Quinta do Pôpa celebrates 90 years of Vinhas Velhas with two special packs

To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Quinta do Pôpa has launched two special packs: the ‘Vertical de Pôpa VV’ and the ‘Vinhas Velhas In All’, which are on sale exclusively for the Pôpa Friends Wine Club – to become a member, simply access the Quinta do Pôpa website (at www.quintadopopa.com), following the instructions, which are simple and entitle you to several advantages.

The ‘Vertical de Pôpa VV’ is a super exclusive pack in a very limited edition, composed of all the existing vintages since the creation of this wine from a selected plot, since its creation – precisely 15 years ago, from the 2007 harvest. for €275, wine connoisseurs have access to eight bottles, one each year – ‘Pôpa VV Vinhas Velhas red’ from 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, the latter being the vintage that is currently in market – and also a voucher that includes a visit to Quinta do Pôpa, especially the Old Vineyards, and a wine tasting for two people.

‘Vinhas Velhas In All’ is a more comprehensive and accessible offer, as it is composed of wines with different profiles, two reds, a sweet red – the only one from the Douro – and a Vintage Port wine, being from the crops that are now on the market. In common they have 90-year-old grapes from the Vinhas Velhas plot. There are four references and there is something for all tastes: ‘Pôpa Black Edition red 2018’ (in which Old Vineyards are combined with Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca), ‘Pôpa VV Vinhas Velhas red 2016’ (only Old Vineyards, as indicated by name), ‘Pôpa Vinho Doce red 2019’ (where the grapes from Vinhas Velhas are combined with another, younger, but equally mixed variety, with Tinta Barroca being predominant) and ‘Quinta do Pôpa Porto Vintage 2017’ (Old Vineyards only). The value of this cluster is €155 and also includes a visit to Quinta do Pôpa, with emphasis on the Vinhas Velhas plot, and a wine tasting for two people.

In total, Quinta do Pôpa has 4 hectares of Old Vineyards, 1.32 of which are from 1932. In a meticulous study of the varieties, there are already 21 identified varieties. In addition to being able to be visited in loco, when visiting the Quinta, this and other vineyards – as well as the cellar and the store – can be visited virtually, on the website, at https://vr.unit360.pt/quintadopopa /index.htm.

Vinhas Velhas are, by definition, a field blend, in this case with 21 identified varieties. This was a technique used in other times as a way of survival, insofar as if a variety was affected by diseases, pests or bad weather, there were others with resistance and good production. At the end of 2019, the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP), which oversees the region’s production, defined rules for the designation Vinhas Velhas, which must be over 40 years old. The Old Vineyards of Quinta do Pôpa are more than twice this minimum age, being almost centenary, guaranteeing diversity, authenticity and a lot of wisdom.