Quevedo is part of a new generation of small family wineries based in the Douro Valley. For many years, these families were growing grapes, and making Port wine, for merchants based in Vila Nova de Gaia. But when Portugal joined the European Union in 1986, legislation changed to allow both grape growers and wineries in the Douro to export their wines directly to the retailer. And as a result of this new legislation, the family brand “Quevedo” was born.
We cultivate 100 ha of vineyards across six properties in the Douro valley, from the sub-regions of the Cima Corgo and the Douro Superior. The diversity of our vineyards provides grapes of varying aromas and flavors to help us craft our wine.
The single most important thing we learned from our ancestors was that the wine shall be made in the vineyard. It does not matter how good or how lucky you are working the grapes at the winery, if the origin of the grapes is not the best, then there is now way you will make the best wine.
Secondly, vineyards tend to be consistent in terms of quality, but there is not a single location that is always the best. So, make sure you have different locations to grow your grapes, not all in the same spot.
These two ideas help to explain why producers in the Douro need to grow grapes in different areas, at different altitudes and why they plant a large array of native grapes.