Interview with Luís Cerdeira - by Manel Serrano
M: How do you go from a highly recognised family project like Soalheiro, to another one with your son, VINEVINU, with such a radical turn in the same region of “Vinhos Verdes”?
L: For those who don't know me, my trajectory began in a deeply family project. My father João Cerdeira, founder of Soalheiro and who planted the first continuous Alvarinho vineyard in Melgaço in 1974, inspired in all of us a great curiosity and passion for the Alvarinho grape variety in this region. To have been part of this journey was a transforming experience, which allowed me to understand the strength and potential of the Monção and Melgaço territory.
With time and with the aim of getting out of my comfort zone, I decided to take on a new challenge together with my son Manuel: VINEVINU.
This is not a break, but a natural evolution, a twist that allows us to look at the same region from a different perspective. VINEVINU was born with the freedom to experiment, to explore new places, new blends and new ways of expressing Alvarinho. In essence, it is the continuation of a family story, but told in a different language and with a different energy, that of an encounter between generations.
Within the range that is in our shop, two questions...
M: In your Almanua wine from the Atlantic zone you bring to work in the blend with the Maria Gomes variety:
L: Maria Gomes, or Fernão Pires, as it is also known, is a variety that, in recent years, has lost a certain dignity in the Minho region because of its reputation for being very productive. Personally, I think this is unfair. Each variety has its own value; the important thing is to discover it and dignify it.
At Almanua, Manuel and I wanted to rescue that identity. We incorporated a 25% by Maria Gomes of old vines in the lot precisely because of their ability to provide mouthfeel and smoothness, qualities that balance the precision we seek in our wines.
The Maria Gomes fits perfectly into this equation, providing texture and a sensory profile that reinforces our idea of wines with character, balance and elegance.
M: And in the Génese already in Melgaço, what difference do the different terroirs make?
L: Melgaço is our home, our origin, and what excites us most is to see how Alvarinho changes according to the place where it grows. In this small region, the vineyards of the valley and mountain They offer radically different profiles: those from high altitude bring freshness and tension, while those from the valley give body and maturity.
Genesis is born precisely from this duality. It enhances the freshness of high altitude vineyards, but defies their natural tendency towards lightness through a partial malolactic fermentation, The result is a long wine, with a round, almost horizontal start. The result is a long wine, with a round, almost horizontal start, and a finish of vibrant acidity.
Later this year we will launch Gerações (Generations), a wine that seeks the complexity of the Alvarinho from the union between valley and mountain plots. We always say that a wine is either fruity or mineral; in this case, I dare to say that Gerações is both.
M: And finally, we have to ask you to explain who came up with the idea of making a wine as funny and irreverent as Guri. We have been enjoying your work for many years but we didn't expect something so different and that it would surprise us so much, for the better, so I'll let you spread out at your leisure.
L: GURI was an idea that was always there. I have long believed that wines with under alcohol have a fundamental role in democratising consumption, bringing wine closer to audiences that are often left out, such as the very young.
Manuel, influenced by his studies abroad, also brought a different perspective, taking his inspiration from the wines of the Mosel, in Germany. Thus GURI was born: a wine with 18 grams of residual sugar, but with a pH of 3, which gives it that electric freshness that makes it so fun and vibrant.
We did not want to make a sweet wine for desserts, but a light wine, with a low alcohol content, that would fit in with the new gastronomic trends, versatile and with attitude. In a certain way, GURI embodies the youthfulness of the project, Vinevinu's freest and most spontaneous part.
Best of luck with this small but pure and enriching project with your son Manuel, you deserve it!!