Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story | 🎁 25% off annual & gift memberships

What's brewing at Niepoort?

Thursday 26 August 2021
Nina Gruntkowski with husband Dirk Niepoort

Porto-based writer James Mayor discovers a wine family's other favourite, home-grown drink.

What does a wine producer drink at tea time? In most cases the answer is easy to guess: wine, or, if not actually drinking it, tasting wine.

Portugal’s star wine producer is accustomed to thinking outside the box. Dirk Niepoort is not only an avowed tea drinker, he also owns a tea plantation. Chá Camélia is a very personal project, partnered by Dirk with his wife Nina Gruntkowski.

‘Welcome to paradise!’, Nina exclaims as I get out of the car. Nina is right, this is paradise. Chá Camélia...

Become a member to continue reading
JancisRobinson.com 25th anniversaty logo

Celebrating 25 years of the world’s most trusted wine community

In honour of our anniversary, enjoy 25% off all annual and gift memberships for a limited time.

Use code HOLIDAY25 to join our community of wine experts and enthusiasts. Valid through 1 January.

Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 286,437 wine reviews & 15,829 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors
  • Access 286,437 wine reviews & 15,829 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 286,437 wine reviews & 15,829 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
  • Access 286,437 wine reviews & 15,829 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Drinks not wine

Heather Tillott of Sullivan's Cove
Drinks not wine A wine-first approach is opening up a new whisky world. Above, Heather Tillott, distillery manager at Tasmania’s Sullivans Cove. I...
Isle of Raasay by Christina Kernohan
Drinks not wine Head to the Hebrides to take in a raft of new distillers working to bring life and traditions back to...
Brendan Carty of Killowen in County Down
Drinks not wine From just two distilleries in the 1980s to nearly 40 today, Irish pot-still whiskey is back in a big and...
whisky supertanker in rough seas
Drinks not wine Our whisky specialist argues that what’s needed is something genuinely different and quality at a sensible price – and offers...

More from JancisRobinson.com

View from Le Ripi towards Monte Amiata
Inside information Brunello farmers never knew what nature would throw at them next in 2025. Yet somehow they managed, even claiming that...
AdVL Smart Traveller's Guides covers
Book reviews Six sleek guides for wine lovers wanting on-the-ground advice on what and where to drink and eat. The Smart Traveller’s...
Lilibet's raw fish bar
Nick on restaurants What is it about Saturday lunch? A tale of one enjoyed at Mayfair’s latest opening. Very fancy! It has been...
Cover art for the Jancis Robinson Story podcast episode 7
Inside information The final episode of a seven-part podcast series giving the definitive story of Jancis’s life and career so far. For...
Wine rack at Coterie Vault
Free for all Some wine really does get better with age, and not all of it is expensive. A slightly shorter version of...
Chablis vineyards and wine-news in 5 logo
Wine news in 5 Plus Mendoza’s recent embrace of copper mining and the end of the Sud de France moniker on wine labels. Above...
Graham's 10 Year Old Tawny
Wines of the week Snap up this delicate tawny for the festive season, as it will carry you from canapés through cantucci. From $19.99...
Liger-Belair cellar 2024
Inside information After extensive tasting and talking to producers up and down Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, Matthew surveys the vintage. Above, the tellingly...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.