After a welcoming check-in, I was taken by the sympathetic and charismatic GM João in his jeep for the ‘grand tour’…. and that jeep is really needed because the terrain is huge! Indeed, besides the hotel and restaurant, this is a ‘working farm’ and produces wine and olive oil. To pull this off requires enormous biodiversity and it shows, especially now in spring when everything is in full bloom. A feast for the senses! João talks passionately about the estate and its history. He also indicates that he thinks it is important for a quinta like this to have educational responsibilities in order to also teach younger generations about wine and the Douro region. So there is an audio tour on the property for guests and an educational visitor center, how special! And of course, there is every opportunity to taste wine under Rita’s inspiring guidance.