Since the acquisition of our new vineyards in 1999, we have been developing a Douro table wine project. The project has been under the responsibility of João Brito e Cunha, one of the well known new generation Portuguese oenologists.

With the objective of producing Douro wines with more character and finesse, a decision was made on the definitive sourcing for Churchill table wines from our own estates: Quinta da Gricha, our principal vineyard, has a microclimate and special terroir that produces distinctively elegant wines with excellent natural acidity and purity of fruit.

These now provide the basis for our single estate “Quinta da Gricha,” and our “Churchill Estates” red wines. As of 2003 we have decided to increase the percentage of Touriga Nacional in these wines to give them greater aromatic elegance and identity.

John L. Graham