Wine is hot or not? (Herdade da Mingorra / Uva, Portugal)

Testing and sampling in the winery laboratory herdade da mingorra alentejo portugal

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Herdade da Mingorra (HM UVA) Winery stock photography samples

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Herdade da Mingorra (also called H.M. Uva, after the founder Henrique Uva) is a new winery in the Alentejo (Baixo Alentejo) region in Portugal, some two hours' drive south east from Lisbon. It has 1400 hectares of land of which 135 ha are planted with vines. Being recent the winery is equipped with modern technology, stainless steel tanks, punching down machines, laboratory etc. The investment was in the order of 2 million euro. They make a range of wines, from very affordable blends to top of the range prestige cuvees: Alfaraz (blends and single variety), Uvas Castas, Vinhas da Iras (Grapes of Wrath), and Terras d'Uva are the names used.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Alentejo Herdade da Mingorra Uva Portugal sample stock photos - Images by Per Karlsson

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They have some gorgeous trees around this vineyard (Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Portugal)

Dry, barren fileds with oak trees. Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Alentejo, Portugal

[Sorry, no wine on a Monday morning.]

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Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Alentejo, Portugal, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Herdade da Malhadinha Nova in the Alentejo region in Portugal is located some two hours' drive from Lisbon. It is run by the two brothers Joao and Paulo Soares together with their families. The Soares family bought a run down old farm house but became so enthused by the region that the decided to restore it and the vineyards to a perfect state. The Malhadinha Nova vineyard is primarily on schist soil planted with Portuguese grape varieties: touriga naciional, aragones, trincadeira, alicante bouschet, alfrocheiro, arinto, roupeiro antao vaz, as well as international varieties: syrah, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay. They make a range of wines under different labels: Malhadinha, Monte Beceguina, Pequeno Joao, Marias da Malhadinha as well as varietal labels. At the vineyard they also have a restaurant serving local specialities, e.g. dry cured ham from the black Alentejo pig and traditional local stews. They have also built a small luxury hotel on the grounds.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Alentejo Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Alentejo Portugal sample stock photo - Images by Per Karlsson

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Not my back yard. Regrettably. (Chateau Figeac, Bordeaux)

The back side of Chateau Figeac in Saint Emilion, Bordeaux with vineyard in the foreground

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Chateau Figeac, Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Chateau Figeac is the biggest vineyard and property in Saint Emilion in Bordeaux, France. The vineyards cover some 40 hectares on the plateau of Saint Emilion. It is the property of the Manoncourt family, having been brought to international fame by the charming Thierry Manoncourt. Today it is run by his son-in-law Eric d'Aramon. The property has been classified as Premier Grand Cru Classé B in the St Emilion classification.

The vineyards are unusual in Saint Emilion in that the soil is predominantly gravel. Therefore the grape variety blend is different from what is common in Saint Emilion. Chateau Figeac has approximately a third each of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot (a slight preference for the cabernets).

The grapes are picked by hand at Chateau Figeac and vinified traditionally in the winery next to the chateau. Fermentation is in large wooden vats supplemented by stainless steel tanks. The wines spend a substantial amount of time ageing in oak barrels, a large portion of which are renewed every year.

http://www.chateau-figeac.com

All pictures © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Photos may not be used without our permission.


Bordeaux Saint Emilion Chateau Figeac - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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Keep clean! (Herdade de Sao Miguel, Portugal)

cleaning the winery floor herdade de sao miguel alentejo portugal

[This is no contest. Just cleaning up. (only for the Brits)]

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Herdade de Sao Miguel, Alentejo, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Herdade de Sao Miguel is a winery located in Portugal's Alentejo wine region to the east of Lisbon. It is in the Redondo area close to the historic town of Evora. Since 1997 Herdade de São Miguel is owned by Alexandre Relvas.

The Sao Miguel farm covers some 175 hectares 35 of which are planted with vines. There are also cows and sheep, as well as cork and olive trees on the farm.

The vineyard plantings are quite recent: the vines were planted between 2001 and 2003. The vineyards are planted with a variety of mainly local traditional grape varieties. For the red wines there are e.g. alicante bouschet, aragones, castelao and touriga franca, but also the international grape varieties cabernet sauvignon and syrah. For the white wines they have planted antao vaz, arinto, avesso, enruzado and several other varieties.

The winery and wine cellar is very modern. It was built in 2003 and is equipped with the latest vinification technology: stainless steel vats, pneumatic press etc, but also traditional barrels.

Herdade Sao Miguel makes a range of wines under the names of Sao Miguel, Sao Miguel Descbridores, Montinho SM, Ciconia, Missoes, and a "Special Edition".

http://www.herdadesaomiguel.com

All pictures © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Photos may not be used without our permission.


