Each country has its own superstar grape varieties, emblematic flags of the winegrower, which carry the history and tradition of the terroirs throughout the world. Aníbal Coutinho, a Portuguese Oenologist and wine critic, combined his passion for wine along with his fondness for traveling and allied them in one pioneering project: Astronaut wines.
Composing a symphony or writing a book requires no in-depth knowledge of the place we are located at. Producing a nectar in different spots of the world goes far beyond the theoretical knowledge or the inspiration of an Oenologist. It requires that one must incorporate traditional wine culture and vineyards of each country, so as to create a top-grade wine. Portugal, which bears his nationality, and South Africa, have been the countries where Aníbal Coutinho has produced the first Astronaut wines. Other journeys promise new Astronauts.
“This project is conceivable in the XXI century, transportation and communication facilities enable us to be in different places in a short period of time. The trips are the motto and the wine the reason, whence the appellation Astronaut”, confesses the mentor, Aníbal Coutinho.
After many years working in the field of civil engineering, where he graduated from Instituto Superior Técnico, the love for wine brings Aníbal José Coutinho back to university, this time to Instituto Superior de Agronomia, where he specializes in Viticulture and Oenology. In 2016, he completed his Ph.D. program in Food Engineering on Sensory Analysis, having already published part of his work in the American magazine Journal of Sensory Studies and in the Yearbook of the Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho (IVV). A member of the board of the Associação Portuguesa de Enologia, wine critic, and author of several guides and yearbooks, he is also a university professor, trainer, and consultant. As a winemaker, he has already vinified and signed wines in Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, and South Africa.
