Quinta da Boavista

“Dão is sometimes likened to Portugal’s Burgundy. It’s not because of any physical similarity between the regions, but because of the style of wine. Like red Burgundy, good Dão doesn’t rely on power for its effect, but instead aims at subtlety and finesse, a cause helped by the good natural acidity of the grapes… a good thing in a world of increased standardization and uniformity.” - Jamie Goode at wineanorak.com.Located in Penalva do Castelo in the Dão, a region in north-central Portugal known for producing elegant, mineral-driven red wines, João Tavares de Pina is extremely proud of his wines. João’s 18th century family home is surrounded by his organically maintained vineyards, where the distance from the Atlantic and the shelter of the nearby granite mountains allows for mild winters and moderate summers. The vineyards, located at an altitude of 550 meters are a combination of deep granite soils, clay and schist that are ideal for his prized Jaen (Mencía), Touriga Nacional and rare Pinheira (Rufete).  The vineyards are surrounded by forests of oak and eucalyptus, and João works hard to maintain the natural biodiversity which includes chamomile, clover, serradella, grass, lavender and wildflowers. It is here he seeks to create wines of great intensity, expression, minerality, and finesse, hoping to live up to the 19th century adage of the Dão being the “Burgundy of the South.” João will tell you all he needs to make wine is grapes, water to clean his equipment and a touch of sulfur at bottling. He rarely uses products in the vineyard, and when he does he only uses topical organic treatments. In today’s world, this is about as minimal as it gets. João isn’t following a natural wine trend. This is how he and his father have always done it.