Posts By : Blend - All About Wine

Quinta da Terrincha

Text Bruno Mendes

In Torre de Moncorvo, and more specifically in the Vilariça Valley near the National Road 102, the Quinta da Terrincha is located in the Douro Demarcated Region. It once belonged to the Counts of Pinhel and today is owned by the Seixas Pinto family who acquired it in the late twentieth century in a state of neglect.

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Quinta da Terrincha Aerial View – Photo Provided by Quinta da Terrincha | All Rights Reserved

This is a property with an area of over 300 hectares that has undergone a comprehensive redesign with the intention of not only monetize the investment, but also return all relevance and graciousness that Quinta da Terrincha had once had. Thus, the family proceeded to planting considerable expanses of vineyards and olive groves and invested on wine tourism having now a restaurant “Canto da Terrincha” and a hotel complex consisting of a hotel in the finishing phase and 15 rural tourism houses of typologies T1, T2 and T3.

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Quinta da Terrincha – Photo Provided by Quinta da Terrincha | All Rights Reserved

To the initial 50 hectares of vineyards planted with the grape varieties (Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Sousão, Gouveio, Viosinho, Rabigato and Arinto, among others) they added in 2016 another 13 hectares.

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Quinta da Terrincha white – Photo Provided by Quinta da Terrincha | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta da Terrincha red – Photo Provided by Quinta da Terrincha | All Rights Reserved

These are the grapes that give birth to the Quinta da Terrincha wines, namely Quinta da Terrincha red, Quinta da Terrincha white, Quinta da Terrincha Rosé and Quinta da Terrincha red Lote T13.

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Quinta da Terrincha Rosé – Photo Provided by Quinta da Terrincha | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta da Terrincha red Lote T13 – Photo Provided by Quinta da Terrincha | All Rights Reserved

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The Vineyards – Photo Provided by Quinta da Terrincha | All Rights Reserved

Besides the wine, the olive oil is another important investment of this Quinta. In total there are 80 hectares of olive groves with the varieties Verdeal, Cordovil, Cobrançosa, Madural. Quinta da Terrincha’s olive oil is the result of an organic production process, which benefits greatly from the climate and soil conditions of where the olive grove is planted.

Cheese is another highlight product of this Quinta. Quinta da Terrincha has its own production of Terrincho cheese, a protected designation of origin (DOP). The cheeses are produced in the Quinta’s cheese dairy and are 100% made of Churra da Terra Quente Transmontana ewes’ milk (also known as the Terrincha sheep), which are seen as excellent milk producers for the production of this unique cheese and much appreciated in the entire Portugal’s extent. The Terrincho cheese is a ripened cheese that undergoes a maturation of no less than 30 days to a maximum of 90 days, which originates the variant Terrincho Velho. In addition, they also produce fresh cheese and creamy cheese.

Other products of this Quinta are the vinegar, table grapes, olives, honey, pumpkins, among others.

In addition to the Vilariça Valley, Quinta da Terrincha also has a vast mountainous and steep area, totaling 80 hectares, where we can find waterfalls, mines, ponds, 20 hectares of poplars and a grove of oaks and junipers which is an important priority habitat of the Rede Natura 2000. All very well interconnected with walking trails that allow visitors to experience in fullness, and in a functional way, all the beauty of this Quinta. There, on top of the mountain, the view is wonderful and one can see the entire length of the Quinta, the Valley and all its surroundings.

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Quinta da Terrincha – Photo Provided by Quinta da Terrincha | All Rights Reserved

Taking now a closer look at the extent area dedicated to the wine tourism, with a total of 70 hectares, the Seixas family started in 2009 the recovery of all existing buildings having now 15 rural tourism houses of typologies T1, T2 and T3 totaling 30 rooms. Also, in finishing stage is a small hotel of charm in the Antigo Solar Oitocentista (Casa Mãe), which aims to provide the guests a comfortable stay while allowing them at the same time to enjoy all the rurality and rustic environment that characterizes the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro region.

All of this is complemented by the “Canto da Terrincha” restaurant with capacity for 40 people, and whose motto is “every customer is a friend!” The aim is to offer customers a peaceful and welcoming atmosphere so they can enjoy the most the typical regional dishes. Food quality is guaranteed, since almost all products that are available and are used in the restaurant are from the Quinta itself, sporting a certificate of organic farming.

