458: Luis Seabra Opposes the Winemaking Orthodoxy

Luis Seabra is the proprietor and winemaker at Luis Seabra Vinhos, producing dry wines from the Douro Valley and the Vinho Verde regions of Portugal.

Luis discusses his beginnings working as a plant specialist at an university, his work doing vineyard trials for the Portuguese government, the nine years that he made dry wines at the house of Niepoort, and on to the founding of his own winery. Over the course of the interview Luis takes up all kinds of topics relating to Portuguese wine, such as vine material, grape varieties, the soil types in different areas, historical wine blending practices, and the winemaking norms in differnet parts of the country, as well as how those have changed over time. He explains the evolution in his own thinking concerning both winemaking and vineyard practices. Luis clearly illustrates what he means by contrasting his own thoughts and techniques with the dominant thinking in the surrounding area. Those wanting a deep dive into topics like whole cluster, skin maceration, pressing, and élevage, will find Luis a capable guide. He also discusses the different character of recent vintages for his own wines.

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