Ramos Pinto

Winemaker: João Nicolau de Almeida

João Nicolau de Almeida

João Nicolau de Almeida was born in Oporto, Portugal in 1949. Educated in Oporto, he earned a degree in Enology and Agricultural Chemistry at Bordeaux University. Later in 1976 he joined the family firm, Ramos-Pinto, as winemaker and managing director.

Combining his love of the Douro region and his passion for enology, João Nicolau began an exhaustive micro-vinification study of single grape varietals. This study established the five major varietals that were were officially adopted by the regional authorities: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Cao.

In the mid-seventies, Nicolau de Almeida and his family further developed the study by leading the way with modern viticultural practices. As part of his research on the singular varieties planted in the Douro vineyards, he selected the plant material and then organized the vines by varietal blocks, planting the vines up and down the rolling hills rather than on the region’s typical horizontal terraces. By planting vertically, Nicolau de Almeida was able to achieve greater vine density while also increasing vineyard management efficiency. The vertical planting method has since been adopted by other port houses and is used almost exclusively at Ervamoira.

Nicolau de Almeida is truly a pioneer of the Douro Valley, in addition to carrying on the family tradition of making world-class Ports, he also set a new standard for Portuguese red table wines with the creation of Duas Quintas. The two vinho tinto, a "regular" bottling and a reserva, have captured the attention of wine lovers and opened the door for further exploration of the robust, elegant wines from this incredibly beautiful, rugged region where the love of wine has been cultivated for centuries.