Mauro Azóia has been working for almost twenty years making wines in the regions of Lisbon, Alentejo and Vinho Verde. Its philosophy is to work with its own or carefully selected vineyards, making very particular wines with very limited productions in order to express to the maximum the characteristics of each variety and its terroir.
Based on this premise, we have launched the challenge to him to, together with our consultant and teacher Manel Serrano to elaborate 3 own brand wines (a green, a white and a red) and of limited edition to commemorate the 20th anniversary of A CASA PORTUGUESA in 2026.
Recently, we were together in Porto at the last edition of Simplesmente Vinho, and here is part of our conversation...
Pedro Ramos: Mauro. Tell us a bit about your very interesting experience in the world of wine in various continents and how it has influenced you. When do you go back to Portugal and start making wine with our Portuguese grape varieties?
Mauro Azoia: I started my experience as an assistant winemaker in 2008, in my hometown, Almeirim, at Quinta da Alorna, a great reference in Portuguese white wines in the Tejo region. In the same region, while still a young winemaker in training, I had the opportunity to take over the winemaking team at Pinhal da Torre, a premium wine company, under the guidance of Russell Burns, a South Australian winemaker who runs Torbreck, one of the Barossa's most famous wineries.
Russell's influence inspired me to learn more and more about different winemaking methodologies, different grape varieties and different terroirs around the world. In this way, I became a travelling oenologist and started my international experience. in Australia (Kaleske's Wines), New Zealand (Indevin), the United States, in California (Silver Oak Cellars), South Africa (Saronsberg Estate) and France (Fayolle Fils & Fille).
Returning to Portugal and making my own wines was part of the plan. I arrived very inspired and eager to develop new wines with the varieties I liked the most. It has been 15 years now and everything has been built up over time.
Pedro Ramos: Manel. Knowing like nobody else, (or like me :)), the profile of our clients since 2006, What indications have you given Mauro about the wine profiles we are looking for?
Manel Serrano: Throughout these eighteen years working exclusively for and with Portuguese wine, this project is the most exciting one I have ever been involved in. to be able to collaborate with Mauro in the elaboration of the wines for the 20th anniversary.
Surely ten years ago my concept of wine would have been different, but the times and the trends in the world make me approach concepts that during more than 50 years dedicated to wine, in different facets, I propose a modern approach, without renouncing what for me is fundamental, We work with local identity and varieties in each region, and at the same time wines that express their origin. leaving no one indifferent.
Light, fruity, fresh, but at the same time, wines that are a pleasure to drink. combining the quality of terroir and modernity.
I see this challenge as a great opportunity and responsibility for a reference as A Casa Portuguesa has been, is and will be, and for the customers who have been accomplices of this great adventure for so many years.
Pedro Ramos: I would like to add that we are going to invite a designer who collaborates or has collaborated with A CASA PORTUGUESA during these 20 years to draw the labels of each of the wines. By when can we expect the first more definitive news on each of the wines in the form of the wine that will be released in the coming months? our customers can start with their pre-orders?
Mauro AzoiaNothing is definitive in this world, but you can expect wines of the highest quality that will awaken all your senses. Gastronomic and with the identity of each region.
Manel SerranoWe'll give hints of the shenanigans as they come up - we're entitled to have fun working too, aren't we? Hopefully we'll be able to give updates before the third world war or the change of government, so we'll try to make it quick.
At the meeting in Porto we were accompanied by the bright Inês Deroche who has given us a taste of his Botanical Wines - Delância - that we will soon be launching at A CASA PORTUGUESA with a big party and on which we will talk about it in the future in this blog.