# Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Douro Tinto (2020)

- **Producer:** Casa Ferreirinha
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca
- **Region:** Douro, Portugal
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €15
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, plum, cherry, chocolate, cedar

## About this wine

First launched in 1960, Vinha Grande was the second unfortified Douro red created by Casa Ferreirinha, following their iconic Barca-Velha. Created to offer an accessible, classic representation of top-tier Douro blended table wine, it pays homage to Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira ('A Ferreirinha'), a 19th-century pioneer who shaped Douro viticulture. Today, chief winemaker Luís Sottomayor crafts this benchmark wine using grapes from both Cima Corgo and Douro Superior.

## Interesting facts

- Vinha Grande was created in 1960 as Casa Ferreirinha's second unfortified red wine after Barca-Velha.
- Casa Ferreirinha honors Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, a pioneering 19th-century businesswoman in Douro.
- The 2020 harvest was one of the earliest on record in the Douro due to the hottest July in 30 years.

## Food pairing

This full-bodied, structured red pairs best with rich protein dishes and savory fats, which soften firm tannins and complement the wine's vibrant dark fruit aromas.

## Wine making process

Grapes sourced from Cima Corgo and Douro Superior are hand-harvested, fully destemmed, and softly crushed. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for approximately 8 days. Gentle maceration with regular pump-overs and robotic plunging ensures optimal extraction of color and tannins. The wine is then aged for 12 months in neutral French oak barrels prior to final blending and light filtration before bottling.