The dynamic intersection of old and new was a theme of our recent visit to Portugal’s Alentejo wine region and there cannot be a better example of it that the work that winemaker Domingos Soares Franco is doing at at José Maria da Fonseca‘s José de Sousa winery. Here is a brief report.
Past & Present
Domingos Soares Franco’s roots in Portuguese wine run very deep. He is the sixth generation of his family to make wine. He is a quiet man, I would say, having met him just once, but also proud of all that he and his family have accomplished at José Maria da Fonseca. And rightly so (see video below).
Domingos is known for the innovations that he has introduced in winemaking here, which reflects the new. His technical training was in California at UC Davis (he was the first Portuguese Davis graduate), so it is no surprise that he brings the modern and experimental to his work here.
But we did not meet him in a high tech facility as you might imagine. Instead he took us into a deep cellar at the José de Sousa winery where we confronted Alentejo’s past and perhaps also its future.
Going Back in Time
The Romans made wine in this region two millenia ago using huge clay jars not unlike the ones shown in the photo above and video below. Incredibly the ancient practice remained alive here over the centuries before fading away in the 20th century as the local wine industry suffered from adverse economic incentives (the Portuguese government promoted grain production over wine).
The reemergence of wine in this region is an important story and as we saw at Adega de Borba, modern technology and innovation have been key to that success. But many of those old 1000 liter clay jars still survive from a century ago and we saw them at several wineries that are experimenting with them to see if the past can provide insights for the future. I am not sure anyone has gone as far as Domingos, however.
We inspected the basement with the largest collection of jars that I saw on this trip and peered into a jar full with wine that Domingos was making based upon an ancient recipe. A layer of olive oil protected the wine from oxygen. It was like a look back into the past!
A Memorable Blend
Then we tasted and that was very interesting, too. Experimenting with both the past and the future, Domingos makes one wine using modern techniques and then another, using identical grapes, in the clay jars. You could sense the family resemblance, but there was a lot that is different, especially aroma and mouthfeel.
We tasted one and then the other and then improvised the blend that Domingos favors: half past, half future. Memorable. Not just a wine but an experience.
If you look closely at the photo you can see the shimmer of olive oil floating on the surface of the clay jar wine. That will be gone when the finished wine is made, Domingos said, but the sense of history will certainly remain.
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This video gives you a sense of the old and new that we experienced in Portugal.
Mike, this is right out of my book project (not literally). Someone passionate about wine and combining new and old methods. Contrast this to people who have made their money elsewhere and have a ‘passion’ for wine…or is it the glamour that goes with it, or both. They drive the price of land in places like Napa Valley off the charts, hire a flying winemaker, do all the right things to get a ’90’ rating from one of more than a dozen who are rating using the Parker method these days, donate it to the Wine Auction of Napa Valley, and voila they are a success.
I have interviewed so many like Domingos Franco, whose family has owned their winery for generations, or those who took huge risks to produce quality wine. They are to be lauded as you have done.
Thanks for another informative article. As I study ancient wine transportation methods is there any link, direct or otherwise, between the old clay wine jars Domingos uses and Roman amphora or is the time distance too great?
Always a pleasure,
Mike.