In the 4,000 hectares of the estate on the banks of the Guadiana River, South Alentejo, Southern Portugal, at the Estate PAÇO DO CONDE, diversity is an everyday reality. In addition to the 250 hectares of vines and the 1.900 hectares of olive groves, the Herdade enjoys the benefits of fields of wheat, sunflower, corn, orchards, and natural and sown pastures for cattle and black mountain pigs.
Planting began in 1995, after choosing areas with suitable soil, exposure to the sun, and vine variety. Our 250 hectares of vineyards, south-facing and set on sand-rich schist loam, are divided into gently sloping areas. The whole area is drip-watered, enabling perfect balance in the maturing of the grapes during the long, hot, dry summers.
The prominent Portuguese winemaker Rui Reguinga has led the winemaking team since the first harvest. Adept to “terroir” wines, he is a conductor attentive to each note to express all the intensity of the region.
Harvesting is done at night to harvest the grapes in the best conditions and is almost exclusively mechanical, allowing the grapes to be quickly harvested at the optimum point.
Our modern winery, with a capacity of 2.500.000 liters, combines traditional methods with advanced technology, enhancing perfect winemaking, which brings out the excellent quality of our grapes. It was built in 2002 and is perfectly integrated into the architecture of Monte Paço do Conde, headquarters of the Herdade.
We used red wine grape varieties such as Aragonez, Trincadeira, Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Alicante Bouschet. Our white varieties are Antão Vaz, Arinto, Verdelho and Viogner.
Our production adheres to the Integrated Production system, following the most stringent EU environmental production laws. Our environmentally-friendly philosophy, seen in every aspect of production, avoids the unnecessary use of fertilizers.
Corresponding to the contemporary demand and designed to obtain the best quality/price ratio, we offer affordable and ready-to-drink wines, even to aging wines, worthy of the best Alentejanos.
This passion for the land is shared in each bottle of wine produced by Herdade Paço do Conde.