Mr João Saraiva Gonçalves, who everyone knows as João Pombo, dedicates his heart and soul to agriculture. His vineyards are in the parish of Pala, known as the ‘Vineyard Capital’ and famous for its winemaking tradition and the quality of its wines. In 2008, the family's agricultural business took a big step forward when they decided to create Casa Agrícola Cova da Raposa, Lda. with a view to turning around half of their production into wine. They duly invested in a modern winery with all the technical specifications. The desire to create their own wine brand, Pombo Bravo, stemmed from the quality of the grapes, whose vines are grown organically – as certified by the company Sativa – and which João Pombo nurtures with the utmost care. Cultivation and harvesting follow a precise calendar, in parallel with most of Pala's locals, according to traditions that go back to medieval times. The vineyards look like gardens and the yields are generous and immaculately healthy even without drip irrigation, since the climate is unfavourable for pests and diseases.

The grape harvest, which almost always takes place in October, is a festive occasion that gets the whole family enthused. The winemaking and bottling is overseen by Patrícia Santos, based on a minimalist oenology that emphasises the excellence of the grapes. The Síria variety, the most widely planted in the region, is the queen of the whites and produces a varietal wine that has already made a name for itself; the Touriga Nacional variety, king of the reds, produces fragrant and elegant wines, the result of slow ripening at around 700 m above sea level. Almost all the wines are ‘virgin,’ as Patrícia Santos points out, with no prolonged fermentation on skins, very few additives and minimal contact with wood. Hopefully, in the near future, there will also be wines made from Beira Interior's historic red grape varieties.

As its owners explain, Casa Agrícola Cova da Raposa and Pombo Bravo wines offer a fascinating glimpse into rural life, in communion with nature and a return to the freshness and simplicity of the Beira plateau's flavours.

Vineyards

Vineyard operations management: João Saraiva Gonçalves

Area of own vineyards: 9.4 hectares

Grape origin: Own grapes

Viticulture type: Organic production

White grape varieties: Síria, Fernão Pires

Red grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Syrah, Touriga Franca, Jaen

Wine cellar

General manager: João Saraiva Gonçalves

Oenologist: Patrícia Santos

Types of wine produced: White, rosé and red

Wine brands: Pombo Bravo

Percentage of PDO/PGI production: 50% PDO, 50% PGI

Average annual production: 35,000 litres

Production destination: Domestic market (98%) and export (2%)

Wine tourism

Wine tasting (coming soon)

Part of the Beira Interior Wine Route