Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/19027
diversity initiative. Leveraging the property’s historic character—Esporão dates to 1267 and is rich in archaeological fi nds—Roquette will invest two million euros in eno-tourism next year, which he hopes will put Alentejo on the map. “It will be the live experience of the Esporão estate,” he says. “The project is a marketing tool, not a commercial business. We don’t want to become another Napa Valley. People will come to us for an authentic reason.” Roquette may be a futurist, but he credits his father’s foresight for the company’s progress. “My father is very visionary, and I am a bit more sys- tematic about managing the company,” he divulges. “We now have a more clear and defi ned portfolio for the brands and are working the international side of the business.” The company now exports about 35 percent of its production to about 50 countries—up from fi ve percent in the 1990s. With Marketing Director Filipe Caetano, Export Manager Pedro Lopes Vieira and Chief Winemaker David Baverstock, Roquette is creating a revolution in the vineyards with an emphasis on sustainability, quality and indigenous varieties that refl ect the intense terroir. Baverstock, an Aussie who’s been at Esporão for 18 years, is as savvy about the marketplace as he is about the vineyard. “The early years were considered a failure—selling wine in bulk isn’t the way to make a brand,” he says. “We came up with a plan to make a top-quality wine and a portfolio behind it.” Esporão has an entry wine, a reserve and a private collection. Like Roquette, Baverstock has a vision, but with a winemaker’s eye. “More and more, we’ll be looking at varieties that can deal with climate change as we see it getting hotter and hotter.” Esporão products are imported by Esporão Wines, New York City. Esporão At A Glance Brands: Alandra (SRP $6.99); Monte Velho (SRP $9.99); Defensa (SRP $14.99–$19.99); Esporão (SRP $19.99–$24.99) Wine production: 10 million liters in 2009 Olive oil production: 800,000 liters Wine sales: 35.4 million euros Exports: 4.74 million bottles Main export markets: Angola, Brazil, United States Red varieties: Touriga Nacional, Moreto, Castelão, Trincadeira, Aragonês, Alicante Bouschet White varieties: Arinto, Roupeiro, Antão Vaz Winemaker David Baverstock helped Esporão move from bulk wine to quality off erings. Portugal’s Douro Valley. november 2010 / the tasting panel / 73