In the wine cellar of Quinta Arvard, among clay barrels and amphorae, the air conditioning keeps the temperature cool and the air is filled with the strong smell of fermenting wine. A fermentation that can even be seen and heard, because, on top of the amphorae, there is a kind of glass bell, through which the carbon dioxide resulting from the process escapes, creating a soft sloshing sound.
In these modern amphorae, also made of ceramic material like the Roman ones, but much more resistant, the new harvest of Negra Mole is fermenting, the grape variety that is typical of the Algarve and that those responsible for Quinta Arvard want to be the "flagship" of their project, which includes wine production, but also wine tourism and, soon, a luxury boutique hotel.
Quinta Arvad is located on the banks of the Arade River, near Estômbar, in the interior of the municipality of Lagoa. It occupies a series of undulating hills, with views of the river, which flows below, halfway between the cities of Portimão and Silves, which can be seen in the distance, on either side.
A few days ago, Mafalda Garcia de Matos, general director of Arvad, invited journalists, chefs and other people connected with the trade for a Negra Mole harvest experience, in one of the vineyards on this farm, with a visit to the entire property and the winery and culminating in a tasting of the three Arvad Negra Mole wines (Red, Rosé and White), accompanied by a tasting of local products.
In between, there was also the unique opportunity to taste the first “late harvest” produced on the farm, from Negra Mole grapes, which, according to resident winemaker Miguel Mimoso, still needs “another year of aging” in the 150-liter barrel where it has been for a year.
It will be released in 2025, but the group of guests, including the journalist from Sul Informação, you have now been able to taste what will be the first “late harvest” wine ever made with Negra Mole grapes.
The farm was purchased in 2012 by businessman Pedro Garcia de Matos, who named it “Arvad”, as it was the name given by the Phoenicians to the Arade River, a word that also means “refuge”.
The first vineyards were planted in 2016. Ricardo Santos, responsible for wine tourism at the estate, recalled that “the first harvest was in 2019, the first wine was launched in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, and wine tourism began in 2021”. Since then, a lot has been done.
Of the initial 9 hectares of vineyard, the company now has 16 hectares, although not all of them are on that farm, since Arvad Wine bought an old vineyard with the Negra Mole grape variety in the municipality of Lagoa and has another vineyard and a winery in the Alvor area, in the neighboring municipality of Portimão.
In total, there are seven varieties: the red Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon, the white Alvarinho, Arinto and Sauvignon Blanc, and also the 100% Algarve Negra Mole which, surprisingly, can produce red, white and rosé wines. And in the case of Arvad, it even produces a sparkling wine and a “late harvest”, both to be launched in 2025.
The diverse creation of the wines is the responsibility of the award-winning enologist Bernardo Cabral, who favours a minimal intervention approach. He has the support of resident enologist Miguel Mimoso, who guided the guests' visit.
Between the river and the Monchique mountains, there are twelve hectares of land, exposed to the northerly winds and the cooler, more humid air from the river, which allows for large daily temperature variations. A Mediterranean climate with Atlantic influence, complemented by calcareous clay soil.
In 2023, Mafalda Garcia de Matos, the founder's daughter, took over the leadership of the project, focused on boosting and growing the brand and, specifically, Arvad Wine Tourism.
The mission is to “bring unique wine tourism experiences that take advantage of and enrich the Algarve region’s tourism offering, and position the Algarve as a quality wine region”.
In an interview with Sul Informação, Mafalda Garcia de Matos revealed that her training has nothing to do with wines or tourism, as she has a degree in Medicine, although she has never practiced medicine. When asked whether there is a need for doctors, Mafalda replied, with a smile: «there is also a need for wine tourism managers in the Algarve».
The young businesswoman stresses that "the Algarve is a tourism region, but it is not yet traditionally a wine tourism region. It has great potential for this, especially because this is a less seasonal activity that enriches the region's tourism offering."
Although they also receive Portuguese visitors, 90% of the people who seek wine tourism experiences at Quinta Arvad are foreigners, mainly “Dutch, Belgian, American”. There are also many expats, that is, resident foreigners, mostly British and German, who also visit “bringing their friends”.
An initiative that has been very successful (and which even has a higher percentage of Portuguese people) is the Sunset Sessions, which, as the name suggests, are sunset wine tasting sessions with live music. «We take advantage of the warmer months, from June to September, to do the Sunset Sessions, which have gone very well».
The wine tourism experiences at Quinta Arvad go far beyond tasting its wines, which would be quite a lot. Customers can even arrive by river, by boat, docking at the small wooden pier and then being transported by buggy tram along dirt roads between vineyards and native vegetation that has been preserved (carob trees, olive trees, strawberry trees, orange groves) to the farmhouse, which is halfway up the hill, with magnificent views.
Isabel Garcia, from XPTO Events, told Sul Informação that his company works «with Arvad, offering many experiences to our customers», most of whom are «American». «This is exactly what tourists with other purchasing power and other interests are looking for in the Algarve. They are no longer just interested in the sun and the beach, they are interested in these different experiences».
To reinforce its strong commitment to wine tourism, Arvad has already begun construction of a luxury boutique hotel, with just 42 rooms, located on the highest hill on the property, where, interestingly, a pig farm operated until a decade ago. This is a 10 million euro investment, in partnership with Memmo Hotels, and is due to open in 2027.
Mafalda Garcia de Matos revealed to Sul Informação that the hotel will have “a wine spa, for treatments with lees and seeds”, as well as a restaurant good gourmet food "open to the public".
Situated on top of the hill, the hotel rooms will have views of Silves on one side and Portimão on the other. In addition, “guests will be able to arrive by boat, upriver, or leave by boat for activities or to go to the beach”.
