Cliff Richard turns 70 on Thursday 14th October 2010, but what better to preserve oneself in than Portugese wine made in your own back yard?
Sir Cliff’s vineyard, Quinta do Moinho in the Algarve, provides fruit for Adega Do Cantor or “Winery of the Singer” alongside a number of other local growers.
Sir Cliff’s first vintage in 2000, of only 200 bottles, outdid his music in terms of critical acclaim. Although he professes to know little about winemaking, the experts were certainly impressed. He has produced around 45,000 bottles per year but is aiming for 100,000 in the future.
Sir Cliff’s vineyard was planted in 1997 and 1998 after a study by Australian viticulturalist Dr. Richard Smart. The plantings were as follows:
- 3.5 Ha of Syrah or Shiraz
- 2.5 Ha of Aragonês (Tempranillo)
- 1.4 Ha of Trincadeira
- 0.5 Ha of Mourvèdre
Quinta do Moinho utilises modern viticultural principles including canopy management, a vertical shoot positioning training system and drip irrigation. The vines quickly became established and the result is the Vida Nova range of wines – available from Waitrose. The retailer currently stocks two varieties:
- Vida Nova Rosé 2008 Algarve Portugal
- Vida Nova Syrah / Aragónez 2007/08 Algarve Portugal
