FLC#14 - Rodrigo Martins / Espera Wines
We sat down with Rodrigo Martins, winemaker and owner of Espera Wines. ‘Espera’ means ‘wait’ in Portuguese, and sums up the slow, natural philosophy that fuels Rodrigo’s winemaking. On a small plot of vineyards just outside of Lisbon, Rodrigo organically farms 5 hectares of local varieties. He has no set élevage for any of his wines, letting each vintage dictate the final wine, choosing to work with what nature provides each year. Most of his wines are bright, aromatic and minimally extracted – a new phase for modern Portuguese wine.