For The Love Of Port

I don't know if this has been posted before, but here is an amazing video of Vesuvio from RTP (A Hora de Baco). They even have the crushing of grapes. I recognize many people from our trip there when we crushed the grapes at harvest on the trip with Roy. Even the task master at the front of the lagar - who could forget him! And the little structure at the top of the hill. Wow... it just brings everything back!

(of course all in Portuguese)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tBrsNeigXs

Some nice time with Paul Symington too.

-Dave-

Cool Video.
The Dancing at the Lagares is really cool :)

I've been at Vesuvio only once. It was with the FTLOP Group in October/2006.
You're right David. It just brings everything back.

Thanks
MF

Nice video.

There are not very many pickers out there. At such a large property, does the picking get spread out over some period of time, using small groups of pickers, going to each area as it ripens? Or do they sometimes need lots of pickers at the same time? Any one familiar with how this works at Vesuvio? How long does it take to pick the grapes, depending on the vintage?

Sometimes, they will list out the percentages and types of grapes used for the vintage blend, but not always. Does anyone know how the blend varies and how certain weather/vintage affects the different types grapes.

It appears that the sheer size of Vesuvio offers them quite a bit of flexibility in producing their VP each year.

David

Thanks for posting. That did bring back a lot of memories and some familiar faces. Who could forget the guy leading the crushing, keeping us in cadence like a Marine Drill Instructor. That property was just amazing, the views were incredable. One day I hope to return.

Nice to hear the Zé Pereira sound.

Guilherme

Mike, I know a bit about Vesuvio after 3 visits there over the years. I also spent some time on the website and read the book that comes in the Vintage cases (which are expensive but one of the nicest boxes in the business I think). I am a Vesuvio fanatic - for me it is the ultimate single quinta wine. I have tasted it blind against Vargellas, even Noval, and it always comes out on top.

Vesuvio usually has about 50 pickers (!), mostly women (men cost more). This same group also does the treading. It takes about four weeks to harvest (remarkably quick for such a giant vineyard, especially given it is all done by hand!). They work the vineyard according to ripeness of the grapes - mostly determined by the altitude and aspect to the sun (north vs south facing slopes).

As one of the oldest vineyards in the Douro, Vesuvio is mostly mixed plantings, but the newer vineyards are planted by variety. You will find all the usually characters, including Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz.

Hope you find this helpful.

Fantasic to see those faces again. The memory of stomping up and down in that lagar will live with me forever and to see the drill instructor again is something I never expected.

Thanks, David