- Vincent and his passion
"Forests and vineyards were my cradle, oak and wine are my livelihood and passion."
- Barrels and more barrels....
For those who have ordered our port, wine and olive oil direct from the winery, you may have noticed the above quote on our order form. For those who haven't noticed, let me introduce you to Vincent's unfaltering devotion to wood; namely in the form of barrels for aging wine, a product for which he consults internationally since the late 1970s.
- The bird is singing
Vincent’s involvement in wood started as a boy, accompanying his grandfather to evaluate trees for harvest in the family-owned forests of the French Vosges, Allier and Nevers. He also spent a lot of time with his father, then co-director at reputable Bouchard P ère et Fils winery in the 1960s, inspecting the extensive vineyard parcels in Burgundy (his mother tells me that he was such wiggly boy that it was also a way to get him out of the house!). Growing up many afternoons were spent in the cellars at Bouchard Père et Fils, earning extra money to help bottle and label and also to play hide-and-go-seek in such a perfect place: a dark and humid cellar with a labrynth of bottle-stacked rows going in all directions......a fantasy for any child.
These experiences served as a catalyst for Vincent's later passion for wine and wood. Today Vincent consults and sells French, Hungarian and American oak barrels internationally. That said, we have a fantastic source for our barrels, pipas, casks and tanks at Quinta do Tedo, both new and used, for experimental purposes and for aging our dynamite port and table wine.
- The passion continues
Here is Vincent’s philosophy about wood, wine and port: “Wine and wood should be in harmony. Wood should not dominate the delicate grape aroma or terroir from the grapes. Wood does have different subtle aromas and brings a better structure and long finish to the wine, especially for wine that will age, to give more complexity to the wine, such as texture and a long finish. For port the wood is strictly used to give the opportunity to the port to breathe and concentrate during the aging process and not to give any aroma to the port.”
Thank you for your support and enjoy a glass of Quinta do Tedo!