XXVI Talhas

The XXVI Talhas project pays homage to the ancient tradition of talha wine production.In Vila Alva, typical village located in the heart of the Alentejo, there is a great culture and tradition of wine making through this ancient method, introduced by the Romans more than two thousand years ago. The “know-how” has passed from generation to generation, which has allowed this production technique to be a reality in this village up to the present day. With the reactivation of the old ‘Adega do Mestre Daniel’ we try to preserve, stimulate and promote this winemaking method which, for several reasons, has been decreasing in recent years. It is in this Adega, in Vila Alva, that we produce our wine according to the traditional methods. Daniel António Tabaquinho dos Santos (1923-1985), besides producing wine, also used this place to work as a carpenter and, for this reason, was known locally as “Mestre Daniel”. Mestre Daniel has produced talha wine here for about 30 years, following the family tradition he inherited from his parents and grandparents. After his death, a few years of production followed. However, in 1990, the winery closed. In 2018, after nearly thirty years of interregnum, the winery is back on track, retaking the local and family tradition of wine production. As it is tradition in Vila Alva, the containers used for the vinification are the Talhas, descendants of the great Roman Amphora, with capacities that vary between 300 and 1300 liters. In our Adega we have 26 Talhas: 22 are made of clay, some dating from the XIX century, and 4 are made of reinforced concrete that, although more recent (1930s), were manufactured by “local Vila Alva masters”, reason why they also have great significance for us.