It was in the heart of Alentejo, in the Vidigueira area, that the de Bruin, a Dutch family with connections to Portugal for over 40 years, fell in love with a piece of land, particularly impressed with the views and with some vines that already existed. Quinta do Quetzal arises from the union of several plots of land purchased from different owners. This place is unique because being in the southern foothills of the Serra do Mendro (Mendro hills), it combines the high temperatures of the Alentejo with the fresh winds that come from the sea. The wide range of daily temperatures, the schist soils, and the different altitudes, create unique conditions to produce their wines.
Of the 52 hectares of vineyards, 30 are red grape varieties and 20 white grape varieties and 2.5 hectares are old vines which are over 40 years old. There is a wide variety of grape varieties such as Antão Vaz, Arinto and Verdelho for the white wines and Trincadeira, Aragonês, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet for the reds.
The impressive cellar was inaugurated in 2006 and the project was carried out to maintain old wine production techniques, that is, the grapes are unloaded in the cellar using only the force of gravity, and the wines then age in cellars in the basement, which guarantees ideal temperature conditions for the production of high-quality wines. The Quinta do Quetzal project began with the production of wines and only later, in 2016, was the restaurant and art gallery building inaugurated. The art gallery is of special esteem for the owners who have one of the largest private art collections in the world with pieces on loan to MoMA, in New York, the Tate, in London, the Reina Sofia, in Madrid, the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, or the Serralves Foundation, in Portugal. They therefore wanted to leave this important mark on their personal project in the Alentejo.
The restaurant has an incredible view over the vineyards and through the chef João Mourato, clients are transported along an impressive gastronomic journey, through the flavors of the Alentejo, but always with a modern approach using local products. The experience becomes perfect when accompanied by the wines produced here which are simply delicious. Considered the best Wine Tourism of 2017 and the best restaurant in Alentejo in 2018, visiting Quinta do Quetzal is an experience not to be missed.
