I am also fond of the Reserva and the Reserva Especial). It is in my opinion a beautiful wine, adequately priced, large quantities bottled, with fantastic longevity and unfaltering quality. It seems to me that the Douro needs more of these wines and not as much the 4000 bottle wines that win high scores in magazines and are expensive and hard to find.

What is your opinion? Where do you see the Douro wines going in the next few years?

Thank you.
David T.
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by David T. »

Hello João.

I was very pleased to see that you are a guest host on here. Ramos Pinto has a special place in my cellar and also in my family history - my wife's godfather was a salesman for Ramos Pinto, as was his father before him. Although he is no longer with us, his cellar lives on in Porto, and consists almost exclusively of Ramos Pinto ports. From my experience with the cellar I have two questions that I would like to put to you if I may:

1. I have some Ramos Pinto ports that I believe are no longer available: for examples colheitas, and wines from Quinta da Urtiga and Quinta de São Domingos. Are these wines gone for good or might we see them again in the future?

2. I intend to maintain and expand the cellar, but I'm finding it difficult to buy Ramos Pinto vintages by the case - both in the UK and in Porto. I can only find small quantities of some vintages in individual shops. How does one go about buying case quantities of Ramos Pinto vintages? Is it possible to buy direct from Ramos Pinto, or should I buy what I can wherever I can find it?

Many thanks for sharing your time with us on here - seeing you on here inspired me to join this forum.
Joao Nicolau
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Location: Oporto, Portugal

Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Joao Nicolau »

Dear Moses

It was a great pleasure to meet you and to drink Port with you. Regarding your questions:

1 - Louis Roederer was a happy marriage because the strategy they wanted for the House was exactly the one we were foreseeing: own production, limited but top quality. This sell allowed to lead investment in the most proper way in Ramos Pinto.
I was then invited to manage the House and I think everything is going just fine. We have a strategy that each year is presented and approved by Roederer and then we just have to implement it the best way we can.

2 - Not for the moment

3- If we had to chose the main ones we would say quality and consistency in that quality, along with an unique type of wine produced in our vineyards, leadership in technical research, the Culture of the House and the Family Spirit (Heritage).

4 - We have in our House a fantastic collection of Posters that were ordered by Adriano at the time to the best artists / painters in the world. The last of which were already ordered during the Belle Époque (namely, The Kiss, which is the most known one). Adriano was such a pioneer and a visionnaire in his strategy that he became a reference inside the world of Port and regarding what we now call Marketing.
And, in fact, we do use some of those images. We have a Douro wine called Collection (you can check the bottles and the technical sheets in our website at http://www.ramospinto.pt )that each year has a different label: the 2005 was The Kiss, the 2006 was the Temptation, etc…

5 - Honestly, I don't think so

6 - Carrot's soup: here's the recipe

Ingredients:
• fresh carrots
• potatos
• onions (1 to 1 + 1/2), peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 qt vegetable broth or stock
• salt and olive oil

Preparation:

1. Peel the carrots, then trim the top and bottom ends. Cut carrots into (roughly) same-sized pieces, about ½ inch to 1 inch thick, depending on diameter. Don't worry about precision — the soup is going to be puréed anyway. We just want the pieces to be of uniform size so that they cook evenly.

2. Peel the potato and cut it into pieces about the same size as the carrots and then add the onions.

3. Boil everything in a heavy-bottomed soup pot

4. Remove from heat and purée in a blender, working in batches if necessary.

5. Return puréed soup to pot and bring to a simmer again, adding more broth or stock to adjust the thickness if necessary. Add the olive oil

6. Season to taste

Hope you enjoy it!

All the best

João
Last edited by Joao Nicolau on Wed Nov 03, 2010 4:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
Joao Nicolau
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Location: Oporto, Portugal

Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Joao Nicolau »

Hi Andy

In fact for the last years there has been a huge development in terms of tourism. Everything started about 10 years ago when the hotel boats navigating from Oporto to Spain. Fortunately, the Douro Valley was considered World Heritage by Unesco and that brought rules, namely for further investments in construction along the Douro River. This was also very important because it draw attention to the need of having a tourist development control. Therefore, all the Hotels and restaurants that you may find in the Region have to be well integrated in the Valley. I, personally, enjoy seeing tourists coming more and more to the region because this is good for the wineries. This was also result of the development of the roads from OPorto to Douro, which allowed bigger mobility. So, nowadays most of the Quintas are prepared to receive visits and the enotourism has presented good results. The important here is to assure good quality in the services.

