Paraiso Natural wine
Vinho Branco from Minho, Portugal
High in the mountains
surrounding Ponte de Lima
Paraiso Natural is a micro-project between New York based Brits, Liz Mckiver and Richard Barnett, and their Portuguese friends, winemakers Miguel and Leli Viseu. High in the mountains of Ponte de Lima and nestled in the tiny village of Paraiso, a single vineyard of Loureiro grows at 300 meters elevation. Very few vines are planted at such high elevation, even less surrounded by a completely natural environment. Only 20km off the coast, the vines are constantly touched by the ocean's breeze and are grown organically.
Paraiso Natural
(Natural Paradise)
The property totals roughly 4.5 hectares, with just one hectare currently planted. The vines were planted in 2013. The goal from the beginning has been "to love and preserve the land, the soil, the vines, to allow the grapes to express themselves naturally; and to grow and bottle a beautiful wine, with no intervention in the vineyard, no additives in the bottle."
Loureiro
A white grape indigenous to the Minho region of Northern Portugal.
A single wine is made without any oenological intervention, including fining, filtration or SO2 additions. There is no rushing it to market and it is bottled when ready.
Who Are We?
OWNERS
LIZ MCKIVER & RICHARD BARNETT
WINEMAKER
Miguel & Leli Viseu
Miguel Viseu, in additon to working as head winemaker at the beloved Aphros estate and his own project Galactic Wines with his wife Leli, is in charge of the viticulture and winemaking.
One Vine, One Wine
Country: Portugal
Region: Minho
Color/Style: White
Grapes: Loureiro
SO2: No sulfur added to the wine
Soil Composition: Granite
Farming: Organic (not certified)
Age of vines: Planted in 2013
Exposure: East
Fining/Filtration: Unfined/Unfiltered
Appellation: Vinho Branco
Winemaking: The grapes are direct-pressed and ferment in stainless steel tanks. The wine then ages 25% in clay tinajas, 25% on old oak barrels and 50% in stainless steel for as long as deemed necesarry. The wine is unfined, unfiltered and no SO2 is added at any point including bottling.
