Ribafreixo

Every place has something different. But the decision to make something out of it, coupled with the necessary know-how, can give the land something unique.

Knowing this, Ribafreixo Wines has been designing Herdade do Moinho Branco, at the gateway to the town of Vidigueira, since 2007. Its 282 acres are the result of a collection of abandoned agricultural plots from the region’s declining population and reduced agricultural profits. The name Moinho Branco, or “White Mill”, preserves the building’s original name among local residents who, in bygone days, used the nearby stream to mill the grains they produced. Meanwhile, the new owners’ work is transforming a once arid landscape into fertile lands with 282 acres of vineyard. This arduous task comes from the desire to produce superior wines on this land – specifically white wines – to sell in the international market.

For this reason, Herdade do Moinho Branco’s grape varieties are predominantly for white wines. They account for 60% of the total in a property located right next to the IP2 roadway connecting Évora and Beja, in the heart of the Vidigueira Designated Region, an area of predominantly white wines. Vidigueira, in particular, has always been known for the quality of its white wines. This unique situation is due to the Serra do Mendro range close to the north, which creates a microclimate in the region and at the property, making it the coolest spot there. This natural range curbs and moderates the particularly hot summer temperatures of the Baixo Alentejo, and also helps to increase precipitation. This is the main differentiating factor of Vidigueira. However, watering is still critical to the vitality of white grape varieties. The estate’s main variety is Antão Vaz, followed by Arinto, Verdelho, Síria and Alvarinho. There is also a small vineyard plot exceptionally dedicated to the Chenin Blanc grape variety originating from du Loire Valley and widely used in South Africa as well as in Napa Valley.The remaining area houses red varieties, mainly  Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional,Alfrocheiro, Tinta Miuda and Aragonês.

This is perhaps the most important aspect of all. It is in the vines where it all happens, this is where the wine is born, and that is the reason why at Ribafreixo Wines we dedicate ourselves to the sustainable planning of the vineyards at our estate. Ribafreixo Wine’s 124 hectares of vineyards are part of the Vidigueira Sub-region, an area whose specific characteristics provide the ideal conditions to produce wines that are unique to this region: perfect sun exposure, warm and dry in the summer, tempered by a fresh breeze from the Atlantic. This microclimate combined with our estate’s schist soil, brings forth a common thread in all our wines, which is their freshness as well as their mineral notes.

These factors are further aided by our drip irrigation system, which ensures the health and sustainability of the vines. Our closeness (8kms) to the Alqueva dam – which created a 100 square mile lake and almost 700 miles of shore, making it Europe’s largest artificial lake – enables us to use a watering system fed by the Alvito/Pisão subsidiary dam. We also had to build a drainage system to make up for the terrain’s lack of inclination in certain areas of the vineyard, to ensure the vines are not affected by wetness in times of heavy rain.

At present, our vineyards have the following grape varietals typical of the Alentejo: Whites: Antão Vaz, Arinto, Verdelho, Síria, Alvarinho as well as Chenin Blanc. Reds: Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Miuda.

Our new winery opened for the August/September 2012 harvest. With its high-quality infrastructure and scattered rebuilt old houses, its most prominent feature is the new winery; with over 4,000 sqm it is full to the brim with the latest wine making, bottling, and packaging technology (stainless steel vats and oak barrels, bottling and labeling on site,laboratory, specialized presses, as well as cold rooms for the white wines; tasting rooms ,large contemporary entertaining space, etc.) and has the capacity to produce  up to 1 500,000 bottles. Its bioclimatic design, energy efficiency and recycling systems use natural lighting and the gravity force, in a variety of operations, assuring the winery energy sustainability. Adding to this the large social multi-purpose area – with a wine shop, kitchen and tasting room – for touristic activities. With a framed in a cinematographic setting provided by the view from the windows over the vineyards; the winery becomes the wonderful focus and beating heart of an ambitious project born from a determined hardworking team.