All the best
João
Joao Nicolau
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Joao Nicolau »

Hi Daniel

Please call me João! (the titles are a nasty habit here in Portugal!)

Thank you for your nice words about my father, myself and my son (I've even blushed!)

Ramos Pinto was one of the first, not to say the first ones, to start the new Douro in 1990 when we launched into the market 60 000 bottles of Duas Quintas red. Since then we have been studying and getting a good knowledge regarding Douro wines and as they evolve and age.
We try to make the wine the purest we can without using great sophisticated enology products that may affect the terroir wine. We also study the best we can our vineyards to assure the product's quality to the consumer.
As regards my son with Muxagat he kept the family's principals: honesty of the wine and the serious engagement with the consumers. In fact there are some Quintas that are starting to produce small quantities - which is a nice start taking into account that at the moment all the investments have to pay a lot of taxes.
All in all, I think there has been in the Region a great development carried by this young generation that is making Douro fermentate.
The Douro Region as you said has a big potential of ageing which, in my opinion, allows to project and to establish it as one of the greatest wine regions of the world.

A honest thank you for your homage Daniel.

All the best
João
Joao Nicolau
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Joao Nicolau »

Hi David,

Well, having said that I would like very much to visit your cellar!!!!

Regarding your questions:

1 - We have stopped producing those wines since times have changed. Ramos Pinto finished bottling Colheitas to dedicate exclusively to the Tawnies with an indication of age (10, 20 and 30 year-old). The main reason for this was that the Tawnies (Colheitas) were aging in wood and we needed to refill the cask. So, since there was already some blend (which the IVDP approves) and in order to be coherent to the consumer we decided to follow the typical culture of the Blend of Port.
Regarding the Urtiga, we still have a similar Ruby Reserva that we now call Collector. Concerning S. Domingos we finished producing it but we have a similar one - 6 year-old Tawny blend - that we call Adriano.

2 - You can by a case of Vintage Ramos Pinto in London or in Portugal or anywhere else. Please just let me know your contact and a miracle will happen!

All the best
João
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Roy Hersh
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Roy Hersh »

Hi João,

There is a lot of disagreement over which was the first LBV and several firms claim to have been the first to produce one. From your knowledge, do you know which company was 1st and what the vintage was?

Also, I am wondering if you know what percentage of all Port winds up as LBV in terms of production, and sales?

This would be most helpful information. Thank you in advance.
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Michael Hann
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Michael Hann »

Hello João:

I have been enjoying reading your replies to the questions posted by others. It is very exciting to be able to engage in conversation with you. I am new to drinking Port and have focused on drinking late bottled vintage Ports now while stashing some vintage Ports away for drinking later when mature. I like the 2001 and 2004 Ramos Pinto LBVs, particularly the 2004 Ramos Pinto LBV. Can you comment on any relationship between the making of Vintage Ports and the making of LBVs? For example, does a year that is good but does not rise to the standard of Vintage Port mean that the top quality wine instead finds its way into the LBVs rather than into the Vintage Ports? I read an article that speculated that if 2003 had not been declared, 2004 MIGHT have been generally declared. Does this mean that the 2004 LBVs may be above average LBV quality because it was ALMOST good enough for Vintage Port? Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions. I am sure there are many others who are only reading and not posting questions who also appreciate your spending time with us.
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Stewart T.
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Stewart T. »

Hi Joao -

A real pleasure to see you again in October.

I have a couple of related questions:

1) Of the Ramos Pintos wines you've been involved with producing over the years, which wine is your sentimental favoriate and why?
2) I know that as one of my favorite philosopher-winemakers, you approach every year's vintage with an eye to what each years grapes are capable of becoming. I was wondering if your own personal approach or philosophy towards winemaking has changed or evolved over the years. If so, how?

