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<strong>PORT</strong>UGAL<br />
EX<strong>PORT</strong><br />
JOÃO <strong>PORT</strong>UGAL RAMOS,<br />
A WINERY FOCUSED<br />
ON EX<strong>PORT</strong>S<br />
JOÃO <strong>PORT</strong>UGAL RAMOS WITH HIS SON JOÃO MARIA<br />
Renowned winemaker João Portugal Ramos, now<br />
a household name in the international market,<br />
has made a major contribution to the reputation<br />
of Portuguese wines around the world. His<br />
sought-after wines are produced in four regions<br />
– Alentejo, Douro, Beiras and Vinho Verde – and<br />
are the best-selling Portuguese wines in several<br />
countries.<br />
The company has always focused on foreign<br />
markets, explains winemaker João Maria Ramos,<br />
the founder’s son. “Over the years, we have<br />
increa sed our export volumes which now account<br />
for 70% of production”. Traditionally, João Portugal<br />
Ramos-labelled wines have been sold in the United<br />
States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Sweden,<br />
Poland, Belgium and Switzerland, but they are<br />
now making a name for themselves in Australia,<br />
China, Angola and South Africa. The company has<br />
increased its attendance at international fairs and<br />
ramped up its sales team to bolster its presence in<br />
emerging markets.<br />
But the main driver behind its success is its<br />
constant concern for quality and its ability to adapt<br />
to market demand, stresses Ramos. Consumers<br />
now are increasingly looking for sustainably<br />
produced, responsible wines, whose credentials<br />
can be demonstrated, he comments. And at João<br />
Portugal Ramos there is no shortage of green<br />
initiatives, from protecting biodiversity to use of<br />
natural fertilisers, minimal intervention and optimised<br />
water usage, to name a few.<br />
Also, the winery has recently invested in wine<br />
tourism, deemed to be an “extremely important<br />
resource for helping our wines achieve success<br />
overseas”, claims Ramos. “Portugal welcomes<br />
millions of holidaymakers every year and many<br />
of them want to visit wineries. We want them<br />
to enjoy a unique experience and that when they<br />
leave, they look out for Portuguese wines in their<br />
home country”. The circle is now complete.<br />
HARVESTING BY HAND IS THE NORM AT JOÃO <strong>PORT</strong>UGAL RAMOS<br />
AUTUMN 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE<br />
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