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Quinta da Terrincha – Photo Provided by Quinta da Terrincha | All Rights Reserved

Some of the specialties that you may try at this restaurant are the posta de vitela (veal), costeleta de vitela (veal chop), alheiras, kid, river fish (bogas), cod in the oven, octopus “drowned” in olive oil, among others. Finally, between the many desserts there is a very special one, the delicious Terrincho cheese with pumpkin jam.

If you haven’t been there yet, Quinta da Terrincha is undoubtedly a Quinta to get to know whether it be accompanied by your partner, family or friends, and let yourself go by its wine, gastronomy and surrounding environment!

Contacts
Quinta da Terrincha – Sociedade Agrícola, S.A.
Quinta da Terrincha, Estrada Nacional 102
5160-002 Adeganha – Torre de Moncorvo
Portugal
Tel: (+351) 279 979 525
E-mail: geral@quintadaterrincha.pt
Website: www.quintadaterrincha.pt

Quinta da Lapa – In the land of Pina Manique with good wines

Text José Silva | Translation Bruno Ferreira

This Ribatejo property has almost 300 years and it’s said that Pina Manique may once have lived over there. It was bought by the businessman Canas da Costa. For his daughter Sílvia, an architect, it was love at first sight. Besides the impeccable restoration of the manor-house, where now runs a beautiful rural tourism with 11 suites, Sylvia fell completely in love with the vineyards.

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The Manor House – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

And thus was born a successful wine project by hiring the winemaker Jaime Quendera and his tremendous experience. The vines are aged between 15 and 25 years, with indigenous grape varieties but also some from other regions, and even some foreign ones that have adapted to that soil and climate: Arinto, Tamarez, Trincadeira das Pratas, Tincadeira Preta, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet.

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The Vineyards – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Thanks to the predominantly clay-limestone soils with a big influence of the Tejo river water, which used to invade the margins with its ancestral floods, these wines acquire not only acidity but also some minerality that makes them desirable. In Rural tourism they also throw events where the house’s wines are drank alongside meals made in the huge and well-equipped kitchen or prepared by a friend of this house, Mr. Afolfo Henriques, the well-known man from the village of Maçussa.

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One of the suites – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The 11 suites are all different. On some of them the existing spaces were recovered and have many pieces of furniture that were also recovered, beautiful. The central building, square, has huge yard with shady trees providing a beautiful effect. Around the house we find the vineyards and some olive trees shaping the landscape of the whole Quinta. In the Quinta’s set of buildings we find the cellar, small, simple but well-equipped, including the barrels’ room that are essential to age some of the reds that we all enjoy.

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The barrels’ room – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

This time I’ll write about a meal that culminated with the presentation of the Quinta da Lapa’s new vintages. First the bread, from Maçussa that Adolfo Henriques himself bakes, crispy outside and fluffy inside, tasty, irresistible. Then we had some snacks: melon with ham, tasty and fresh, exquisite cod roes with dried tomato, smoked salmon, velvety with a sophisticated taste and, of course, the Maçussa’s chèvre cheese, both natural and breaded with arugula and jam. Wonderful.

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Melon with ham – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Smoked Salmon – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Chèvre Cheese – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The main course was a delicious roasted kid with rice, mushrooms and roasted potatoes. On the side a simple but superb salad of lettuce and red onion.

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Roast kid with rice – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Salad – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The meal ended with a chocolate cake in good company, a true delicacy.

Then we tasted Quinta da Lapa’s new vintages, starting with the sparkling Quinta da Lapa Bruto Natural made with the Arinto grape variety. Great freshness and elegance, the acidity always very present, a beautiful sparkling wine.

The Quinta da Lapa Reserva White 2014 made with Arinto and Tamarez is very fresh on the nose with some tropical and citrus notes. Mouth full of freshness and balanced acidity.

There are several monovarietal wines starting with the Quinta da Lapa Touriga Nacional 2012, a grape variety that adapted quite well there. Very aromatic, floral and elegant intensity. The palate is persistent, intense, with very good fruit, good acidity and a long finish.

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Quinta da Lapa Bruto Natural – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta da Lapa Reserva White 2014 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta da Lapa Touriga Nacional 2012 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The Quinta da Lapa Merlot 2013 shows itself authoritative, fiery, with ripe black fruit and some chocolate notes. Beautiful volume, well-married tannins and intense acidity, a very balanced set.

