PORTUGAL
Casa de Cello
Casa de Cello has been in the Araujo family for four generations.
In the 80’s João Pedro Araujo took over the family business and started to modernize and bring his professional expertise to produce exceptional Portuguese wines. He gradually rebuilt the cellar, introduced modern vinification tools while reorganizing the vineyards and introducing new viticultural practices. João Pedro’s aim is to work in a way so that the authentic terroir’s expression is translated at its best through the final wines made in the cellar.
Casa de Cello comprises two properties; one in Dão and the other one in the 'entre Douro e Minho' region, right in the middle between the Douro and Minho regions.
-Qunita da Vegia is located in the town of Penalva do Castelo, in the Castendo sub-region of the Dão DOC. Dão is located in the north central part of Portugal in a mountainous terrain. The wine growing area is mainly on a plateau protected by three granite mountain ranges, namely; Serra de Estrela, Serra do Caramulo and Serra de Nave. Vineyards are present from 200m to 900 meters above sea level and only cover 5% of the land surface. The protection from the mountain ranges results in a temperate climate; a lesser influence from the Ocean makes it less humid than the Vinho Verde region to the north and the mountain ranges protect from the harsh continental climate to the East. The altitude lowers the average summer temperatures helping with balance and acidity in the wine. Winters are long and wet while summers are dry and warm. The average annual rainfall is between 1000 to 1500mm.
Vineyards are planted on a sandy well drained soil above a granite base.
The Dão appellation was officially recognized in 1908.
The region grows over a dozen of different indigenous grapes and Touriga Nacional is the largest crop followed by Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo in Spain), Jaen, Alfrocheiro Preto and Encruzado. The region produces 80% of red wines and the DOC regulation imposes that at least 20% must be from Touriga Nacional. Encruzado is the main white varietal and it is usually blended with other indigenous crops.
While re-planting Quinta da Vegia's vineyards the grape selection was relatively strict ; Touriga-Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela and Tinto Cão, to create the Vegia and Quinta da Vegia wines.
- Quinta de San Joanne is situated in ‘Entre-Douro e Minho’region, near Amarante, also part of the Vinho Verde appellation. The property had its vineyards completely re-planted and viticultural techniques modernized to suit the terroir. There are 14 hectares of vines and the varieties are; Arinto, Alvarinho, Loureiro, Avesso, Malvazia Fina and Chardonnay from which Leiras Mancas and Quinta de San Joanne wines are made.