Thanks Joao -
Stewart T. (Admin) [email protected]
SEAN C.
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Location: Brooklyn,, New York, United States of America - USA

Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by SEAN C. »

Hello Joao,

My first question to you is, where has all the vintage Ramos Pinto gone to? [cheers.gif] Is there any country that has decent stocks of it?
I rarely see it offered for sale here in the US. I was fortunate to have purchased 6 cases of 1985 Ramos with fellow FTLOP'er Moses Botbol some years ago and I own one :( case of 1970 Ramos Pinto that I bought at auction years ago as well. Other than that I have never seen any other bottle for sale anywhere in the US (with the exception of some stuff from the 90's and beyond) . I would love to try a 1963, 66, 77 or better yet 1948, 1955, 1927, etc. but I haven't ever been able to locate any bottles.

Ramos Pinto seemed to have had perhaps the best advertising campaign in the world for Port in the 1920's and early 1930's. I collect vintage posters and have an original of Rene Vincent's "The Kiss" (wish I had more!), can you tell me more about the marketing of Ramos during that time period and the success of the poster series. Was there ever any controversy over the art at the time as far as being "too provocative", and were the posters strictly for the French market?
Have you ever thought about commissioning an artist to do a new series? It would be wonderful to see a new lithograph reproduced on old equipment rather that using modern printing methods.

I wish I had made it to this year's harvest trip because I've never been to Ramos Pinto and I'm a big fan..the 20 year Tawny is one of my favorites!
Thanks for taking the time to respond in this month's guest corner.

Sean
David T.
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by David T. »

João
Joao Nicolau wrote:Well, having said that I would like very much to visit your cellar!!!!
It would be a pleasure - it isn't enormous (a few hundred bottles), but among the vintages between '70 and '94 it does have some unusual wines that I haven't seen anywhere else, for example:
  • 1937 and 1962 colheitas,
    Port Nobreza, Porto Regina,
    Quinta da urtiga, quinta de sao domingos, quinta de bom retiro,
    velho 63, velho 72, 10 and 20 year tawneys with bottling years
    porto aperitivo dry
Joao Nicolau wrote:2 - You can by a case of Vintage Ramos Pinto in London or in Portugal or anywhere else. Please just let me know your contact and a miracle will happen!
Thank you - I appreciate your help. I have sent you a private message with my contact details.

Kind regards,

David
Cynthia J
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Cynthia J »

João,
We've not yet met, though we've near missed a couple times! Mateus and Teresa kindly entertained me at Ervamoira and Monte Xisto in March. I thoroughly enjoy your wines, and equally your extraordinary tasting notes - your technical sheets are a delight to read, hands down the best in the trade! When I want to introduce people to non-fortified Douro wines for the first time, I go for Duas Quintas or Muxagat, or Collection if it's someone very special!

Two questions for you: Whilst I realise both your sons work outside of Ramos Pinto, did you give them any formal training or technical assistance as they began their own training and winemaking careers? Were they always helping (or impeding!) you in the winery as they grew up? I remember asking Mateus if he ever thought of doing anything else besides make wine, and he gave me a very puzzled look and asked, why would he...

The other question - back to fabulous food at lunch at Ervamoira - our starter was an omelette made with something Mateus described as a sort of wild asparagus, which grows in the vineyards at Ervamoira - please, what is the Portuguese word for that vegetable?

Till we do meet... beijinhos
cynthia
Free lance wine writer based in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Bob Parsons Alberta
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Bob Parsons Alberta »

Hi Joao.

I live in Alberta and have had the chance to try a few of your wines. Plenty of competition out there but your ports have always been top notch. A bottle of Vintage Port will never be drunk in one day in my household so how long do you think they will be at their peak once opened?

Thank you Bob.
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Andy Velebil
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Andy Velebil »

João,

My next question relates to marketing Port to newer generations, and sorry if it's a bit controversial. In the younger crowds, Port still brings up an image of older men in smoking jackets sipping a glass after dinner. There seems to be a lot of talk among producers to try and change this old image Port has. Yet it seems the Port companies and the IVDP aren't doing a very good job at trying to "re-invent" the image of Port drinkers. For many of us "Port Nerds" here at FTLOP this lack of brand re-imaging is a big source of frustration. How come it is so difficult to get companies and the IVDP to work together to promote and re-invent the image of Port? And what can be done so Port becomes a beverage that is opened regularly at special occassions, such as weddings, holidays, etc, like Champagne is?
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Joao Nicolau
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Joao Nicolau »

Hi Roy

The oldest LBV registered at IVDP is for sure 1927 Ramos Pinto.
Portuguese Houses, such as Ramos Pinto, used to let the wines more time in casks and then bottle them 4,5 years later. Thus, the wine could be drunk earlier and Vintage could be made then but at that time it was a product demanded by the English people.
The LBV represents 20% of the total special categories in the Port wine trade.
Total LBV comparatively to the total Port is 3,5%.
In Ramos Pinto case, we make 7% of our total Ports.

