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This year again I couldn’t resists to visit this wonderful country that is Portugal. This time, I mainly focused around the Douro region where I stayed 12 days. It is with great joy that the Niepoort family received me at the Quinta do Napoles during the harvest to share with me the work and the events surrounding this exciting time of the year. It is with the same passion that I’ll try to share with you trough my text and pictures the amazing time I had there.

I really hope you’ll enjoy reading this, comments are always welcome!

Link for the article: http://www.frederickblais.com/niepoort2007/index.html
Link for the pictures of my trip: http://www.frederickblais.com/pics/index.php?cat=9

Very nice pictures!
(have yet to read the article)

Fred ,
Très belle photos !!

Tell me , even though Quinta de Napoles is rated ''A'' , will the vineyards at a higher altitude suffer greater damage due to rain or too much sun ?

Insightful , and Informative ,

Merci Fred !!

Hi Frederic,

these are some outrageous pictures. I just came back from 4 days in Pinhao and surrounding. I stayed at Passadouro, which is still very close to the Niepoorts, although it doesnt belong to them anymore.

I stayed with Verena in Vila Nova and she hosted me perfectly.
German roots, what else would you expect

Axel

Luc I don't have the right answer for you but here is what I suspect. Higher vineyards do not have necessarely more sun, it always depends on the orientation of the slope. If they are on top, the density is higher and there is more shadow form other vines.

For the rain, well on top there is always more wind, so they would dry faster. Though since the climate is cooler, the grapes mature slower and they are prone to more rain after the lower grapes have been harvested.


Axel... outrageous might not be the word you were looking for I believe

I'm a good friend of Ronald and Jet at Passadouro. I always have to eat there at least once during my trip. Great food in the Douro! Passadouro never was owned by the Niepoort, they were only producing the wines/port for them and also using their installation for their port production in some years.

I've met Verena only once during my trip, she is great indeed. All the Niepoort team share the same passion and generosity! It's hard not to come back the year after....

Great story and pics Fred!