Alentejo Herdade de Sao Miguel - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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The beginning of something great (Chateau Pey la Tour, Bordeaux)

guyot double training with bud vineyard chateau pey la tour bordeaux france

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Vineyard, budding vines, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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When the winter pruning is done the vines look like not much more than some sticks stuck down in the ground. But when spring comes things start to happen.

Small buds appear on the vines that soon develop tiny, tiny leaves. The small leaves are often quite beautiful, sometimes in wonderful soft colours. First they are in a closed, tight knot that slowly opens up. When you look out over the vineyards in the distance the vines are of course still brown and grey but you start seeing a small shimmering of green, in the right light.

The small buds and leaves rapidly develop into “proper” leaves and branches. It is the beginning of a period of very fast growth in the vineyards.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Vineyard: Budding Wines - Images by Per Karlsson

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You have arrived to Banyuls (Banyuls, Roussillon)

Goblet pruned vines in the vineyard. By the train station. Banyuls sur Mer, Roussillon, France

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Banyuls, Roussillon, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Banyuls is both the name of a village (full name: Banyuls-sur-Mer) and the name of an appellation controllée. Banyuls is located on the French Mediterranean coast near the border to Spain, in other words, in French Catalonia.

The village Banyuls (or small town if you prefer, some 5000 inhabitants) is a charming seaside resort with a big beach, a long seaside walk, a pleasure boat harbour and a busy restaurant and café life. It nestles between the sea and the mountains with a backdrop of impressive mountain tops - the beginning of the Pyrenees mountain range. It is also famous as the birth town of the artist Aristide Maillol.

Banyuls, the wine, is an AOC that is used for fortified wines, in French called Vins Doux Naturels (VDN). The vineyards of the region spread out over four communes: Banyuls, Cerbère, Collioure and Port-Vendres (all four charming villages). The wines are made from grenache noir, grenache gris, grenacher blanc and carignan grape varieties. Macabeu, muscat and malvoisie may also be used. The vinification is such that grape spirit (alcohol) is added to the fermenting must at an early stage. This stops the fermentation and makes for a sweet wine. Sometimes the wine is aged in glass bottles (bonbonnes or demi-jéannes - demi-johns) outside, exposed to the sun, to make the wine in an oxidative style.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Roussillon Banyuls stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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Not so blue skies over Alentejo (Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Portugal)

Dry, barren fileds with oak trees. Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Alentejo, Portugal

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Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Alentejo, Portugal, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

THIS IS ONLY A SELECTION OF SAMPLES. Use the image SEARCH function to find more relevant photos.

Herdade da Malhadinha Nova in the Alentejo region in Portugal is located some two hours' drive from Lisbon. It is run by the two brothers Joao and Paulo Soares together with their families. The Soares family bought a run down old farm house but became so enthused by the region that the decided to restore it and the vineyards to a perfect state. The Malhadinha Nova vineyard is primarily on schist soil planted with Portuguese grape varieties: touriga naciional, aragones, trincadeira, alicante bouschet, alfrocheiro, arinto, roupeiro antao vaz, as well as international varieties: syrah, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay. They make a range of wines under different labels: Malhadinha, Monte Beceguina, Pequeno Joao, Marias da Malhadinha as well as varietal labels. At the vineyard they also have a restaurant serving local specialities, e.g. dry cured ham from the black Alentejo pig and traditional local stews. They have also built a small luxury hotel on the grounds.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Alentejo Herdade da Malhadinha Nova Alentejo Portugal sample stock photo - Images by Per Karlsson

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Preparation 501, silica used for biodynamic spraying (Domaine Montirius, Rhone)

biodynamic preparation 501 ground silica in a glass jar domaine montirius vacqueyras rhone france

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Domaine Montirius, Vacqueyras, Rhône Valley, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Montirius is a family owned winery run by Christine and Eric Saurel. The winery is located in Vacqueyras in the southern Rhône valley, near the village of Vacqueyras itself. They have 58 ha of vineyards split on several different parcels. Montirius was an early adopter of organic vine growing and moved to biodynamic winemaking in 1999.

The vineyards have several different soil types and biotopes. The garrigue is also frequently present. The vineyards are planted with typical southern French varieties: grenache, mourvèdre, and syrah are the most important. The winery is traditional, with both concrete and stainless steel fermentation vats. It has also been built taking into account the biodynamic principles.

Domaine Montirius makes a range of both red and white Rhone wines in the appellations Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Cotes du Rhone and Vin de Pays.

http://www.montirius.com/

All pictures © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Photos may not be used without our permission.


