In fashion, people like to say that everything comes back around, and old things become modern again. The same applies to wine. Storing fruit salads in amphora-like clay pots is becoming trendy again for conscious enjoyment—and these three amphora wines from Herdade do Rocim in Portugal have a timeless style, in my opinion!
For me, Portugal tastes like culinary adventures. Since my first visit to Porto, I have made a number of discoveries in the city that are right at the top of my food scale, and many of them have also inspired me in my cooking. That’s why I always look forward to a new message in a bottle from the country and thus a new journey in a glass, as it’s not always possible to get there in person.
Especially since the wine trio strikes a very unique note: in the truest sense of the word – because the three wines here from the Herdade do Rocim winery were all aged in amphorae. Amphorae? Exactly those clay vessels that look like the Champions League trophy and somehow always remind us of the scale at which Asterix, but more likely Obelix, would inhale wine with wild boar.
Herdade do Rocim amphora wines, or: When Portugal sets the clay model for wine discovery
Wine production in large, amphora-like clay vessels is probably the oldest form of winemaking. In the Greek/Roman world, amphorae were mainly used for storage and transport, while Georgian qvevris tend to be buried in the ground. Why all this? These wines are characterized by gentler micro-oxidation, which promotes more complex aromas and texture without the wine drawing too many woody aromas from the closet. The result is rather clean, terroir-driven wines that help both the grape variety and the hood in which it grew to bring their authentic selves to the glass.
It sounds a bit poetic, of course, and like something you have to get involved in—but it fits perfectly with where I am now on my wine journey. Sometimes you need a little push out of your comfort zone. Natural wines and low intervention were long a terrain I didn’t dare to venture into. Until I literally had a long-distance glass in my hand that helped me see the travel route from a different perspective. The Zalto Denk’Art Balance glass sparked my curiosity about structured wines that are more unadorned, artisanal, and honest. I became interested in wines with character that are proud to show where they come from, how they were grown, and tell their story. Wines that haven’t been ironed smooth like silk blouses. And the three amphora wines from Herdade do Rocim definitely have character—even a good dose of coolness.
In just a few years, Catarina Vieira and Pedro Ribeiro have developed the Rocim winery into one of Portugal’s most successful projects, focusing primarily on cooler growing regions. In addition to the wines they produce in Vale do Rocim in the Vidigueira sub-region of Alentejo, the two have also used many other “cool spots” for exciting wines over the past 20 years. For example, vineyards near Lisbon, in Dão, Bairrada, Douro, the refreshing north of Vinho Verde, and on the islands of Madeira and the Azores have been selected to vinify their fresh, structured wines.
The leading figures and creative minds behind Herdade do Rocim wines: Catarina Vieira and Pedro Ribeiro.
At Herdade do Rocim, both the wines and the winery have an elegant architecture.
From the range, I try the Herdade do Rocim wines “Fresh from the Amphora NatCool White,” “Herdade do Rocim Amphora Tinto,” and “Quinta da Pedragosa Amphora Tinto.” Cool detail: all Herdade do Rocim wines from the tasting charmingly display their amphora background on the label design. A pool would have made the tasting even better, but I did what I do on vacation: I just let myself drift with the wines—and summarized it for you here in my typical alphabet soup.
Herdade do Rocim Fresh from amphora white
A quiet summer wine alarm with a cool factor in liter format! Rocim Fresh from the Amphora White should also be enjoyed cool. The fruit salad matured for a while in the eponymous clay pot, which the Romans already used, and has a truly relaxed character. Herdade do Rocim Fresh from Amphora White is the result of a partnership between the two wineries Herdade do Rocim and Niepoort, which embraces the Nat’Cool concept and its philosophy of relaxed and easy-to-drink wines, with the amphorae contributing to a lighter, fresher, and very harmonious wine.
Herdade do Rocim Fresh from Amphora White is a white wine made from the Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha, and Manteúdo grape varieties, which tastes as if a rowboat were simply drifting on a lake.
The result: an unconventional, almost casually laid-back Glou Glou wine with the perfect dress code for summer.
