THE WINERY

THE WINERY

THE ARCHITECTURE

The outside surprises us with its setting in the immense plain and the interior surprises us with its modernity and functionality. Indeed, these were the fundamental principles that guided the development of the design by the architect Vítor Vaz, with indispensable assistance from the winemaker Pedro Hipólito.

Built in the heart of the Herdade da Mingorra, the 2,000 m2 Winery only vinifies the estate’s own grapes and works with vinification processes at various levels. In total, more than two and a half million euros have been invested and the Winery has been designed to preserve traditional techniques, in perfect harmony with the highest technology.

THE ARCHITECTURE

The outside surprises us with its setting in the immense plain and the interior surprises us with its modernity  and functionality. Indeed, these were the fundamental principles that guided the development of the design by the architect Vítor Vaz, with indispensable assistance from the winemaker Pedro Hipólito.

Built in the heart of the Herdade da Mingorra, the 2,000 m2 Winery only vinifies the estate’s own grapes and works with vinification processes at various levels. In total, more than two and a half million euros have been invested and the Winery has been designed to preserve traditional techniques, in perfect harmony with the highest technology.

Pedro Hipólito - Winemaker

“When we decided to go ahead with the project for the new Winery in December 2003, with the well-defined aim of processing the grapes from the 2004 harvest, we already knew

knew that we would be facing a considerable challenge: to design and build in eight months a structure that could be used to vinify approximately one million litres. The choice of a prefabricated, modular, steel-frame structure, that would save us time, while the foundations were being prepared, perfectly matched our intention of building with a low investment

cost per litre in order to prioritise technical aspects that we believed to be fundamental for making high quality wines. Attention was paid to details that we considered essential, such as:

Pedro Hipólito - Winemaker

“When we decided to go ahead with the project for the new Winery in December 2003, with the well-defined aim of processing the grapes from the 2004 harvest, we already knew

knew that we would be facing a considerable challenge: to design and build in eight months a structure that could be used to vinify approximately one million litres. The choice of a prefabricated, modular, steel-frame structure, that would save us time, while the foundations were being prepared, perfectly matched our intention of building with a low investment

cost per litre in order to prioritise technical aspects that we believed to be fundamental for making high quality wines. Attention was paid to details that we considered essential, such as:

Functionality

The versatility of the grape reception area, which enables us to receive deliveries ranging from grapes harvested by hand, in small boxes unloaded directly into the presses, to grapes harvested by machine

The diversity of our vinification techniques, fully adapted to both the existing vines and to new vineyard plots and the types of wine that we intend to produce.

The fermentation capacity, which enables us to respond even when large amounts of grapes are being harvested at the same time from different varieties and parcels that have all ripened at the same time.

The effective capacity to control different variables that condition wine-making, such as sufficient chilling capacity to be able to chill grapes when they arrive at the winery, at any time during the grape harvest, and, at the same time, carefully monitor temperatures of all stages of wine production, particularly during the pressing and clarification of whites and the prefermentation maceration of reds, as well as all the vats during fermentation

The production of the different batches of wine, their finishing, ageing and bottling, as well as some investments non-directly related to production, including a well-equipped laboratory and the treatment of both the water to be used in the Winery and wastewater, were also aspects to which we paid special attention