News
November 27 stayed forever in our memory. The feelings and emotions of a tradition, now considered Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, were celebrated, singing.
History
In the 13th century, in the district of Monsaraz, there was a place called Fonte do Esporão, which bordered the district of Portel. João Peres de Aboim, who was a descendent of Egas Moniz, Mordomo-Mor (First Official of the Portuguese Royal House), an important figure of Afonso III’s time and a feudal lord of Portel, had coveted this land and was able to buy it in 1264. After annexing Fonte do Esporão to other lands that had been given to him ...
Vineyards
Portugal is privileged to have the second largest number of native grape varieties, which exist nowhere else in the world and which make Portuguese wines so unique and original. Although the exact number of varieties in Portugal is not certain, it is thought to range between 250 and 280. At Herdade do Esporão, we currently have 194 different varieties planted, of which 37 account for virtually all production. These 37 fundamental varieties are...
Winemaking
If the vineyards represent the lungs of Herdade do Esporão, then the winery is the heart that beats to the pace of the grape harvest and the sequence of tasks defined by the year’s schedule and the winemaking team. We built our first winery in 1985 and it was designed to function almost exclusively with the help of gravity. It was soon considered to be one of the most advanced and sophisticated in Portugal, complemented by tunnels and undergro...