winery

Adega Belém Urban Winery

Portugal

Philosophy

Low-intervention spontaneous fermentation of native Portuguese varietals, employing whole-cluster vinification and minimal sulfite additions. The winery champions oenological sophistication with deliberate experimentation—blending ancestral and contemporary cellar techniques in clay amphora, French oak, and stainless steel vessels.

Reputation

Born from the convergence of academic rigor and artistic vision, Adega Belém Urban Winery emerged in 2020 when former evolutionary biologist Catarina Moreira and anthropologist David Picard transformed a defunct car-repair shop in Lisbon's riverside Belém district into a working winery. The couple source grapes from coastal vineyards surrounding Lisbon—the Agronomy Institute's historic plantings at Monsanto, the cool Atlantic cloisters of Carcavelos, and the Alenquer valley—crafting wines that honor the Atlantic terroir of Portugal's capital region.

AllocationQuery 'Belem's' is ambiguous: also refers to Belém's Madeira (fortified wine established 1932, produced by Henriques & Henriques, US importer Haus Alpenz). Current entry focuses on Adega Belém Urban Winery—modern urban producer. Production volume ~12,000–15,000 bottles annually (sources vary slightly). Grapes not formally certified organic but managed with sustainable practices per 2024 sources; no biodynamic certification found. Raymond Reynolds is UK importer (not US); US distribution status unclear from sources. Company also delivers directly to US (185 EUR/box of 12). Winemakers are Catarina Moreira (biologist, oenologist) and David Picard (professor of anthropology, oenologist). Opened to public 2020 after license grant in early 2020; began winemaking together ~2013 (master's program). No certification bodies or organic claims verified; sources state grapes 'not certified organic or biodynamic but managed with best practices.'

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