Ribafreixo
was a green field site when owner Mario Pinheiro and his agronomist partner,
Nuno Bica, purchased it back in 2007. Today it is a
magnificent, thriving winery complete with 114 Hectares of
vines, a self-sufficient winery and a lovely Adega Restaurant offering
delicious food and open to the public twelve months of the year.
1.5m
bottles of “vegan” wine are produced by the winery annually and Mario strives
to keep the operation as green as commercially viable . Using only
borehole water which is “recycled “ after use and carefully sourced pest
and mildew treatments, production is a challenge despite the Winery s unique
microclimate. Words such as “ambitious” and “vision” come to mind in connection
with the project. 60% of Ribafreixo s planting consists of white grape
varieties including Chenin Blanc, the only such planting of this grape in
Portugal.
The fifty
participants on the trip were given a tour of the winery where the harvest had
only been completed recently. Following this the group tasted the Pato
Frio Cashmere Rose wine, a single varietal Collections Verdelho 2021 and the award-winning Gaudio Reserva Red 2017.
Following a
further tasting of both rose and white Espumante Brut, lunch was
served in the beautiful restaurant with magnificent, panoramic views. A
selection of locally sourced tapas, (smoked chorizio, Serpa cheese and a
mushroom salad) preceeded grilled lombinos of Porco Preto in a
butter/garlic sauce with a finale of Gelado of Delicia de Figo.
The meal
was accompanied by the signature White Wine of which Mario is justifiably
proud, the Herdade do Moinho Branco Antao Vaz 2018 and a Gaudio Classico
Red 2015. A glass of the fortified Gaudio Licoroso
accompanied the dessert.
Mario is a
man of serious passion about his wine, his project and its production
and this shines through with his infectious enthusiasm. It was a very happy,
wine-laden, group that returned to the Algarve.