Brief History of Talha de Frades
Our company was considered the first producer that exclusively produce wines of carving, certified by the CVRA – Alentejo Regional Winegrowing Comission.
The production takes place in a tradicional cellar with some carvings dating from 1856 and 1860, where we respect as a whole, the original production process, like the Roman ancestral system of making wine, where the clay carving has 2 functionalities, the production and storage of wine. This means the wine is made and stored in the same container. In general, the grapes are placed inside the hoists and the fermentation takes place spontaneously.
The “Talha de Frades” undertake great effort to investigate artesanal and natural techniques of preservation and preparation for bottling in a way that, when someone opens a bottle of our elixir, even after a few years, can still have an excellent gustatory and sensorial experience with our wine of carving.
In Portugal, the biggest wine production region is the Alentejo, and Vila de Frades is considered the «capital» of carving wine.
How did it start?
From the village of Marmelar, in the municipality of Vidigueira, Alexandre Frade, with 12 years old began to help his father, a sitter with his little farm, who, meanwhile, after having been an emigrant, had bought a tavern in Beja.
Later on, through their friendships with Carapeto, Bélbute, Augusto Palhaço and other producers, closely following the important work they were doing on the preservation of carving wine, mainly with the realization of VITIFRADES, a wine fairy in Vila de Frade - Vidigueira, and undertakes to stimulate a project that commercially valorizes Wine from carving, trying to help in the economic foundations of its preservation.
After a few experiences doing carving wine that began in 2011, in 2014 Alexandre Frade feeled that he must evolve in is knowledge and started to study deeper enology in the University in Beja. From that moment the conditions were created to fulfill the promise made to his friends from Vila de Frade, Following is passion and at same time honoring the memory of his father. One year after, 2015, the “ACV” started doing wine and they are better every year.
The Project
ACV Talha Wines project stands upon three guide lines:
1 – The deep and millennial cultural roots that talha wines production and drinking have in many Alentejo’s territories, particularly in Vidigueira, VILA DE FRADES, Cuba and Alvito regions.
2 – The actual growth, in the world, of the tourism business oenologic segment is a reality. Talha wine can perfectly well be a reason to attract more foreigners, and is also a good motive for other Portuguese to visit these landscapes.
3 – Talha wine cannot be a massified product, and will not compete through the orice, but by its quality, so this can be an opportunity for the small producers.
Based upon these aspects, we have defined our goals:
-To use, assert and certify this wine production method, like the romans did 2000 years ago.
-To economically enhance this product, assuring added value for the Alentejo region producers.
- To promote talha wine, increasing the production and assuring a proper income to all the stakeholders and workers, mainly for the small producers.
Our Wines
D. ALICE White Wine – The name it’s a tribute to the wife’s producer, made with the finest grapes, selected rigorously during the harvest period. This great white wine is based on the varieties Antão Vaz and Arinto as the main one’s blended also with two other Alentejo varieties: Manteúdo and Perrum, allowing the wine to be even smoother and lighter. The terroir is Alentejo, but these vineyards are planted on shale soils.
D. ALICE Red Wine – Like the White, this Red wine results from a terroir where the shale soil is the law. The name is a tribute to the wife’s producer and it results in a limited production of this great red wine. The varieties blended are the most famous and used in Alentejo Talha wines: Aragonês and Trincadeira. With the genuine features of an Alentejo Talha wine in each bottle, it presents itself fruity and smooth with a consensual personality. Our gustative papilla smile when it passes and the gustatory memory keep it all until our next bottle.
1856 DOC White Wine – This is the first wine classified as special by the producer. The 1856 wine aged during 5 months in a tile dated from 1856, giving that name to this special wine. This great wine, blended with the two most traditional varieties from white wines in Alentejo: Antão Vaz and Arinto, has its main feature the subtlety that remains in our mouths, besides the smoothness that won’t let us stop loving it.
Red Wine Amphora – We always use the younger red wine in the amphora faster. It is necessáry to consume in the first 2 years. There are three diferent sizes: normal amphora of 1L, the small amphora of 0,12l and the Magnum amphora with 1,5L. This is the premium package, which is intended to honor the wine, symbolically linking it to the Roman período.
Clay amphorae are produced one by one in na artisan way by na artista, potter from S. Pedro do Corval, Alentejo.
Cellar
Adress: 25 de Abril Square nº 12 Vila de Frades
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 11h30 am to 5 pm, Outside these hours with appointment only: 935109541
Office
Address: Frei Amador Arrrais Street, nº9, lj 4 7800-491 Beja
Hours of Operation: Everyday except weekend - 9am to 6pm
Mobile: 96 603 88 77 Alexandre Frade – Owner and winemaker
Phone: 284 329 052
Web: www.vinhodetalha.pt
Instagram: @talhadefrades
Facebook: Talha de Frades
