Winery visit - Casa Horacio Simones

 Incredibly unique experience at the Casa Horacio Simones winery in Setúbal!

Grape stomping, Moscatel tasting (straight from the barrel), and a delicious lunch in the winery.

First, when our group arrived at this non-descript winery, we were welcomed in by Teresa, who was a wonderful host and tour guide.  She took us back into the winery and began explaining to us the processes the grapes undergo in her family's small winery as they are converted to wine, some fortified, and set aside to age.

Teresa talks to our group in the wine cellar in front of some aging barrel of Moscatel

Then Teresa hopped right up on top of the barrels and demonstrated how the winemakers dip a venenciador into the uncorked barrel to sample the aging wine inside.  She poured a small amount into each of our glasses (I was tempted to cycle through for another taste, but my blue shirt made me too noticeable and I was sure I'd be caught).   One particular barrel was of the vineyard's BEST grapes and meant to be aged for 20 years.  I couldn't believe she was letting us sample it early!

Then came the highlight of the event - removing our shoes, rolling up our shorts, and slowly stepping into the vat of fermenting grapes to participate in the traditional maceration method of grape stomping.  Of note - there was no foot-washing beforehand... yikes!
The grapes were warm, squishy, and a lot deeper than I expected.

I guess it only came up to my thighs since I'm pretty tall - but I was still worried I'd stain my shorts

                 

Whenever you got your foot up above the top layer of grapes and stomped down, you could feel the CO2 bubble up through the layer, tickling your leg, and then the grapes would squish under your feet and between your toes when you smashed them at the bottom.  

Lots of photos and videos were taken - with all of us being very careful as we handed phones to one another NOT TO DROP THE PHONE!  I can only imaging trying to retrieve one in this vat...

This was definitely an unforgettable day, and fun way to participate in the traditional Portuguese culture.  

Afterwards, we washed off our feet and legs (now we wash!) and were served a wonderful lunch next to more barrels of aging red wines.  I think I need to mark my calendar to come back here in a couple years and buy a bottle of the grapes we stomped.  

(I suppose I just hope no one had a foot fungus that can survive in alcohol!...)