For The Love Of Port

Dirk Niepoort throws down: disagreements over the direction of the company led to the break between Dirk van der Niepoort and owned his family home port. A new oenological home but has already found Niepoort: the project "Fio" on the Middle Mosel.

Taciturn itself is Niepoort and he acts depressed at the telephone call of Falstaff, which was tuned to the rumors that he will leave the company Niepoort. "It's true, I have announced internally, it's a stupid situation, but it was more difficult. Therefore, I have now so decided. "

Niepoort is so soon leave the Port House of Vila Nova de Gaia, where he served since 1987 - first at his father Rolf the side, then together with his sister Verena. Niepoorts new workplace is located on the Moselle, where he is these days here, together with his son Daniel and Philipp Kettern from Weingut Lothar Kettern from Piesport to found the company "Fio".

"Fio," Portuguese for "thread" will take up the thread of Niepoorts dealing with wines from the slate floor and the thread of his enthusiasm for equally innovative as traditional wine styles. Launched have Niepoort and Kettern their joint venture already in 2012 - with a wine that was bottled in 2014 and since then again allowed to rest for two years in the cellar.

Our wines are at least one year in barrel, but some up to three years, "says Philipp Kettern who coined the term" timeless "designate as a key concept for the joint undertaking. "Currently we have four wines, except the 2012er top wine" Fio "also the year successor from 2013 and then two more 2014er that were filled only just three weeks ago."

Currently the wines are still from the vineyards to the winery Kettern, for Niepoort Kettern project, the partners have selected special cartload. In future, however, a completely private estate will be built, with its own buildings and own vineyards. In addition to the 30-year-old Philipp Kettern also Niepoorts son Daniel (24) will play a key role in "Fio". "I myself was several months at Dirk in Portugal," so says Philipp Kettern, "and Daniel turn worked with me. But it is the last year also pulled from autumn to autumn and has collected among others in Australia and South Africa experience, but also in France: at Guy Roulot in Meursault in Burgundy, in the Domaine Matassa in Roussillon and Jean-François Ganevat in Jura . "

Niepoorts Mosel project is obvious - how could it be otherwise - have a sophisticated design of the Moselle the subject. At the same time it will be interesting to its reinterpretation of the historic Middle Mosel style. The four already available wines are introduced to the public at the fair Veritable (on July 4 in Sankt Martin in der Pfalz).

Eric Menchen wrote:So is it time to sign up for the Trier Harvest Tour?

Tom Archer wrote:I've known about the tensions in the Niepoort family for some time now, and had really hoped that things would be resolved amicably.

I'm not sure the other family members really appreciated how much work Dirk put in, and the less glamorous aspects of spending half your life living out of a suitcase, going through an endless succession of hotels and airports, whilst being pleasant and charming to a stream of wine writers who mix ignorance and arrogance in equal measure.

- But now they will find out..

Eric Menchen wrote:Luckily all the Port I need to drink has already been made.

Frederick Blais wrote:On the other side, I'll make sure this year Dirk tastes your beer! It is still sitting in the cellar at Napoles last time I checked.

Paul Fountain wrote:
It will be interesting to see what happens with the Douro Boys now as a result of this. I always had the feeling that Dirk was the driving force behind the group so it will be interesting to see whether the group continues and whether Niepoort remains involved.

Rune EG wrote:Met Dirk Niepoort at the Douro Boys winemakers dinner in Oslo yesterday evening. Douro Boys are on a Nordic tour (Copenhagen/Oslo/Helsinki/Stockholm).

Dirk was in good mood and was active throughout the evening. He informed me that at the present stage he was not able to reveal his plans.
However, he emphasized that he was NOT going to move to Germany (which is one of the rumours).

John M. wrote:Whatever he does its going to be strange to have Dirk NIEPOORT not at Niepoort---one of the few names that matches the business. Only other one I can think of is Oscar Quevedo at Quevedo---sure there are more.