Fernando Paiva of Quinta Da Palmirinha pioneered biodynamics in Portugal. He was the first to use chestnut flowers at bottling to stabilize the wine instead of sulfur. 100% Loureiro from Vinho Verde. White flowers on the nose with racy acid and and lemon zest on the palate. Very mineral, light and refreshing, perfect for seafood.

Fernando Paiva

Quinta da Palmirinha is named after Fernando’s grandmother Palmirinha, who purchased the estate in 1909–the name literally translates to “Palmirinha’s farm.” After retiring as a high school teacher in 2004, Fernando returned to the estate and began making organic and biodynamic wines. The family tradition is set to continue with his grandson, who is currently pursuing a degree in oenology and will one day take over the estate from Fernando.

Vinho Verde is one of the better known wine regions in Portugal, synonymous with the light, gently fizzy, uncomplicated white wine pumped out in boatloads by large producers and cooperatives. Fernando’s wines are quite decidedly not that. Instead, he’s producing serious, still white wines from the indigenous local grape varieties with a hands-off winemaking approach–part of a revival of artisanal, quality-focused producers in the region. The climate here is strongly influenced by the Atlantic, with frequent rain and high humidity. It takes constant care and immense viticultural knowledge to grow healthy fruit in these conditions without resorting to chemical sprays, but if anyone can do it, it’s Fernando–he was one of the pioneers of biodynamic farming in Portugal and was the only certified producer for many years.

Fernando is on the leading edge of avant-garde low intervention winemaking as well. His signature technique is the use of crushed dried chestnut flowers as an antioxidant: he harvests flowers from his biodynamically-grown chestnut trees, dries them, and then mechanically crushes them before adding a small amount to the grape juice during fermentation as a replacement for sulfur. The method is getting attention from other winemakers in Portugal and Europe. Beyond that, the wines are spontaneously fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures, with no fining, filtration, or cold stabilization. The goal is to make wines that are enjoyable and expressive of the terroir.