The Quinta da Lapa Syrah Reserva 2012 has black fruit aromas and some spices. It’s complex and intense. In the mouth it has large volume, it’s powerful but balanced at the same time, with silky tannins and a beautiful finish.

Finally, the Quinta da Lapa Cabernet Reserva 2012 with complex aromas of wild fruits, plants of the hill, some vegetal notes and spices with much elegance. In the mouth appear very ripe black fruits, an excellent acidity, well tamed tannins. Very complex and intense.

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Quinta da Lapa Merlot 2013 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta da Lapa Syrah Reserva 2012 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta da Lapa Cabernet Reserva 2012 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

The Quinta da Lapa Reserva 2011, perhaps the most complex of all, has very ripe fruit aromas, spices and tobacco and chocolate notes. In the mouth it is very harmonious, persistent, silky, with a long finish, a wine full of finesse.

Then came the two special wines of this Ribatejo house. The Quinta da Lapa Nana Reserva 2011 is the producer’s heartfelt tribute to her mother. It comes with plenty of fruit, some spicy notes, very fresh. The palate is very elegant, persistent, velvety, with red fruit and some floral fragrances and a long and steady end.

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Quinta da Lapa Reserva 2011 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta da Lapa Nana Reserva 2011 – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

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Quinta da Lapa Reserva 2013 Homenagem 500 anos Santa Teresa d’Ávila – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

Finally, the Quinta da Lapa Reserva 2013 Homenagem 500 anos Santa Teresa d’Ávila – a celebratory wine full of fruit and spices on the nose, very elegant and haughty. Intense and balanced in the mouth, simple but authoritarian at the same time. A special wine, in honor of Teresa de Ahumada, whose poem of faith is immortalized in an existing headstone at Quinta da Lapa:

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Headstone – Photo by José Silva | All Rights Reserved

“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away,
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.“

From Ribatejo, with love…

Contacts
Agrovia, Sociedade Agro-Pecuária, SA
Quinta da Lapa
2065 – 360 Manique do Intendente
Tel: (+351) 263 486 214
Mobile: (+351) 917 584 256
Email: geral@quintadalapa-wines.com
Website: www.quintadalapa-wines.com

Lusovini – Production and Distribution

Text Bruno Mendes

Lusovini was founded in 2009 and is based in Vila de Nelas in the Dão. This is where its offices, warehouses and wineries are located. This company has been developing its business through an internationalization policy. The company has expanded its horizons to Angola, Mozambique and Brazil under the names Lusovini Angolaa, Mozamvini and Brasvini, respectively.

In addition to the own production in the various Portuguese wine regions of brands like Cativo (Vinho Verde DOC), Palavrar (Douro DOC) and Torre de Coimbra (Bairrada DOC) among others, Lusovini also bets on a network of partnerships with producers and oenologists such as Anselmo Mendes (Vinho Verde), Domingos Alves de Sousa (Douro), Luís Duarte (Alentejo), Álvaro de Castro and João Paulo Gouveia (Dão) among others, thus allowing it to cover a wider range of regions and target audience.

To find out more about this production/distribution company see the video below:

Quinta de la Rosa – in the heart of Alto Douro

Text Bruno Mendes

Near Pinhão, about 100kms from Porto and on the river banks of the Douro we can find Quinta de la Rosa, which is owned by the Bergqvist family since 1906. It currently has 55 hectares of vineyards with the red grape varieties Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão and Souzão and the white grape varieties Viosinho, Rabigato and Códega.

In 2011 Quinta de la Rosa underwent a complete refurbishment, which was being prepared for 7 years and ended in 2012. This remodeling included a new wine cellar, storage facilities with controlled temperature, an improvement in unloading and grape selection facilities, among others.

For a more detailed view of this producer see the video below and see the previously published article here.

Grupo Enoport United Wines

Text Bruno Mendes

The history of Enoport begins in 1881 with the foundation of Adegas Camillo Alves, the oldest company of the group of companies that came to give rise to the Group Enoport United Wines. It arose from João Camillo Alves’ desire to trade quality wines in an organized way.

