Quinta Várzea da Pedra

Tomás Emídio began his wine journey early, spending his summer holidays helping out in the cellar – but after that, it took a rather circuitous route. After studying graphic design at university, his career path saw him playing semi-professional basketball, working in events, and DJ-ing – to this day, he has a turntable in the cellar. He finally returned to wine in 2014, when he and his brother Alberto decided to revive Quinta Várzea da Pedra.

Ever the curious soul, Tomás dedicated his time to learning as much as he could, taking courses, attending workshops and experimenting in the vines – this year has seen a push on cover crops, and he now has ten different species mixed in the vineyard. Throughout the process he became increasingly interested in organics, particularly since the birth of his son, with which came the desire to do whatever he could to improve the landscape for his child’s future. While not certified, in reality the farming is organic, mixing biodynamic and regenerative practices.

Cleanliness in wine is of the utmost importance to Tomás, and as such his winemaking techniques differ from cuvée to cuvée and vintage to vintage. In his own words, ‘the vineyard makes the rules, the wine tells the story’. His goal is to make high acid, fresh whites that have the potential to age – much like the music which is so close to his heart, he wants his wines to last for decades, eliciting emotion and pleasure for years to come.