Filipa Pato uses piglets and biodynamic practices to produce award-winning wines in Portugal

The vineyards in question are from Filipa Pato, a renowned and award-winning winegrower, who produces wines “without makeup”, a term that indicates sustainable cultivation with the least possible oenological intervention.

Piglets are an essential part of this biodynamic viticulture, which focuses on respect for the environment. The animals eat the plants and weeds around the vines and leave the rest of the organic matter, in addition to working the soil, quickly purifying the land.

A short hybrid breed with a short snout, the piglets are able to pass under the vines, performing a job that no human, machine or herbicide could do in such an efficient, cheap and natural way. The result is a vineyard that becomes a rich ecosystem and, in the end, produces great wines.

In addition to pigs, other animals work in the vineyards: sheep, for example, also help to fertilize the land. A mule plays the role of shepherd, guiding the sheep and protecting them from predators. The integration between nature and vines is part of the philosophy of Filipa Pato and her husband, William Wouters.

Among the couple's other biodynamic practices are a type of soil fertilization that deviates from the norm. In autumn, the winemaker fills cow horns with cow manure and buries them until spring. This natural fertilizer is then diluted in water and applied to the vines to fertilize the soil naturally.

These labels produced in the most natural way possible made Filipa famous, who is the daughter of Luis Pato, another very famous producer in the region. Having produced her first wine in 1980, Filipa has been shining with her own light for many decades.

Its wines are famous for their complexity and elegance, both the reds made with the Baga grape, which bring the sophistication of the great Pinot Noir from Burgundy, for a much lower price, and the whites of the Bical variety, which are among the best in Portugal.

It is no coincidence that Nossa Calcário Red 2023 harvest, made with grapes from old vines, was voted best red wine in Portugal by renowned North American critic, James Suckling. Our 2023 vintage Nossa Calcário Branco received 95 points from Robert Parker. Both labels are available on the Brazilian market.

They can be found on Grande Adega's e-commerce site for individuals or on the B2B portal of the Porto a Porto importer for legal entities. Filipa Pato's wines are brought to Brazil by Porto a Porto.