Nortico

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Nortico 2023 Alvarinho, Vinho Regional Minho

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Ask anyone for the best Alvarinho in Portugal, and people will point to the extreme north to the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço, right on the border with Spain. Nortico is produced on the south bank of the Minho river in small plots called jardins, gardens in Portuguese. Soils here are granite and shiest and while it rains a lot (2,000ml annually) the inland area is a little warmer than the coastal plantings, allowing for a perfect maturation.

Nortico Alvarinho is one of those projects that has been a while in the making. It starts in the family’s small tile atelier. The ceramic tile atelier was more a labor of passion and tenacity than a business, as it always seemed to be on the bring of bankruptcy! To this day tiles are still produced there exactly like in the 18th century, each 14X14cm tile produced from scratch and each painted by hand.

Walking the streets of Oporto or Lisboa, tiles are in both modest and important buildings, in churches, in hospitals and stores, in private houses and public gardens. Tiles are a durable building material, an early form of story telling and graphic design. The white and blue tile inspired 'Nortico' label captures the spirit and Portuguese aesthetics.