The art of slowness

When José Roquette acquired the historic Herdade do Esporão estate in 1973, the farm was in ruins. Today, almost 50 years later, it is one of Portugal's leading wineries. José Roquette's recipe for success? Slowness. For example, it took 12 years for Esporão to launch its first wine. «First we do better, then we do more», is the visionary's conviction. If you take that seriously, you need time and patience. That's why the winery's slogan is also «mais devagar», «always nice and slow». José Roquette proves day after day that these are not just nice words: «In the morning, I like to ride my bike around the Herdade and feel at one with everything around me. It's a feeling of belonging to something much bigger», says the 84-year-old. At Esporão, they are deeply convinced that only those who take their time can build a real relationship with their environment and their fellow human beings. In fact, in this large company, there is an unprecedented sense of belonging among the employees. Everyone here pulls in the same direction. The goal: to make the best wines. The motivation: To change the world with it. That Esporão is really serious about how they work, is evident from initiatives such as the «Slow Forward» movement. With this, the winery wants to inspire us to question the «ever faster, ever more» of our present. People and nature should be at the center of what we do. This has been proven to make people happier, according to a study by the University of Lisbon sponsored by Esporão. With its progressive corporate culture and commitment to quality and sustainability, the company has set the best example for other companies.

The label is redesigned every year.

It was a bit of a disaster for 5-year-old Telmo when his father bought a beautiful, ancient vineyard in Rioja in 1967. The Rodriguez family then moved from the Basque port city of Irun to the countryside: «It was a shock! We spent the first summers on Remelluri without electricity.» However, the simple, secluded life on the historic estate was an important lesson for Telmo Rodriguez: He developed a deep humility before tradition and nature. In retrospect, it was probably this very experience that laid the foundation for his unprecedented career. After studying oenology in Bordeaux, Telmo Rodriguez made a name for himself as a «driving winemaker» starting in 1994: He searched throughout Spain for forgotten wine traditions, restored historic vineyards, and rediscovered grape varieties that had fallen into oblivion. Not infrequently, he has thus helped entire regions to flourish. In 2010, the enterprising oenologist returned to Remelluri. The time was ripe to realize his vision of «authentic wines with the soul of their place of origin» also on his family's winery. Yes, the Lindes de Remelluri really transports the magic of this historic winery. It is a wine full of tension: youthful freshness next to tart maturity, a lot of joie de vivre paired with great seriousness, exuberance combined with reverence. One notices that a circle closes here for Telmo Rodriguez. We think one can even speak of consummate art.