Yellow Road → Quinta do Beijo Winery, Portugal
So, in two years, the "Yellow Road" crossed Europe from east to west and reached Portugal, however, it was noted in the vineyards of Lebanon. The highlight of the Portuguese winery Quinta do Beijo presented here is white port.
Winery Quinta do Beijo, with more than a century of history and tradition, 12 hectares of vineyards and olive trees, was born from the old "Armazéns do Calvário".
Now Quinta do Beijo is known for its high quality wines, excellent olive oil and a new tourist offer ...
Located in Seleiros do Douro, a wine village 25 km from Vila Real, in the municipality of Sabroza, Quinta do Beijo also contributes to the beauty of the local landscape of vineyards and terraces typical of the Douro wine region.
Director of Quinta do Beijo João Monteiro answers the questions of the Yellow Road
1 - Why is your vineyard called “Quinta do Beijo”?
Quinta do Beijo means “Kiss Winery” because we are a romantic Family and also because our Parents they love Humming Birds. These Birds in Portuguese we call them “Flower Kissers” and to compare them to us, to Wine producers, those birds with a kiss they get the nectar from the flowers and we with a kiss we get the nectar from the vineyards to the barrels.
2 - Can you suggest a route to visit your winery?
You can start to see Vila Real, a City near Douro Region, this is the entrance of Douro and here you can taste our local pastery. Than you can visit our Winery in Celeirós do Douro, have lunch here with reservation, stop next at our picturesque viewing platforms in S. Cristovão do Douro where you can see the heart of Douro from above, Pinhão. Next you stop at this village and see our Railroad station and you can ride our traditional train. Walk next the Douro´s River, bridge from pinhão and then by car do our most beautiful road in the world from Pinhão to Régua and have some dinner there.
3 - What is the best way to travel around the Douro Valley? Is there public transport there?
The best way to visit Douro Valley is by renting car or even from Touristic Companies. There’s lack of public transportation here and also taxies for example, they can get you to different places but your going to spend a lot of money. The car rentals you can go to every place, every corner of Douro and you can stop whenever you want for you to feel the outstanding landscapes.
4 - Where are the most picturesque viewing platforms in the Douro Valley?
In our region, “Cima Corgo – Douro Valley” there is tons of picturesque viewing like, Casal de Loivos, S. Cristóvão do Douro (Pinhão), Folgosa do Douro, São Leonardo de Galafura, Bridge of Pinhão.
5 - What does your apartment look like? And how much does a double room cost?
We don´t have apartment to rent. We have a house here that includes an open space with capacity to have a couple, Family or even a friends travel for 9 persons. It has Kitchen, Living Room, Backyard, Bathroom, Balcony. It´s inside of our Winery´s Properties, at the high season this costs per night between 270€ for 320€. Also we are planning to have 3 more houses, all of them with different locations and also different decorations like inside of a vineyard, inside of a traditional village from Douro or also a touristic traditional harvesting village.
6 - Расскажите, пожалуйста, о вашем патриархе Мигеле Монтейро? В чем его заслуга перед винодельней Quinta do Beijo?
Г-н Монтейро, как его называют в регионе, является семейным патриархом. Он управляет всем производством вина Quinta do Beijo, а также управляет всеми виноградниками, включая и оперативный контроль на винодельне. Он унаследовал винодельню от нашего деда, Луиса де Кастро Монтейро, и, производя фантастические портвейны в течение нескольких десятилетий, он поставил перед своей семьей(женой и сыновьями) задачу создать новый бренд на португальском рынке, наш Quinta do Beijo, и Quinta do Beijo родилась, и стала тем, чем является сегодня.
7 - What is your favorite wine (red or white)? And why? Please name your best wines.
All of our wines they are interesting and full of surprises on the taste and smell but my favorite of all is White Port Wine. They are rare on the market and specialty rare with aging on the oak barrels and we have 60% of our production is White Port Wine. This particularly wine is smooth on the taste but gives you a new perspective of tasting an aged one. We have now on the market a new Port, a White 10 Years Old Port, feels raisons on it and a hint of hazelnuts with a little of sweetness of honey. But the Best of Best is the Quinta do Beijo Tawny Port +40 Years Old, this is considered a 70 Years Old Port, comes from our Grandfather and it´s taste is honey and some caramel, very smooth and also you can feel a little bit of oak. Balanced. This won a Gold Medal on the International Wine Challenge in London, 95 Points of 100.
Our Top Wines at our cellar they are in Ports - Quinta do Beijo Tawny Port +40 Years Old (Photo attachment Qta_Beijo+Medalha) / Quinta do Beijo Tawny 10 Years Old This one also won a Gold Medal on the International Wine Challenge in London, 95 Points of 100./ Quinta do Beijo White 10 Years Old; For DOC Wines - Porta de Celeirós D´Oiro White DOC Wine Grand Reserve 2018 (Photo attachment Porta Celeirós Grande Reserva Branco 2018) / Quinta do Beijo Red DOC Wine Reserve 2016 (Photo attachment Garrafa Reserva Tinto 2016)
8 - List, if possible, a set (gift box) of three or four of your own wines (red and white), which, in your opinion, that can decorate the "poster" of your farm
We have to set gift box that we can decorate of our Farm, all from DOC Wines, the First is with 2 Grand Reserve White 2018 and 2 Reserve Red 2016 (Photo attachment Calamity_Package) and then we have a Classic one with a Wood Box with 3 DOC Wines, in this picture you will see with Entry Red Wine from 2018 but you can do with White Entry wines or Red Reserve ( Attachment Classic_Package)
9 - You can offer the most beautiful view (favorite point) of the vineyards or the surrounding landscape. May I ask you to take one or two photos of your favorite places?
My favorite places of my vineyards is this one (Attachment _MG_6907-2) This one is from 550 meters of altitude, different landscape without Douro River but gives you a feeling of freedom. With only nature sounds and also a view of what is living inside of a vineyard propriety!
10 - What is your choice for "Yellow Road"?
Grand Reserve White Wine from 2018
11 - What white wine producer (from Portugal or another country) would you recommend for Yellow Road?
I recommend without a doubt Gueda´s Wines. From Vilarinho dos Freires, Peso da Régua.
12 - What cultural event would you like to see at home: an exhibition, an opera, a ballet, something else or just your own events?
A Musical / Theater and some music displays with some wine taste
Sergey Evtuhov,
author of the "Yellow Road" project
