Luis Pato: Bairrada 的奇才 The Genius from Bairrada

June 28, 2011 admin No Comments

Luis Pato是Bairrada地區的一個充滿熱情和才華的釀酒師。Luis能馴服這地區的黑葡萄Baga，其高單寧及高酸度如果處理不好，可會釀出又酸又硬，而不被欣賞的葡萄酒。1980年是他生產的第一個年份，時至今日仍非常好喝，酒香四溢，口感成熟而同時保持清爽的酸度。Luis也擅長運用Bical葡萄來釀造出值得陳年的濃厚白酒Vinha Formal。

Luis Pato is a passionate and able winemaker in the Bairrada region. Luis has been able to tame the red Baga grape of this region, a variety that is high in tannin and acid and if not handled well, could produce wines that are too harsh to be appreciated. His first vintage in 1980 is still drinking very well with fragrant nose and matured smooth palate while still maintaining lively acidity. Luis is also a fine white winemaker, using the Bical grape to produce a strong flavour white wine called Vinha Formal which deserves aging.

Luis Pato擁有 70公頃葡萄園，種植不同種類的黑白葡萄，生產的葡萄酒風格廣泛，當中包括紅酒、白酒、汽泡酒及甜酒。 Bairrada是一個沿海區域，屬於海洋氣候，良好的栽培是讓葡萄成熟的重點。Luis對管理葡萄園非常認真，他運用綠色採收 (green harvest) 及在不同時期採摘葡萄，來釀造不同風格的葡萄酒。他把不同品種的葡萄種植在合適的土地，白酒和輕身的紅酒多數在沙土種植，豐厚的紅酒則在石灰岩粘土上種植。

Luis Pato has 70 hectare of vineyard, planting a mix of red and white grapes, producing a wide range of wines from red, white, sparkling to dessert wines. Bairrada is a costal region with maritime climate which good viticulture practice is important for winegrowers to ripen the grapes. Luis manages his vineyard carefully by performing green harvest and picking the grapes at different times for different styles of wines. He has also planted suitable variety at each plot of land, the sandy soil are used mostly for whites and lighter reds, while the limestone clay soil are used for the richer reds.

Luis Pato的葡萄酒能與食物配搭得宜，紅酒與當地馳名的乳豬及鴨肉非常配襯，白酒則適合配魚和雞肉。酒莊內有葡萄酒商店供購物，可安排舉辦品酒會和晚宴，建議參觀前先預約。住宿方面，大家可選擇預訂舒適的Casa de Ois do Bairro。

Luis Pato’s wines are great with food, with the local suckling pig and duck top on the list for the red wines and fish and chicken for the whites. The winery has a wine shop and can host tastings and dinner parties, prior booking is recommended. There is also the option of staying overnight by booking the comfortable Casa de Ois do Bairro.

Luis每年都致力提高葡萄酒的質量，他還與女兒 Filipa合作釀製創新甜酒FLP，我們從香港帶來的月餅也與她很匹配！我們希望這位釀酒界的表表者，會繼續釀造更多如此精彩的葡萄酒，並將這個鮮為人知的Bairrada酒區從葡萄牙推廣到世界各地。

Luis is working hard on improving his wines every year and is also partnering with his daughter Filipa on project like the innovative dessert wine FLP which matches very well with our mooncake from Hong Kong! We hope that this leader from Bairrada will continue making such outstanding wines and promote this lesser know region from Portugal to the world.