Vineyard

The vineyard area of the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation is made up of the vineyards of the Pinheiros, Casito, Álamo de Cima, Álamo da Horta and Quinta de Valbom estates. The Foundation has over 600 hectares of its own cultivation area, with vineyards in a permanent process of renewal and reconversion.

It is based on the quality of the raw material that all wine production of the Foundation is developed. The standards defined for the quality of the grapes are very demanding, and a meticulous analysis and choice of plots is made (in terms of the nature of the soil, relief, solar exposure), of the varieties used and of all the remaining technical procedures of intervention on the plant during the production of the fruit.

The selection of the varieties that sustain the Foundation’s wine production results from the combination of the vast experience acquired and the scientific information available today. The choice of Alentejo varieties consecrated and recommended for the Alentejo “Denominação de Origem Controlada [registered designation of origin], sub-region of Évora, has been fundamental in the creation of the wines. White wines mainly use recognised Alentejo varieties such as Roupeiro, Antão Vaz and Arinto, while red wines are obtained from traditional varieties such as Trincadeira, Aragonês and Castelão. Less traditional, but equally qualitative varieties are also used in residual portions.

Each vineyard plot is treated and worked on individually throughout the year according to its age, variety or soil characteristics, always with the specific wine in mind. The grape harvest is mostly done by day manual harvesting and, for a small number of grapes, a harvesting machine is used. The differentiated harvest of each variety, according to its maturation requirements, is also one of the criteria that allows optimising production. In the name of environmental preservation, a more careful and systematic surveillance of the health of each plant is carried out.

The Eugénio de Almeida Foundation also relies on the scientific community. Through protocols established with the University of Évora and other institutions, it has been possible to carry out important technical-scientific partnership work, the beginning of which dates back to the mid-1980s of the last century.