Rhone Vacqueyras Domaine Montirius - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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A rather expensive modern cross-flow Pall filter machine (Delas, Rhone)

tangential cross flow pall filter delas freres tournon-s-r rhone france

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Delas Freres, Tournon, Rhône Valley, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Delas is one of the bigger wine producers and négociants in the northern Rhone Valley. They are based in the town of Tournon, just across the river from Tain l'Hermitage. Delas freres (as is the full name) was founded in 1835 by Charles Audibert and Philippe Delas. In 1977 Delas was bought by the Champagne house Deutz and it became the property of Champagne Roederer in 1993 when Roederer bought Deutz. Still today Delas (and Deutz) are managed as separate entities. (Roederer also owns Roederer Estate and Scharffenberger in California, Ramos Pinto in Portugal, Domaines Ott in Provence, as well as Chateaux de Pez, Haut Beauséjour, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Bernadotte, all in Bordeaux).

Delas Freres owns 14 hectares of vineyards in the northern Rhone valley. Adding vineyards under contract they manage some 30 ha of vines. They supplement their own production with their négociant activity - primarily in the southern Rhone appellations. Their production covers essentially all the appellations of the northern Rhone wine districts, for example: Hermitage, Cote Rotie, Condrieu, Saint Joseph, Crozes hermitage, Cornas, and Saint Peray.

Their winery in Tournon is big enough to take care of most of their vinification needs. It is a mix of the latest vinification technology and traditional wine making techniques. Some of the wines are aged in oak barrels - they have some 600 barrels in the cellar. The winemaking is in the hands of the very able winemaker and oenologist Jacques Grange.

http://www.delas.com

All pictures © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Photos may not be used without our permission.


Rhone Tournon Delas Freres - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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So this looks like what? (Adega Cooperativa de Borba, Portugal)

outside fermentation and storage tanks adega cooperativa de borba alentejo portugal

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Adega Cooperativa de Borba, Alentejo, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Adega Cooperativa de Borba is a co-operative winery in the Alentejo region in Portugal, east of Lisbon. It was founded in 1955 at a time when few people outside the region had heard of Alentejo wines. Today the Alentejo wine region has become one of the best known wine producing areas in Portugal, no doubt helped by the closeness to Lisbon.

The winery is impressive in size and has in recent years invested heavily to create a modern and well equipped winery. If you visit their facility you will see both the latest vinification equipment an traditional cellar techniques with e.g. old wooden vats and barrels.

The vineyard extend over some 2000 hectares planted with both red and white grape vines. They are planted primarily with traditional varieties, such as aragonez, trincadeira preta, castelao and alicante bouschet for the red wines, and roupeiro, rabo de ovelha, arinto, and antao vaz for the white wines.

They make a wide range of wines from every-day drinking wines to premium cuvees.

http://www.adegaborba.pt

All pictures © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Photos may not be used without our permission.


Alentejo Adega Cooperativa de Borba - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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Drug production? (Tain l'Hermitage, Rhone)

vineyard red poppies hermitage rhone france

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Tain l’Hermitage, Rhône, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Tain l’Hermitage is the small town that is the centre of the Hermitage appellation in the northern Rhone Valley. It is a twin city with Tournon that lies straight across the Rhone river. The two towns are linked with two bridges, one that is a historic chain bridge and the other is a modern, heavily trafficked bridge. The river is still actively used for transportation with barges.

Tain l’Hermitage lies at the foot of the Hermitage hill, producing the famous Hermitage wines. It is mainly a source for full-bodied spicy red syrah-based wines, but a small quantity of white wine is also made. You will have an excellent view of the vineyards if you cross the river to Tournon.

From the village you can walk up the hill to the Hermitage chapel. You can either walk straight through the vineyards – there is a walking path that takes you up some rather steep slopes – or you can take the road that is not quite as strenuous. In that case you will walk past the co-operative which is an important wine producer in the appellation.

Tain l’Hermitage is not only known for its wines but also for its chocolate. It is the home of Valrhona, the producer of luxury chocolate.

There are a number of other, famous and less famous, appellations in the region: Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas, Saint Peray to mention only the most important.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Rhone Tain l'Hermitage - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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This looks like a very nice thing to do (Gigondas, Rhone)

wine shop caveau du gigondas rhone france

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Gigondas, Rhône, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Gigondas is a wine village in the southern Rhone Valley. Today it is one of the village appellations, having the right to label it’s wines as AOC (AOP) Gigondas. It was one of the first village got receive that right, after having been one of the most highly regarded Cotes du Rhone Villages villages.

The village is a beautiful holiday destination; it is small, perched on the hillside, with a view over the vineyards. There are many wine shops and a few good restaurants in the village.

The wines from the Gigondas appellation are typical southern Rhone wines. They used to be quite austere, with high acidity and tannin but modern winemaking techniques have made them more approachable already when young. They are made from a blend of grape varieties: grenache is often the dominating one, with syrah and mourvèdre and a few others also permitted. The Gigondas appellation covers around 1230 hectares of vineyards.

The village and the vineyards are beautifully situated in the Vaucluse department at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Rhone Gigondas Village - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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