Quinta da Pacheca

Quinta da Pacheca is definitely one of Portugal’s most hospitable wineries and supreme pleasure to visit. Being one of the most well-known properties in the entire Douro Valley region, the estate was one of the first to bottle under its own name. This gorgeous estate dates back to the 1700s, named after its aristocratic owner, Mariana Pacheca Pereira. The vines pertained to an order of monks for centuries before that. In 1903, the count José Freire de Serpa Leitão Pimentel became the new owner. He installed the new “Lagares” in 1916, and these are still used today to vinify wines. Pacheca has stayed in the family, Count Serpa Pimentel’s current owner and his two daughters work with him at this charming winery.

Quinta da Pacheca is unusual in the Douro for its range of wines. They make Ports, still reds and still whites, and many experimental wines with unusual grapes for the region, such as Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Other more traditional grapes cultivated on their 40 hectares of vineyards include (red) Tinta Cão, Tinta Amarela, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo in Spain); (white) Malvasia Fina, Esgana Cão, Verdelho, Gouveio, Rabo de Ovelha, Cerceal, Viosinho, and Códega.

Quinta da Pachcea guarantees the most amazing visits for Cellar Tours clients. You will meet the family, taste their superb wines, and even try mama’s cooking- a delicious platter of homemade bread and sausages, regional cheeses, melon, and many more goodies. If you are lucky enough to visit at harvest time, you might even get a chance to stomp some grapes in their Lagares.