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Quinta do Sanguinhal

I visited Quinta do Sanguinhal in September 2019, after enjoying many of the Companhia Agrícola do Sanguinhal's wines for many years. My Auntie and Uncle live near Óbidos, Portugal and this wine carries so many fond memories for me and has been an integral part of our family visits over the years.

History

Companhia Agrícola do Sanguinhal was established by Abel Pereira da Fonseca in 1926 to administrate the estates that he owned in the region of Bombarral since the beginning of the century,still belonging to the same family.

He planted his first stand-alone vineyards (i.e. vines with no other fruit tree in between) aligned and wired, which was considered very innovating at the time, as there were no tractors. Vineyards were divided into plots, each planted with one sole variety (which was also new at the time). He introduced new varieties. In a separate plot at Quinta do Sanguinhal, he planted 30 different varieties to study their adaptability.

The Estate

Grapes from Quinta do Sanguinhal are used to produce the following wines: Quinta do Sanguinhal DOC Óbidos, Sôttal and Sanguinhal varietals. Vineyards are planted on gentle slopes of sandy-clay soils. The varieties found on these vineyards are: White – Moscatel Graúdo, Sauvignon Blanc, Vital and Verdelho Red – Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Aragonez, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The owners of Quinta do Sanguinhal - the Pereira da Fonseca family - welcome thousands of wine tourists every year.

The estate holds one of the oldest distilleries in the region, with beautiful column copper alembic stills, and old granite cellars with wood and granite screw presses, one of which dating from 1871.

The Company

Companhia Agrícola do Sanguinhal owns 3 estates located in the Demarcated Region of Óbidos (A.O.C.) Quinta do Sanguinhal, Quinta das Cerejeiras and Quinta de S. Francisco. The names of these estates ("Quintas") stand for the most prestigious AOC wines produced by the company, in the hands of the same family for 4 generations. The company's goal is to modernize, innovate and to meet the standards of the most demanding consumer.

The company has undergone modernization over the past few years: vines were re-established based on traditional varieties as well as new varieties to meet market demand; wine-making and bottling facilities have experienced major investments at technological and equipment levels. The traditional ageing in French and American oak is nonetheless still used.

In recent years, the Company invested in the tourism and service areas in order to take advantage of the high potential of its beautiful old buildings. Traditional cellars and an old distillery were refurbished for the holding of private or institutional events and for tourism purposes.

Visit

The growing interest in wine related tourism has led Companhia Agrícola do Sanguinhal to establish tourist visits that allow visitors to understand a little of the company's ancient know-how and provide memorable visit in a unique environment.

The Pereira de Fonseca Family personally invites and welcomes you at Quinta do Sanguinhal. On your visit, you will travel through 100 years of Portuguese wine making. Find out more on the Companhia Agrícola do Sanguinhal website.

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