PEDRO RIBEIRO, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO FOLLOW A CAREER IN OENOLOGY AND HOW DID YOUR JOURNEY BEGIN AT HERDADE DO ROCIM?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: WHAT INSPIRED ME TO FOLLOW THIS CAREER WAS THE PASSION FOR WINE AND THE CULTURAL HERITAGE THAT THE WORLD OF WINE HAS IN PORTUGAL. I JOINED THE PROJECT IN 2013, WHEN I ASSUMED THE MANAGEMENT OF ROCIM WITH MY WIFE, CATARINA.
PEDRO RIBEIRO, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY OF HERDADE DO ROCIM AND HOW IS IT REFLECTED IN THE WINES OF ROCIM?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: THE WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY IS A COMMITMENT TO QUALITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND AUTHENTICITY. WHAT WE WANT IS FOR THIS APPROACH TO BE EXPRESSED IN THE WINES. AND FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, IN THE VINEYARD WE USE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, WE SEEK AN IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERROIR AND VALUE AUTOCHTONOUS GRAPE VARIETIES: IN THE WINERY, WE COMBINE ANCESTORAL TECHNIQUES WITH MODERN WINEMAKING METHODS, COMBINING INNOVATION WITH TRADITION.
WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TERROIR OF HERDADE DO ROCIM AND HOW DO THEY INFLUENCE THE WINES?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: THE TERROIR OF HERDADE DO ROCIM, IN THE HISTORICAL REGION OF VIDIGUEIRA, INCLUDES CLAY-LIMESTONE AND SANDY SOILS, A MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE WITH HIGH THERMAL RANGE, A TOPOGRAPHY OF SOFT HILLS AND, VERY IMPORTANTLY, AUTOCHTHONUS VARIETIES. THESE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS RESULT IN COMPLEX, AROMATIC, BALANCED WINES WITH AN AUTHENTIC IDENTITY.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS A WINEMAKER AT HERDADE DO ROCIM AND HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THEM?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: THERE ARE MANY AND DIVERSE. PESTS, QUALITY MAINTENANCE, ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY, MARKET COMPETITION, ETC. BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR EVERYONE, AND WHICH WILL MARK THE FUTURE OF THE SECTOR, WILL BE CLIMATE CHANGE. WE TRY TO RESPOND TO ALL THESE CHALLENGES, DOING WHAT WE BELIEVE IN - SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, CONSTANT MONITORING, COST OPTIMIZATION AND A STRONG BRAND COMMITMENT TO THE MARKET.
WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU LEARNED DURING YOUR CAREER AS A WINEMAKER?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: NATURE ALWAYS GIVES US THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS. WINE QUALITY STARTS IN THE VINEYARD AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES ARE ESSENTIAL. PATIENCE AND ADAPTATION ARE CRUCIAL TO DEAL WITH THE VARIATIONS OF EACH HARVEST. THEREFORE, TAKING TIME TO KNOW HOW TO "LISTEN" TO THE VINEYARD WILL HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS.
WHICH TRADITIONS AT HERTADE DO ROCIM ARE MOST IMPORTANT AND WHY?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: THE USE OF AUTOCHTONOUS GRAPE VARIETIES AND TRADITIONAL WINEMAKING METHODS, SUCH AS FERMENTATION IN FARMHOUSES, HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL FOR ROCIM. THEY ARE PART OF OUR DNA AND HAVE BEEN STRUCTURAL TO OUR SUCCESS.
HOW DO YOU REFLECT ON THE TIME AND PATIENCE REQUIRED TO CREATE WINES?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: TIME AND PATIENCE ARE ESSENTIAL FOR EVERYTHING! FOR THE MATURATION OF THE VINEYARDS, HARVESTING AT THE RIGHT TIME, FERMENTATION, THE APPROPRIATE TYPE OF AGING. RESPECTING THE RHYTHM OF NATURE AND MAKING APPROPRIATE DECISIONS ENSURE THAT EACH WINE ACHIEVES ITS FULL POTENTIAL.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON ASPECTS IN CREATING AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE WHO VISIT THE HERTADE DO ROCIM?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: WE WANT THOSE WHO VISIT US TO FEEL PART OF THE ROCIM FAMILY. IN ADDITION TO INCLUDING GUIDED TOURS AND PERSONALIZED TASTINGS, THE ESTATE IS IN THE HEART OF VIDIGUEIRA, A REGION WITH MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS OF HISTORY IN WINE PRODUCTION. THE EXPERIENCES WE PROVIDE ARE AN IMMERSATION INTO THIS MILLENNIAL CULTURE, WHICH WE WANT TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE.
PEDRO RIBEIRO, CAN YOU SHARE WHAT ARE THE NEXT PROJECTS OR INNOVATIONS YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE ROCIM BRAND?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: IN THE FUTURE WE WILL HAVE MANY SURPRISES, WHICH WILL STOP BEING SO IF I TELL YOU 😊.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO CONSUMERS WHO ARE STARTING TO EXPLORE HERDADE DO ROCIM WINES?
PEDRO RIBEIRO: TRY IT! EXPLORE TERROIR WINES, PARTICIPATE IN GUIDED TASTINGS, MAKE FOOD COMBINS, STAY AWARE OF NEWS AND ALWAYS REMAIN OPEN TO NEW EXPERIENCES.
