Landslide in the Douro

There was only one tank left in the cellar to press when the rain started, and with it came the hillside. Everyone was fine, just a little shaken. A messy, but memorable way to finish the harvest.

The front of the house after many hours of clean-up.

The backhoe from the inside.


The pool pre-landslide.

And after.

A Little of the View

Douro Fruit

A view from the new terraces being built above the winery. Looking over the Douro River.


New terraces being built from the near-dust that makes up the earth.



When the fruit arrives it passes on this table for selection.

Vedemmia, Douro, Portugal

Foot-treading is still practiced in the Douro region. These open concrete tanks, referred to as 'lagars', are about 10x15 feet and 3 feet deep. Every morning people are treading in the tanks singing.

Trucks drive from the high terraces above the river and unload in this area.

A look From the Inside

The view from top,

I know them all by name.

The Cellar Swallowed Me

As many experience during vintage, I have no life outside the cellar. Up and down I climb the 3-4 story catwalks that sprawl in all directions. Checking a pump here, adding yeast there, and stumbling over my own particular blend of Spanish and Portuguese. While I'll be posting more details, it may be documented a bit more in pictures this time around.

Adega

I promise a vintage update soon, but until then here's a bit of the view.