New Cellar
Aesthetics and communion with nature being at the heart of Aphros project, much care was taken in the design of this new cellar. Working in beauty being our aim, the ambiance where wines are elaborated and most of the work is done is of foremost importance.
Sculptural playful geometries transform a highly funcional layout, where grand vertical openings allow the landscape together with natural light to gently enter the building, reminding us they are the elements we work with in the wines.
A square ground plan is deconstructed through recessed, off-symmetry light entrances, creating spaces of changing proportions. Different angled white planes of the ceilings contrast with the grounding, earthy feel of natural concrete walls. In the outside, reminding us of a gentle fortress, these dynamics are expressed in 4 unlike facades and the rhythmic play of the multi angled roof, most beautiful as seen from above.
Designed by Carvalho Araújo, one of the most eminent Portuguese architecture studios, it is also highly functional building that completely changed the life at winery, upgrading working conditions to an optimal state.
Comprising storage, packaging and production areas, as well as locker rooms, office and laboratory, it allows centralizing the different branches of work in the company, while optimizing their management and coordination.
Integrating winemaking technology – temperature control, nitrogen generator, peristaltic pump, vibrating and sorting tables – it also ensures optimal conditions for handling and protecting the wines as well as responding to the increasing logistic demands in preparing and expediting orders.
The Medieval Cellar
As the “modern” equipments were moved to be part of the new cellar, space was left open fin the original cellar of the old Quint to embody a wish that had been fermenting in Vasco Croft’s mind for years – to create artisanal wines in close intimacy, in a natural, joyful atmosphere, relying on human gestures and perception unmediated by sophisticated tools for processing.
An act of reflection on the problem of dependence on technology, where human functions are delegated to machines, the medieval cellar rescues our natural sovereignty as winemakers in body and spirit.
Dispensing with electric power and machines, we allow ourselves the joys of moving our bodies and hearts together as grapes are transformed into wine, while operating very primitive tools by hand: boxes, buckets, a de-stemming table, a hand pump, wooden hammers and amphorae is all we need to make these wines.
The medieval cellar has 6 Portuguese amphorae (Talhas), from 90 to 120 years of age, 1300 liters each. These come from Alentejo, South of Portugal, where they were used as the main vessels for winemaking since roman times until mid 20th century – an almost extinct tradition.
Grapes are crushed and de-stemmed in a wooden table, the juice and skins being immediately moved to the amphorae, to stay for some weeks in skin contact. Then a layer of olive oil is left on top of the wine during the winter, to protect it during the winter, while it rests and tunes itself until it is ready for bottling in springtime.
