At the end of May Claire and Anna were lucky enough to accompany press on a trip to visit Fladgate Still and Sparkling Wines, hosted by Raul Riba d’Ave and Andre Martins.

After arriving into a very hot and sunny Porto, we travelled North to Vinho Verde where we made our first stop a  Royal Palmeira. A quick look around the outstandingly beautiful palace, with its grand chandeliers and outstanding art collection, was followed by a vertical tasting of Royal Palmeira and Eminência, both made with Loureiro grapes which make up the majority of the 24ha of planting at this site. The property backs on to the Cávado river resulting in alluvial, sandy clay soils (with a bedrock of granite) that are perfect for growing the water and nutrient loving Loureiro.

Next stop was Quinta da Pedra, also in Vinho Verde, where we were greeted by winemaker, Marcia, who took us through the winery and also gave us a sneak peek at the distillery. This was followed by an incredibly interesting vertical of the Milagres Alvarinhos from 2019 back to 2013. It was fascinating to see the aging potential of these wines when Alvarinho is so often considered a variety that is best drunk young. The grapes are dry farmed, producing low yields on granite bedrock which results in quite muscular wines. We then took a quick wander through the vineyards up to the famous chapel and rock that feature on the Graça da Pedra bottle label to enjoy some excellent views!

Day two and we headed to Bairrada where Raul explained the importance of the limestone soils. A visit to the vineyards was followed by a tasting of the Colinas sparkling wines, the incredible value for money São Lourenço Branco and Tinto right up to the Calcário do Principal white and red (or CalCariO3 as stated on the label… a play on the chemical symbol for limestone reflecting the soil on which these grapes are grown). Of course, to finish we tasted the Principal Grande Reserva Tinto 2012 before enjoying a feast in the vineyards which included clams, wild seabass and of course the local delicacy, suckling pig.

Unfortunately, two days wasn’t enough time to visit Dão as well, but we did get to taste the range over dinner on the first night… a personal soft spot for the Dom Bella Cabernet Franc.

Thank you, Raul and Andre, for a wonderful trip!