It will be a small, exclusive unit for customers who want a different experience. Mafalda guarantees that the service will be “premium”. The official rating will be 5 stars, but “if there were more stars, it would be even more”.
But what is the Negra Mole grape variety, which those responsible consider to be the “flagship” of their project, “the anchor grape variety of our brand”?
The young winemaker Miguel Mimoso explains that it is the «second oldest grape variety in the country», being «a true Algarve grape variety, which is not traveled nowhere else». «It has been reported in the region for two thousand years», he added, guaranteeing that «it produces very interesting wines».
It turns out that Negra Mole has a characteristic that distinguishes it from other varieties: the great variability of colors in the same bunch, which can have white, red and pink berries.
“All in the same bunch and with the same degree of ripeness”, emphasizes the winemaker, holding one of the freshly harvested bunches to show what he is talking about.
Furthermore, he added, “it remains unexplained how the same vine has lighter berries one year and redder berries the next year.”
“It’s almost a dream for a winemaker to have just one grape variety, with which we can make several wines,” he exclaims enthusiastically.
Negra Mole, a very old and typical Algarve grape variety, was curiously set aside when the Algarve wine region was created in 1980. However, especially in the last decade, several more savvy Algarve producers have realised that this variety has very unique characteristics and responds to the desire for everything that is unique and exclusive among a growing number of wine lovers. And they decided to bring it back.
In the case of Arvad, all the black mole vines planted come from cuttings from an old vineyard, over 40 years old, which the company purchased in another location in the municipality of Lagoa.
Unlike the vines of the other varieties, this one will not be wired. The canes were planted with a stake and then will use the cup method, in fact based on the traditional way of planting vineyards in the Algarve.
The Arvad Negra Mole range of wines ages in 750-liter clay amphorae, balancing the fruity character of the variety with some minerality and discreet earthy aromas and flavors.
Aging in clay amphora allows controlled oxygenation of the wine, contributing to more structure and more volume in the mouth.
The amphorae used at Arvad Wines are modern and combine ancient tradition with new technology. They were the source of inspiration for the project's logo.
The artisanal process with which it is made is also reflected in its image through a label that has become one of the greatest icons of Arvad's identity.
«When we first started producing, we didn’t have a ready-made label to identify the bottles, so Mariana (our Sommelier) wrote “Negra Mole” by hand directly on the bottle. As time went by, it made more and more sense to maintain this raw but authentic image, which brings something new – like Negra Mole itself», explains Mafalda Garcia de Matos.
Selling the bottles as they were became something natural, a concept developed and developed by the brand and product designer, Rita Rivotti, including the seal mixed with typical Algarve tiles (crushed) and the handmade paper neckbands, with the ARVAD logo (the Phoenician amphora).
The concept is to offer a different wine, which represents the best of its Algarve origins, in an artisanal and exclusive way.
From the Negra Mole variety, pale-colored, fresh, very fruity wines are produced, with herbaceous notes and balanced acidity.
«Currently, with new knowledge in oenology and an increasingly popular audience for this style of wine, there is a growing interest in Negra Mole and a strong investment by producers in recovering the region's queen grape variety. The variety represents a new way of consuming wine, as it is very fresh and very light – in terms of flavour and alcohol content – and therefore has great appeal for a very wide audience», explain those responsible for Arvad.
The adventure of the harvest actually lasted only half an hour, but the guests were able to appreciate the hard work and detail involved.
In half an hour, around 250 kilos of grapes were harvested, which, according to winemaker Miguel Mimoso, will be enough to make 200 bottles of Negra Mole Tinto.
After a visit to the cellar, where future wines rest or ferment in used French oak barrels or clay amphorae, the wine tasting followed, with a sampling of traditional local products (figs, grapes, cheeses, sausages, pies).
And what was proven?
The tasting began with Arvad Negra Mole Branco, which was produced for the first time from the 2023 harvest, with 926 bottles having been launched on the market this year, which have already sold out on Thursday (perhaps there are still some in specialist wine shops or in Algarve supermarkets with a good selection of wines).
This is a “blanc de noir”, that is, a white wine made from Negra Mole red grapes, which combines great freshness and minerality with smoothness and volume, with a very persistent finish. It pairs perfectly with starters, fish dishes, some white meats, cheeses and apple pie.
Next came Arvad Negra Mole Rosé, a light rosé with notes of cherries, wild berries and clay in the background, giving it a unique character. Very fresh, with a discreet and elegant aroma. Ideal as an aperitif or with salads, Asian food or grilled fish.
One of the guests, Nuno Martins, private from the NUMA restaurant in Portimão (which, as of this year, is on the Michelin Guide's list of recommended restaurants), commented that it is «a wine that goes well with a good dish, but also drinks well by the pool».
Finally, we tasted the Arvad Negra Mole Tinto, a wine with earthy notes and some aromatic herbs, in which the fruity aromas of cherry and fresh raspberries are revealed.
It is a light red wine, with a lighter colour, and is best drunk chilled, making it the perfect choice in summer. It is an excellent wine to accompany red meat dishes, oily fish, cataplanas, sausages, cheese and ham.
As it is a very light wine, “it is not a wine for keeping, to last for many years”.
To complement its catalogue, Arvad Wine will soon launch a Negra Mole sparkling wine, which is already in the bottle fermentation phase. It will be the first sparkling wine made from 100% Algarve grapes and, therefore, there is great expectation about the final result.
In 2025, they will also launch Late Harvest.
All of these wines can be purchased at quality wine shops or at some supermarkets with a more well-stocked wine section. But the best thing to do is to get a group of family or friends together, set aside a day and book a wine tourism experience at the farm overlooking the Arade River. And, at the end, stock up on wine at the Arvad farm shop before heading home.
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação
Comments