The first sniff gives the impression of seagulls flying toward the salty coast in the morning mist, carrying apples, elderberries, and honey in their beaks. The first sip? Like a tasty sedative. Because this white wine, made from Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha, and Manteúdo grapes, is super relaxed, smooth, and delicate on the tongue, like a rowboat drifting on a lake. But it also has an acidity that emerges like the great white shark—and immediately becomes the common thread. Gooseberry, currant, almost like grape juice. No need for sunscreen because it’s empty before you finish. A wine that leans back, relaxed, and lets you do your thing. In short: Baby, sip me one more time!
Rocim fresh from amphora white, Price: around 16 euros, for example via portugalvineyards.com
Herdade do Rocim Amphora Tinto
The Portuguese winery Rocim focuses primarily on cool growing regions, but that doesn’t mean that the fruit salads can’t bring you up to temperature. The Rocim Amphora Tinto from the Alentejo was allowed to mature in clay pots and was served chilled, making it super classy. What does the amphora do? To me, it feels like moving out of the hectic, bustling city and into the countryside, shifting down two gears and greeting the baker and others by their first names: down-to-earth, casual, unexcited, yet the craftsmanship really comes through.
In Rocim Amphora Tinto, the Aragonez, Moreto, Tinta Grossa, and Trincadeira grape varieties dribble through the amphora cabin.
A red wine that is a prime example of understated elegance.
There is a clear idea behind this red wine. My interpretation of it is: just let it be itself. Keyword names: Aragonez, Moreto, Tinta Grossa, Trincadeira sound like next-generation soccer players who will soon be dribbling at the World Cup, but they are the grape varieties used. The nose is flanked by strawberry, raspberry with salt, and sour cherry. This continues on the palate. A one-two combination of smoothness and juiciness, smooth, relaxed, but in such an honest, carefree way, a wine with its own tempo.
Herdade do Rocim Amphora Tinto, Price: around 18 euros, for example via portugalvineyards.com
Quinta da Pedragosa Amphora Tinto
The cuvée of Negra Mole, Aragonez, and Syrah initially appears to be in a higher price range, aimed at curious individuals seeking to broaden their horizons. However, despite its exciting depth, this wine also retains the same calmness that runs like a common thread through all three wines tasted. It’s like a character trait where the wine comments on everything with a twinkle in its eye, even when it comes dressed in a super smart, double-breasted velvet blazer. How does it smell? My first impression on the nose: salty raspberry, sour cherry, fresh plum, windy, cool, edgy, but super fine.
Salty raspberry, sour cherry, fresh plum: with Quinta da Pedragosa Amphora Tinto, the wine journey in your glass feels like an honest visit to a local winemaker.
The Quinta da Pedragosa Amphora Tinto also displays its amphora ambience in a charming way on the label design.
The firm red wine glides across the tongue, full-bodied and balanced, as if a boat were already sailing smoothly across the river, with gentle waves and slightly tart notes reminiscent of cold fruit tea. An ultra-subtle spiciness jumps on board, like pepper shaken from the wrist. And then: after each sip, a pure juiciness enters the net, deep sour cherry, ice-cold fruit tea, salty vibes, juicy, animating, but made so light and lively, as if nothing can disturb the calm of this wine.
Quinta da Pedragosa Amphora Tinto, Price: around 35 euros, more via rocim.pt
Herdade do Rocim: conclusion
A refreshing style that also brings out the explorer in you: I enjoyed the genuinely relaxed, classy, laid-back vibe of all the Herdade do Rocim wines I sampled – Fresh from the Amphora NatCool White, Herdade do Rocim Amphora Tinto, and Quinta da Pedragosa Amphora Tinto. The wines keep a cool head, never seeming overheated or too spirited, even though they have depth of character. The prices are fair, so even curious beginners can slowly venture in here.
Three is a party. Just pour them and let the amphora fruit salads set the tone, then they’ll thaw out super fast and become sophisticated entertainers.
There is a clear script for all wines, but none of them want to rush straight into the leading role. The amphora wines mix nonchalance with relaxed humor, wrapped up in a classy dress code. There’s no need to worry about not understanding the wines. without seeking the spotlight too much. A cool excursion that made me even more curious about what other vino adventures are waiting out there.
