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& Cheryl
Imboden'sEurope for Visitors europeforvisitors.com |
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Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do CarmoPage 3
ABOVE: Visitors pick grapes in the Quinta Nova's vineyards. Vineyards and winery
The winery is a blend of old and new. Traditional lagares, or open-topped granite tanks, are used for treading grapes the old-fashioned way. The winery also has an impressive crushing machine that simulates foot-treading with robotic, silicone-shod "feet" in an open stainless-steel tank.
During the wine harvest (usually in September), Quinta Nova offers a variety of "harvest programmes" such as grape-picking, grape treading, tasting of new wine from the casks, etc. For details and reservations, call +351 254 730 430 or e-mail hotelquintanova@amorim.com. Next page: More photos
Wine photo copyright © Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Lda. |
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Quinta
Nova has been growing grapes since 1758, but the vineyards and winery have come
into their own since the Antorim family invested in modern winemaking facilities
in 2005. At last report, the estate produced eight table wines and three Port
wines, which are available in the wine bar of the
Free
wine tours are offered from Tuesday through Sunday at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.The tour
includes the vineyards and underground cellars, followed by a chance to purchase
wines for take-away. If you're ambitious, you can join a 12-km walking tour of
the winery, olive-oil cellar, vineyards, chapel, and schist orchards. (The free
walking tour is available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., although I'd suggest calling
or e-mailing ahead to request a guide.)