Weingut Quinta do Mondego - Preisgekrönte Dão Weine aus Portugal

Quinta do Mondego is a family winery in the Dão, one of the most important and oldest wine-growing regions in Portugal, with the controlled denomination of origin DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada). North of the highest mountain range, the Serra da Estrela, Dão is located in the Beira mountain region. Quinta do Mondego's vineyards extend along the banks of the river Mondego, after which the winery is named.
The Fontes da Cunha family bought Quinta do Mondego in 1994, started to take care of the old vineyards and in the following years bought more land, on which they still plant new vines every year. Daughter Joana Cunha's aim was to produce wines of first class quality and so she engaged Francisco Olazabal, one of the best and most famous winemakers in Portugal, and together with him the winery started its first wine production in 2003.
Oenologist Francisco Olazabal is a member of the "Douro Boys" association, which is made up of winemakers who, through the first-class quality of their wines, have contributed enormously to the fact that Portugal's red wines have gained a high level of recognition on an international level. He is not only responsible for the wine production at Quinta do Mondego, but also for the winemakers on the estate of his family Quinta do Vale Meão and for his cousins at Quinta do Vallado. Olazabal, who is also simply called 'Xito', was named Wine-maker of the Year by the Portuguese wine magazine 'Revista de Vinhos'.
The vineyards of the Dão region are typically terraced. Dão, like the Douro region, enjoys continental or Mediterranean climate conditions, as it is protected from Atlantic influences by mountains to the west. Rainy, harsh winters and hot dry summers, followed by a long and cool autumn, offer ideal conditions for the production of first-class wines. With regard to soil conditions, granite soil can be found in the high altitudes, which produces red wines with a dry and strong character. In a few small areas white varieties thrive in slate soil, most of which are full-flavoured and full-bodied.
The farm has an area of 60 hectares, of which 20 hectares are planted with vines. Touriga Nacional, which is known as one of the best Portuguese grape varieties, takes
60 % of the cultivated area. Quinta do Mondego's wines are regularly awarded with prizes and recognitions and convince with an attractive price-performance ratio.