Quinta dos Vales: a unique winery in Algarve
Portugal’s wine industry is living in a golden era, in which impressive wine is coming from more than the most famous wine regions. Today, you can find extraordinary wine coming from every corner of the country, and some of the most exciting comes from the country’s southernmost region, the Algarve.
It is Algarve’s sunny shores where sunbathers from every corner of the earth spend the warmest months on the calendar. Still, foodies and wine lovers have a lively time in the area as well, especially in prestigious estates like Quinta dos Vales.
Quinta dos Vales
Quinta dos Vales is a leading winemaking estate producing 150,000 bottles every year with an array of varieties. The estate’s vineyards are planted with Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Aragones, Verdelho and Alvarinho. Still, non-native grapes, such as Syrah and Viognier, feel right at home in the area, as the vineyards enjoy at least 3,000 hours of sun every year.
It is in privately owned estates, like Quinta dos Vales, where the magic happens. Over 100 medals and dozens of national and international awards prove every vintage that the wine coming from this farm is of world-class quality.
The Wine
Quinta dos Vales produces a wide variety of wines for all occasions. From wines for everyday enjoyment to true gems fit for the most memorable occasions.
The estate’s Selecta wine range covers young, fruit-forward wines, a rosé wine made with Touriga Franca and Castelao, a white wine featuring Arinto, Alvarinho and Antao Vaz, and a red Selecta made with a combination of local and international grapes.
This wine farm also produces wines labelled under their Duo brand, and these wines have extraordinary versatility on the table. The collection also includes red, white and rosé.
Some of the estate’s most memorable wines are labelled under the Grace brand. Grace Vineyard is a red blend with impressive complexity, while the Grace Touriga Nacional is a worthy ambassador for the country’s flagship grape. Several other mono-varietals and combinations make the winery’s Grace range worthy of any wine menu worldwide.
Dialog is one of the most recent undertakings by Quinta dos Vales, and the wines are designed to have a conversation with the region’s extraordinary food. Ursus Tinto combines Syrah and Cabernet with local Aragones and Alicante Bouschet for a genuinely complex red wine. Dialog Ursus Branco celebrates the region’s native Arinto, Albarinho and Antao Vaz.
Finally, Quinta dos Vales offers a premium, speciality range, including their age-worthy Elegant Grace Touriga Nacional, a sensual Syrah-Viognier and a playful Touriga Nacional Licoroso — a dessert wine with the most alluring nose and palate.
The Winemaker Experience
Although tasting the delicious wine made by the talented team at Quinta dos Vales is a delightful experience; the estate also offers wine lovers the opportunity to make their own wine.
For wine enthusiasts looking to put their tasting skills to the test, this wine estate offers a guided workshop to assemble the contents of a personalised bottle of wine by blending the estate’s wines.
A more hands-on approach invites guests to blend their own barrel, equal to 300 bottles of wine for you to take home and enjoy with your loved ones. This is not all. Quinta dos Vales leases and sells grape-yielding vineyards, which wine lovers can tend throughout the seasons. This is any wine lover’s dream!
This wine farm has slowly turned wine enthusiasts into grape growers and winemakers. Although it’s the estate’s wines that are bringing them wine recognition, it’s these efforts that make Quinta dos Vales different from any other producer worldwide.
Other Amenities and Experiences
Quinta dos Vales is more than a once-in-a-lifetime experience for wine lovers; any traveller will find something to see and do in and around the estate.
Quinta dos Vales offers short and long-term lodging with world-class amenities. The estate is in enviable proximity to the sea, vineyards surround their best villas, and the entire property thrives with local fauna. Several swimming pools, paddle and tennis courts keep guests active between wine-related activities, and a mini-golf course and volleyball court are available.
The neighbouring Monchique mountains are ideal for trekking, and several activities, from skydiving to snorkelling, are available in the vicinity. The Algarve has it all for foodies, wine lovers, adventure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Enjoy an unforgettable week or find Quinta dos Vales the ideal place to work remotely for months at a time. This wine estate is a place to sit back, enjoy life and relax.