It is a group that produces wines in several regions of the country, and different ranges, since it has acquired several other companies over the years, such as Cavipor, Caves Velhas or Caves Acácio.

To get a more detailed view about the history of the Group Enoport United Wines see the video below.

Casa Santos Lima – A family business

Text Bruno Mendes

Founded in the XIX century by Joaquim Santos Lima, the Casa Santos Lima has always been a family business. Nowadays, and since 1990, Maria Santos Lima and José Santos Lima manage the company, and it was them who started the process of modernizing the production structure and replanting most of the vineyards.

It is a property consisting of contiguous Quintas totaling around 290 hecatares, among them are the Quinta da Boavista, Quinta das Setencostas, Quinta de Bons-Ventos, Quinta da Espiga, Quinta das Amoras, Quinta do Vale Perdido, Quinta do Figo and Quinta do Espírito Santo.

In these Quintas are planted around 50 different grape varieties, national and international, and some with an experimental nature. For example, in the whites are planted the Arinto, Fernão Pires, Moscatel, Rabo-de-Ovelha, Seara Nova e Vital, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and in the reds the Alfrocheiro, Camarate, Castelão, Preto Martinho, Sousão, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Miúda, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Alicante-Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Caladoc, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah.

To get more in-depth knowledge on Casa Santos Lima see the video below.

Cortes de Cima – Vidigueira

Text Bruno Mendes

It was in 1988, in Vidigueira, near the Serra do Mendro and specifically in Cortes de Cima that Hans and his wife Carrie decided to settle in order to start a family and to plant a vineyard. In 1991 the first vines were planted and the option, contrary to what would be expected, fell on red grape varieties. Among them, and “against” the DOC regulations at the time, was the Syrah, which achieved such success that led to the amendment of these regulations.

The property consists of 400 hectares, of which 140 are planted vineyard, 112 with the red varieties Aragonês, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon, and 28 hectares with the white varieties Antão Vaz, Alvarinho, Verdelho, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Gouveio e Chardonnay.

To get to know more about the history of Cortes de Cima see the video below and stay tuned for our upcoming article next week.

Quinta dos Carvalhais – Dão Wines

Text Bruno Mendes

Quinta dos Carvalhais is a Sogrape brand expert in Dão wines. It was acquired in 1988 from the perspective of expansion of a project in the region, which had begun in 1957. It is located in Mangualde and has 105 hectares, 50 of which with vines with noble regional grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro, among others.

The head winemaker is Manuel Vieira and at modern winemaking center they produce the wines Quinta de Carvalhais Único, Reserva, Colheita, Encruzado and other varietals, Colheita Tardia e Espumante Reserva Rosé, exclusively using its own grapes, combining experience with state of the art techniques . Here, they also produce the wines Duque de Viseu white and red, in this case combining own grapes with grapes purchased from local producers.

To get to know Quinta dos Carvalhais in more detail, see the video below and read João Barbosa’s article here:

Justino’s – Madeira Wine

Text Bruno Mendes

Madeira is an important part of the portuguese wine history. One of its many stories goes back to 4th of July, 1776, when it was present in the independence of the United States toast.

Harvests in Madeira are not easy and at Justino’s, a Madeira wine-producing company, founded in 1870, they seek to pick the right time to harvest the grapes and select only those that best fit the wine to be made. From dry to sweet, it’s important to choose the right time to stop fermentation and at Justino’s they don’t stop on their experience and knowledge, focusing on a constant improvement of its facilities and equipment, thereby enhancing the quality of its production, complementing the traditional methods with the latest technologies available to this sector.

For a more detailed view, see the video below:

Cockburn’s Port

Text Bruno Mendes

It was in 1815 that the two Scottish brothers (already with a successful business), Robert and John Cockburn, decided to set up a branch in Porto, known as R & J Cockburn’s. Cockburn’s managed to build an outstanding reputation on Vintage Port and the records demonstrate it, in the early twentieth century they were leading  the auction houses in London with the highest prices.

Like all the early Port wine companies, Cockburn’s has seen its name change, in this case to Cockburn’s & Co, a name that persists to this day. The family grew with the addition of other families such as the Wauchopes, the Smithes, the Teages and Cobbs.

Ten years ago, in 2006, Symington acquired Cockburn’s, thus becoming again the property of only one family.

For a more detailed view you can watch the video below.