Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1787
86 / the tasting panel / august 2009 P ortugal's wine industry has changed dramatically in the last 20 years, but it's just part of a steady evolution for a country whose vine origins date back to 60 B.C. Port is the fortified wine synonymous with the country, and the cork that seals most wine bottles is also a Por- tuguese trademark (30% of cork closures come from oak trees in Portu- gal). But now it is Por- tugal's still (table) wines, long overshadowed by the country's other vinous products, that are finally emerging—but not with- out a struggle. After phylloxera hit Por- tugal in the mid-19th cen- tury, many wine regions never recovered. Fortu- nately, the government stepped in, and begin- ning in 1937, a nationwide construction boom revived the industry with the creation of 100 winery cooperatives. A few decades later, in 1973, the Roquette family planted grapes on the historic site that is Herdade do Esporão in the Alen- tejo region (now a D.O.C.) of southeastern Portugal, just over an hour's drive from the Atlantic Ocean. It was to become one of Portugal's most important wine estates, but again, not without a struggle. Fate would have it that, a year later, a military revolution allowed the Communist Party to take over, plunging the country into distress; one part of their plan called for taking precious property from land owners for redistribution, while halting the develop- ment of major wine projects. Ironically, shortly after, the Communists held national elections. "Four years later, de- mocracy was re-established," explains Kelly Wright, U.S. Country Manager for Esporão. "The Esporão estate would be returned to its rightful owners, but with a stipulation: They were required to deliver their entire grape crop to a local winery cooperative for its wine production. Under this new directive, grapes from various estates were blended together without adequate focus on quality, consistency or wine variety." David Baverstock has been making wines at Esporão for 16 years. Winery Focus Portugal's Esporão Estate by Meridith May The historic site dates back to 1267, but its Aussie winemaker leads the way for Portugal's modern still wines