Wine of the Dead

Vendor: Vinho dos Mortos

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UNIQUE

Regular price 24,40 €

This tradition is kept alive by the hands of the sole current producer of Wine of the Dead, Nuno Pereira. His family has produced this wine for as long as anyone can remember, with the ancestral house, Casa Sousa, dating back to 1792, predating the French invasions.

Quantity :

1 6

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Production Time

Approximately > 2 weeks

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Wine of the Dead - 1

24,40 €

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History Material Dimensions Conservation

Buried underground, before Napoleon could catch it.

When it came to drinking wine, it seems Napoleon rarely ventured beyond his familiar red Burgundy. But when it came to conquering empires, he was known for going a little further.

That is how his army reached the small locality of what is now the village of Boticas, in Trás-os-Montes (Portugal), during the second French invasion, in 1809.

The curious thing is that, even if the emperor had been a masterful sommelier, he would not have found the bottles the locals produced. Because they had been hidden. More than hidden: buried. Can you imagine? Right under their feet.

One of the people’s most precious possessions rested beneath the granitic soil until it was safe; escaping pillaging and fermenting in the dark, under constant temperatures. That is how it received the name Wine of the Dead (Vinho dos Mortos). Later, when they dug up the bottles and opened them to celebrate the good death (of the conflict), they discovered that the wine had acquired unique and unexpected properties: low alcohol content and a subtle effervescence.

Now here we are, more than 200 years later, with a very, very small annual production of numbered bottles.

Santé.

Type > Red

Vintage > 2024

Grape Varieties > Mostly Bastardo, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, and Touriga Franca

Altitude > 500 meters

Production > 750 ml numbered bottles – Lot 1 of 2,666 bottles and Lot 2 of 2,933 bottles

Diâmetro > 9 cm
Altura > 27 cm

Storage
Wine bottles should be stored horizontally, in a cool, dark, and stable place, without temperature variations.
The temperature should not exceed 24º C.
The space should have good ventilation, low humidity, and be free of vibrations.

Serving Suggestion
For the best tasting experience, it is recommended to serve at a temperature of 15º C.

Meet the Producer

A LEGACY BURIED FOR TWO HUNDRED YEARS

The tradition of burying wine remains alive on the Pereira family estate, where they manually bottle and bury around 5,000 limited editions per year.

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Historical Background

Two hundred years ago, locals from a tiny village called Boticas buried their wine underground when Napoleon’s troops came marching in. Later, when they unearthed the bottles, they discovered a lightly sparkling, low-alcohol wine with fresh acidity and red fruit notes.

Continuation of Tradition

Today, the wine burial tradition lives on in the Pereira family estate. Armindo Pereira bottles and hand-buries around 5,000 very limited editions each year.

Next Generation and Innovation

His son Nuno Pereira, a tech entrepreneur, brings fresh energy and design-forward thinking. In 2020, he commissioned a soil analysis, redesigned the bottle, and rebranded the typography with echoes of the early 19th-century local rebellion.

Sustainable Practices and Community

Nuno has also invested in sustainable and socially conscious practices, such as hand-tending the vines, letting wild herbs grow between rows, and promoting communal harvesting, welcoming guests to participate in the experience.

ABOUT THE PROCESS

The wine rests under the granite soils until it is safe, escaping looting and fermenting in the dark under constant temperatures. Later, when the bottles were unearthed, people discovered that the wine had acquired unique properties, such as low alcohol content and subtle effervescence.

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