Jose Maria da Fonseca

José Maria da Fonseca has just released the Ripanço, a wine from the Alentejo region, produced at the José de Sousa winery in Reguengos de Monsaraz. The name of this wine Ripanço stands for a technique that we use in a very small percentage, which dates back to Roman times and was traditionally used in southern Portugal for the de-stalking of the grapes using a table, a ripanço table , with wooden bars. Although we use this technique in a very small percentage, it is enough to obtain a very smooth and elegant wine without the harsh tannins of the stems.

The winery stands in the center of the small town of Reguengos de Monsaraz, located in the heart of the Alentejo province in southern Portugal. Combining tradition and history with state-of-the-art technology, it is the exact blend of old and new - a constant in José Maria da Fonseca's long history - that makes José de Sousa so sublime, a blend of skilled craftsmanship and modernity.

You will come across a traditional winery (built underground to maintain cool temperatures all year round), with two lagares (open tanks) for entering the grapes, 114 clay amphorae for fermentation, a ripanço table and a modern winery equipped with 44 stainless steel tanks and technology to make part of the red wine.