If the cute Portuguese guy on this liter bottle doesn't make you want to grab one now, the story of how it's made probably will.
Herdade do Rocim is located in the Lower Alentejo region in the southern half of Portugal. Owned and run by Catarina Vieira and Pedro Ribiero, they make wine the old-fashioned way - in amphora or talhasas they are called in Portugal.
Keeping with a 2,000 year old tradition from the Romans, Pedro lines the insides of the clay pots (amphora) with beeswax and olive oil made onsite with Cobrancosa olives. Everything goes inside the amphora - the grapes, the skins, and the stems.
Fermentation takes about two weeks and the grape juice, stems, and skin are stirred four times a day. Nothing is added. After malolactic fermentation, the skins and the stems sink down to the bottom of the amphoraÿwhere they lay for six months.
Did we mention the amphora has no lid? Pedro puts a layer of olive oil on top of the the wine as a natural protectant and to keep the wine from oxidizing.
The result is a delicious and highly-quaffable red begging to be served with a slight chill. Made from three native grapes (Moreto, Tinta Grossa, and Trincadeira) from 60-80 year-old-vines, it's light on its feet, fresh, and irresistible.
And, it comes in a liter bottle. Cool.
