VADIO BAIRRADA, PORTUGAL

Vadio is located on the coast of central Portugal, around 200km north of Lisbon in the village Poutena in the Bairrada region. Bairrada is characterised by a great plateau of soft hills and numerous valleys and is bordered by rivers and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a small family project founded in 2005 by winemaker Luís Patrão that has as an essential element the recovery of Bairrada’s traditional grape varieties. They have three small and distinct vineyards and an old warehouse that they have adapted in a simple manner for the production of wine. Their wines present a very classic style that intends to respect the authenticity of the region and its character. Vadio is Portuguese for a bohemian loafer or idler, and slyly connotes the simple pleasure of time spent with friends and a good glass of wine. Luis Patrao is anything but an idler though. While his day job is the wine-maker at a big winery, this is his pet project, undertaken with his girlfriend Eduarda and his father Dinis. They practice a viticulture that is based on sustainability through organic farming, protecting the region’s biodiversity. They believe that through this process, they can achieve a greater authenticity and character to their wines. We use family labor and occasionally hire local rural workers, enabling a better use and development of the region’s capabilities and resources.