In 1988, an American-Danish couple set off on a sailboat to find a place to raise a family and plant a vineyard.
They arrived in the Alentejo, and in a land of white varieties they planted red varieties. And so begins the history of Cortes de Cima wines.
In 1988 Hans and Carrie landed in Portugal and, in the heart of the Alentejo, discovered "Cortes de Cima". It was just unproductive land and some abandoned buildings, but they reminded Carrie of her homeland: California. Hans, who had been born in Denmark, was simply enchanted by the Mediterranean sun.
It was the perfect place to settle, raise a family, and plant a vineyard. Vidigueira was the land of white grape varieties but they thought it was the ideal climate for the Syrah, a variety of the Rhone. But Syrah was not approved by the rules of Denomination of Origin. Hans and Carrie did not want to know - they had a dream.
"Gazelle la Goelette" was the name of the sailboat that had brought Hans and Carrie Jorgensen on a long journey from the other side of the world, the Bay of Biscay and around the Finisterra.
They began to work the field, and Hans, an engineer, built a dam. As the vine grew, they planted sunflowers, tomatoes, and melons to pay the bills. The children were born - Thomas in 1991 and Anna in 1993.
Finally, the first grapes arrived. In 1998, a unique Syrah was born in the Alentejo: dark, with a fantastic balance and a sumptuous finish.
