The Lisbon wine region formerly known as the Estramadura region is one of much interest as it is very diverse in landscapes and just as divers in the types of wines produced in the region. This article is about one of the older houses close to the city in an area that is slowly being gobbled up by urbanization and land values have increased to the point where wine making is becoming less lubricative and farms are vanishing being taking over by high rise buildings, commercial centers and modern housing more fitting to the current demands.
The wine estate that caught our interest is at just 15 minutes from the city center and is a place of immense history and beauty and where wine is still produced within the walls of the old farm there were urbanization cant find its way in.
Quinta das Carrafouchas is located in Loures just north of Lisbon in the more mountainous landscapes of the Lisbon district.
The wines of the Quinta das Carrafouchas
Quinta das Carrafouchas is a family run estate with a small production of excellent wines produced according to traditional methods. The grapes for instance are still stomped by foot. Another unique aspect is the harvest, which is slightly earlier than in other parts of the country due to this areas particular micro-climate.
Quinta das Carrafouchas is an estate build in the Baroque period. It was bought in 1872 by the Marquis de Valada by Joaquim Franco Cannas and it has stayed in the family to this day.
The main wines are Quinta das Carrafouchas white and Quinta das Carrafouchas red, which incorporate the Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Arinto grape varieties.
The history of the Quinta das Carrafouchas
There is no documentation that allows us to retrace the history of Casa das Carrafouchas, built at the beginning of the 18th century.
On April 8, 1879, the property was bought from the Marquês de Valada by Joaquim Franco Cannas, staying in his family up to this day. It currently belongs to D. Maria Veneranda Cannas Henriques da Silva.
This site is a beautiful example of the construction that can be found in both the North and the South of Portugal. In this type of house, built according to a frontal design, the carefully designed façade develops in the length direction. The three distinct elements, consisting of the chapel, the residence and the courtyard wall, enclosed by an armored portal, are integrated therein into one and the same set. The chapel occupying the end of the facade.
A past in disrepair provides a place of intrigue, mystery and beauty in Lisbon, Quinta das Carrafuchas
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The chapel dates to 1714 and is a typical example of Portuguese architecture. The chapel, on the one of the dwelling. Dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo, this place of prayer is a true jewel, where, in association with the Portuguese, golden carvings, polychrome marble inlays, red and gold frescoes, and blue and white tiles are found. The set is however very homogeneous, thanks to the two-dimensional but very dynamic leitmotiv formed by foliage windings and scrolls.
Like the chapel, the courtyard is a privileged space, the astounding geometric design of the black and white stonework and refreshed by the existence of a fountain. The terrace that dominates it was decorated after the chapel, around 1740, with three monumental panels of tiles, representing scenes of hunting, in the style of Bartolomeu Antunes. There, knights and mounted chasing the bull, the deer and the boar.
The garden holds us a new surprise, with its large fountain, attached to three walls of a white and ocher-edged, overlaid with bulbs, pinnacles that have no vague Arabic reminiscences. Here the tiles serve to frame architecturally-minded niches of broad baroque enclosures which, above the stone benches, frame graceful allegorical figures representing the Four Seasons.
Licensed since 1932, it was only after 1954 that it began to produce white wine, which was sold in bulk. It is the private vineyard closest to the center of Lisbon. Today it produces some excellent price winning wines but has also specialized itself in enotourism. The possibilities are many from wine tasting to partaking in workshops and activities surrounding the wine making processes.
The quinta has created various spaces for events of any size and provides a perfect location for events of any type where wine and wine making, traditions, noble history and the unexpected natural surroundings create the perfect atmosphere for unforgettable authentic experiences.
Interested in receiving prices and possibilities for your events, please use the following form or call 00351 918354714 7 days per week between 9AM and 9PM
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