Cockburn's
Cockburn’s Miguel Corte Real becomes President of The Association for Viticultural Development in the Douro Valley
Jul 2, 2003, 12:34

Miguel Corte Real, Director of Viticulture and Exports at Cockburn’s, has been elected by his peers to become President of ADVID – the Association of Viticultural Development in the Douro Valley – for a three year term.

Corte Real will direct the Association in its mission to encourage viticultural experimentation and innovation in port production by providing training and technical ‘hands-on’ support to farmers and winegrowers in the Douro region.

“Viticultural innovation plays a key role in maximising the quality of Port production in the Douro,” comments Corte Real.  “Since ADVID was established in 1982, the main Port Houses have worked much more closely together to improve our collective understanding in the areas of matching vineyard sites to grape varieties, clonal and rootstock selection, effective vine management and planting to enable greater mechanisation.  Many of the original objectives of ADVID have been achieved and our focus is now on promoting sustainable agricultural practices and exploring different methods of Integrated Pest Management.

“We are also broadening the remit of ADVID to work more closely with top writers and commentators on Port.  In July 2003 we will be running our second course on Port Production and Tasting for Portuguese wine writers and we’re also planning to run a similar course for top wine writers from around the world.” 

Corte Real has always been passionate about innovation.  One of his particular areas of interest is to explore the untapped potential of many of the ‘forgotten’ grape varieties of the Douro.  Back in the late 1970s he was one of the first viticulturalists in the Douro to recognise the potential of Touriga Nacional for quality port production and set up the Douro’s first official experimental vineyards for massal selection and multiplication at Cockburn’s Quinta de Atayde. 

Currently at Cockburn’s Corte Real is focusing his attention on some of the Douro’s less well known indigenous grape varieties by experimenting with newly grafted clones of Tinta Francisca, Bastardo, Souzão, Tinta da Barca and Tinta Amarela at Atayde and Qunita dos Canais. 

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For further details please contact:

Bryony Wright/ Mark Hunt

Jefferson Hunt Communication Consultants Ltd

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