In the RTP Notícias (portuguese news agency) feature, “Alentejo amphora wine is “a gold mine” which Portugal should take advantage of”, White adds that there is a new world trend of consumption and that vinification in amphorae is starting to become popular in the rest of the world. Portugal, and producers in the Alentejo in particular, should therefore quickly invest in mastering this technique:
“10 or 12 years ago, everyone wanted fruity wines, but now the global audience for wines has changed. People want wines like amphora wines, which pair better with food and have more mineral and vegetable flavours, more complex, without much fruit and oak notes.”
“In the area where I live, in New Zealand, there are two small wineries and they already have two amphorae. And the country’s largest wine company also has a few. I predict that, within 10 years, almost all the wineries in the world will have amphorae and be producing these wines.”
In Portugal, according to the Comissão Vitivinícola Regional Alentejana (CVRA), the ‘great guardian’ of amphora wines has been the Alentejo, which has been able “to preserve this winemaking process developed by the Romans to this day”, one that arrived in the region two thousand years ago.
In 2011, the CVRA recognised this method of production and included amphora wine in the Alentejo Denomination of Origin, guaranteeing control of its origin, which involves ensuring that the wine is made with grapes from the region, as well as certifying its quality.”

Read the full article, here.