Wood fermentation and aging have given this fine wine a strong, toasty character, complementing its natural perfume. It's rich, with layers of acidity, needing time to develop. Producer Information João Portugal Ramos started planting his own vineyards in Estremoz in 1990, adopting the bilateral cord as cultivation method. This Adega put Estremoz on the map of the great wines, attracting travellers from all around the world. A walk along the vineyards, a lunch made in the local way or a simple wine tasting, stand as excellent pretexts to breathe the tranquillity of Alentejo while you enjoy the quality of the wines João Portugal Ramos. With a shop, tasting room, meeting rooms and dining room, the Adega Vila Santa opens its doors so you can discover, taste and bring home the wines that are a perfect memory of this land. The team of João Portugal Ramos pursuits, in every harvest, the right selection of grapes to produce exceptional wines. For this, they use for the production of red wines the grape varieties Aragonez, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, Castelão, Alicante Bouschet and also Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Merlot, although in smaller quantities. Concerning white wines, the grape varieties are Antão Vaz, Roupeiro, Verdelho, Sauvignon Blanc, Alvarinho and also Viognier. The grapes used in the production of João Portugal Ramos wines come from 600 hectares (1.482 ac) of vineyards and the viticulture technicians are responsible for all the technical guidance. After the harvest the grapes follow a production process with advanced technology, including a computerized temperature control system for the fermentation in stainless steel tanks and a laboratory that strictly controls the quality of the entire vinification process, ageing, bottling and the subsequent monitoring of the wine.
