Casa da Tojeira 'Tojeira' Rosé 2025
A beautifully refreshing rosé from the mountainous Basto subregion of Vinho Verde, bursting with juicy red berries, delicate florals and vibrant freshness. Made from three distinctive Portuguese red grapes at a historic 17th-century wine estate, it's a wonderfully elegant expression of northern Portugal.
Casa da Tojeira Rosé comes from Faia, near Cabeceiras de Basto, where vineyards surround a magnificent historic manor house in the heart of northern Portugal. Made from Touriga Nacional, Vinhão and Borraçal, this beautifully expressive rosé brings together the fruit and structure of one of Portugal's most celebrated red grapes with the lively acidity and traditional character of Vinho Verde.
The grapes are harvested by hand from vineyards planted between 250 and 350 metres above sea level, on a mixture of granite and schist-clay soils. After destemming and gentle pressing, the juice undergoes a cool, temperature-controlled fermentation lasting approximately 15–20 days, helping preserve its delicate fruit and floral aromas.
In the glass, expect a lovely pink colour with inviting aromas of fresh strawberries, raspberries, red berries and delicate flowers. On the palate, it's elegant and refreshing, with lively acidity, a gentle touch of sweetness and a beautifully soft, velvety finish.
At 12% ABV, it's a wonderfully versatile rosé, equally enjoyable on its own or alongside seafood, grilled fish and lighter summer dishes.
Meet the grapes behind the blend
Three Portuguese red grape varieties come together in this beautifully balanced rosé, each contributing something different.
Touriga Nacional (60%) – The Fruit and Structure
Touriga Nacional is one of Portugal's most celebrated indigenous red grapes, particularly associated with the Douro and Dão regions.
Famous for its concentrated dark fruit, floral aromas and impressive structure, it typically produces wines with notes of blackberry, plum and violet.
But when used to make rosé, Touriga Nacional reveals a lighter, more delicate personality, contributing fresh red berries, subtle florals and a lovely sense of body.
In this blend, it's the dominant grape, providing much of the wine's expressive fruit and elegant structure.
Vinhão (30%) – The Colour and Freshness
Vinhão is one of Vinho Verde's most distinctive indigenous red grapes, famous for its extraordinarily deep colour and naturally high acidity.
Unlike most red grapes, which have colourless flesh, Vinhão is a teinturier variety, meaning its flesh and juice also contain red pigments.
This makes it particularly interesting in rosé production, where even relatively small amounts can contribute beautiful colour.
Its naturally vibrant acidity and lively dark berry character bring wonderful freshness and energy to the blend.
Borraçal (10%) – The Traditional Character
Borraçal is a lesser-known indigenous red grape traditionally grown in northern Portugal, particularly in the Vinho Verde region.
Also known as Caíño Tinto across the border in Galicia, Spain, it's celebrated for its naturally refreshing acidity, red berry flavours and occasional herbal or earthy notes.
Although rarely encountered as a single-varietal wine outside its home region, Borraçal has long played a role in traditional northern Portuguese blends.
In this rosé, it contributes an additional layer of freshness and a distinctive connection to the region's winemaking heritage.
Together, these three varieties create a lovely balance of Touriga Nacional's expressive fruit, Vinhão's vibrant acidity and Borraçal's traditional northern Portuguese character.
How is rosé wine made?
One of the most interesting things about rosé is that its colour comes primarily from the skins of red grapes, rather than from the juice itself.
Most red grapes actually have clear juice, with their colour coming from pigments found in their skins.
For red wine, the juice typically remains in contact with the skins during fermentation, extracting colour, tannins and flavour.
For rosé, however, winemakers carefully limit that extraction, producing wines ranging from the palest salmon pink to much deeper shades of rose.
Casa da Tojeira uses a particularly gentle approach.
After the grapes are harvested and destemmed, they're gently pressed, limiting the extraction of harsh tannins while preserving the delicate fruit character of the varieties.
The juice then ferments at a cool 14–16°C for approximately 15–20 days, helping retain the fresh red berry and floral aromas that make the wine so appealing.
The result is a beautifully refreshing rosé with the fruit character of red grapes but the elegance and freshness of a white wine.
Is this a dry rosé?
This is an interesting distinction, particularly for customers who prefer wines without noticeable sweetness.
Casa da Tojeira's Rosé contains approximately 8.8 grams of residual sugar per litre, giving it a gentle touch of sweetness rather than an overtly sweet character.
The producer describes the wine as ligeiramente adamado, a Portuguese expression indicating a slightly sweet or off-dry style.
But sweetness is only one part of the picture.
With 6.2 grams per litre of total acidity, the wine also has plenty of refreshing brightness, helping balance its ripe red fruit and subtle residual sugar.
The result is a rosé that feels fresh, fruity and beautifully balanced, rather than heavy or sugary.
It's a lovely choice for people who enjoy expressive fruit flavours and a softer finish without sacrificing the freshness that makes Vinho Verde so appealing.
What makes Basto special?
Basto is one of the most inland subregions of Vinho Verde, where the lush green landscapes of northern Portugal begin to meet the rugged mountains of Trás-os-Montes.
Unlike the cooler, wetter coastal vineyards, Basto experiences colder winters and warmer, drier summers, allowing grapes to develop expressive fruit while retaining the refreshing acidity for which Vinho Verde is famous.
The region's predominantly granite soils, mountainous surroundings and the influence of the Tâmega River create distinctive growing conditions.
While Vinho Verde is internationally famous for its crisp, refreshing white wines, the region also has a long tradition of producing reds and rosés from indigenous Portuguese grape varieties.
Casa da Tojeira's Rosé is a wonderful example of that diversity, combining traditional northern Portuguese grapes with the elegant, fruit-forward style of modern rosé winemaking.
About Casa da Tojeira
Casa da Tojeira is a historic 17th-century manor house and wine estate located in Faia, near Cabeceiras de Basto, in the Basto subregion of Vinho Verde.
The magnificent manor house has stood for more than 300 years, preserving the architecture, traditions and character of northern Portugal.
Today, the estate combines winemaking, accommodation and wine tourism, welcoming visitors to experience its historic house, surrounding vineyards and the beautiful Basto countryside.
The winery works with a diverse range of Portuguese indigenous varieties, including Alvarinho, Arinto, Azal, Avesso, Loureiro, Trajadura, Vinhão and Borraçal.
Under the direction of winemakers Filipe Ribeiro and Nuno Grosso, Casa da Tojeira produces everything from elegant still whites and refreshing rosés to traditional reds and an impressive collection of sparkling wines.
Their Tojeira Rosé is a lovely expression of the estate's philosophy, celebrating the freshness, diversity and distinctive character of northern Portugal's indigenous grape varieties.
Each bottle reflects both the remarkable diversity of Vinho Verde and the centuries-old heritage of Casa da Tojeira.
Aroma: Strawberry · Raspberry · Red Berries · Delicate Florals
Palate: Slightly Off-dry · Refreshing Acidity · Juicy Red Fruit · Soft, Velvety Finish
Pair with: Grilled Shrimp · Seafood Rice · Grilled Fish · Fresh Salads · Roast Chicken · Light Pasta Dishes · Soft Cheeses
Serving Temperature: 8–10°C / 46–50°F
