Text João Barbosa | Translation Jani Dunne

I kept my word and ended the text with the word terroir. Now I promise to end this one with a toast. So much can happen in 250 years. The law has changed many times, the wine-growing and producing area has expanded, great figures have emerged and died… Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro changed its nature quite a while ago; it is now a commercial agent and a producer.

It has been nicknamed Real Companhia Velha, and in order for any doubts to be wiped clean, it even bought Real Vinícola, whose name was confusing. It was, however, a good acquisition that brought them new business and added brands that are now historic.

In 1960, the company was purchased by Manuel Silva Reis and currently is still in the family. He owns five estates (Aciprestes, Carvalhas, Casal da Granja, Cidrô, and Síbio), which total 1300 acres of vineyards. Although it is one of the biggest Portuguese companies in the sector, Real Companhia Velha has not left home yet, as it produces Douro wines, Port, Moscatel do Douro, and Regional Duriense.

I am conservative and not a big fan of gadgets. To stop is to die and one thing is tradition, another is “invention” – that which is not opposing is contradictory. Douro is doing fine, so fine and safe that I don’t see experiments as a threat. I, a conservative who does not like gadgets, have surrendered to the innovation that are late harvests in Douro!… The first was performed in 1912, by Real Vinícola.

Foreign grape varieties have been planted and studied in Cidrô, a testing estate. One day, a technologist was brought in to certify a new grapevine – plants of the Semillon variety purchased in France. But he called them Boal. What do you mean, Boal?! Around there, in those villages, people even call it Semilhão (Portuguese phonetic adaptation)…

How can I not feel outraged? After the Grandjó Late Harvest or the “machinations” they made in Quinta de Cidrô? Because I feel ensured that they are about to create something, and not just to do something for a laugh; because the Grandjó Late Harvest are – I am peremptory – the best late-harvest wines made in Portugal.

Grandjó Late Harvest in realcompanhiavelha.pt

Real Companhia Velha Logo in realcompanhiavelha.pt

Once you have met the technologists in Real Companhia Velha, you feel safe and you feel respect for the region. As if you were doing 250 miles per hour on a motorway, in a Bugatti Veyron driven by Niki Lauda.

This collection of articles about Real Companhia Velha was supposed to have been published in September to mark their… 259^th anniversary! However, I have more wine than days, which I wish were 48-hours long.

Three texts have many words (you can read part 1 here and part 2 here), but it all began with a twisted notion of irony… the competition for the oldest designation… Tokaji (Tokay), having magnificent wines with Botrytis cinerea – assure that they were created there for the first time – and Douro with its Grandjó.

The Marquis of Pombal must never have thought of it, not even in his tedious trips from Pannonia to Lusitania, where he pondered about wine from Galécia. I toast to those two wines as well as to the man I would never wish to have for an enemy. Saúde and here’s to another 259 years!

Contacts
Real Companhia Velha
Rua Azevedo Magalhães 314
4430-022 Vila Nova de Gaia
Tel: (+351) 22 377 51 00
Fax: (+351) 22 377 51 90
E-mail: graca@realcompanhiavelha.pt
Website: realcompanhiavelha.pt