All my best,
João
Joao Nicolau
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Joao Nicolau »

Hi Michael

In fact, Ramos Pinto 2004 LBV is almost a Vintage, as you said.
Here is the reason: Ramos Pinto makes Traditional LBV’s, thus meaning that those wines are made with our own best grapes and treaded in “lagares” like we do for the Vintage. This wine is not filtered or chilled and so we do it as pure as we can. Those are wines that can be drunk as young ones or you can also forget them in your cellars for 30-40 years.
To make Vintages, first we have a great year and choose the top top grapes of our vineyards and also use the “lagares”, though with more intense maceration. Of course we bottle it on the second year instead of the fourth year.
If it is an exceptional year in quality, everybody has a chance to make Vintage. So, the Confraria do Vinho do Porto declares a Vintage year.
Of course, in an exceptional year, you can also make LBV, because you still have great grapes. If the year is not so good, then you can take your best grapes and make LBV, this is a not so exigent category like Vintage.
The 2003 Vintage was declared and it is a great year, in my opinion. The 2004 Vintage is also a great Vintage but it was not declared in a general way.
In answer to your question, you can have a not good enough year for Vintage but great for LBV’s, like the 2004 year.
I hope to have given you a general idea on Vintages / LBV’s.

All my best,
João
Joao Nicolau
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Joao Nicolau »

Hi Stewart

1)The Single Quinta Tawny Bom Retiro, because it is something very traditional. Here at Ramos Pinto, for several years, the culture of this blend became a Family treasure.

2)I appreciate that you call me a philosopher not because I am in a scientific way but because I confer much importance to the human being.
My trajectory of winemaking in terms of a philosophy is always changing. I try to learn as much as possible.
At the beginning of my career, I was a very technical, very scientific person and then I understood that the traditional and the empirical wine making had very good messages acquired for many years of experience. So, I decided to make a blend with scientific and empirical knowledge in the vineyards as well as in vinification and aging.
Another change in my wine thoughts is my permanent attention to the new generation that has a philosophy that I am learning and enjoying very much.
This new theory is to make the wine as pure as we can, i.e., not using chemicals in the vineyards, paying attention to the biodiversity and even biodynamic.
In a pure stage, I would like to have a wine coming from a vine whose roots could only absorb natural products in an excellent biodiversity ambiance.
So, my mind is always thinking on the terroir and in Portuguese we use to say that “To stand still is to die”.

All my best,
João
Joao Nicolau
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Re: João Nicolau de Almeida - November's Guest Corner Host

Post by Joao Nicolau »

Hello Sean

1)They go for many countries but, as a small House, I think it is a bit difficult to fight against big Houses. I think we have to do a better effort in USA.

2)Of course, those wines are more and more rare and difficult to find but I will try to contact with you at the time of my next trip to USA.

3)About Ramos Pinto advertising campaign, 1920 … is something unique at Portuguese wines and perhaps within all the world wine.

Adriano was my great uncle, he was a visionary and an artist too and, with the help of my great grandfather António (the financial) they built a perfect team.
Adriano, the artist, spent most of his time in Paris, where all the artists were established. He had contact with the top culture in the world at that time and as you know it was the first time that the artist could paint without being censured. So, that’s why those posters are provocative. Adriano, as a visionary, used all the big collection of posters that we had for promoting his Port Wine and he was selling three times more expensive that competition.
Of course, there was a controversy but the presentation was so good that even people that didn’t accept it, at the end, they decided to surrender to the quality.
We are using the posters in a Douro wine named Collection in order to call the attention of everybody. Every year, we use a different label based on different posters.
You are welcome at Ramos Pinto at any time.

All my best,
João
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