Tuesday 6 March 2012

PORTUGAL



QUINTA DOS VALES

A HIDDEN GEM IN THE ALGARVE!



Hidden away in the heart of the western Algarve is the wine and art estate of Quinta dos Vales. Essentially a wine producer of award winning wines, it is also home to some spectacular artwork in the form of large, colourful sculptures which are displayed throughout the estate.

Quinta dos Vales is situated near the town of Estombar, a small town which once had a thriving economy based on trade along the Arade River and salt production. It is also the birthplace of the 11th century Muslim poet Ibne-Ammar. Estombar has a 16th century church, the church of Sao Jiago (St. James), and many wonderful beaches are within a short drive of both Estombar and the wine estate.

The present owner of Quinta dos Vales took over the estate in 2007 and with his team of dedicated staff has transformed the estate into what it is today. Various farm buildings have been renovated and transformed into beautiful, modern, comfortable and very well equipped living accommodation. A total of 50 guests can be accommodated in 4 units which can sleep between 4 and 16 people. My wife and I were staying in ‘Casa Margarida’, a 2 bedroom house with its own outdoor (unheated) swimming pool. The house is spacious with a modern well equipped kitchen with oven, fridge, washing machine, dish washer and all the pots and pans etc that you could possibly require. The large kitchen/diner also has a dining table with 6 chairs. Also on the ground floor is a lounge with 2 sofas, a coffee table, TV and CD & DVD player. Adjacent to the lounge is a bathroom with a small bath with shower unit, W.C. and wash basin. Upstairs on the first floor are the two bedrooms, both of a good size with double beds and bedside cabinets. The main bedroom has an en suite shower room with shower, W.C. and wash basin. Ample towels for bathing and swimming are provided.



Facilities on-site are limited as this is not your typical resort, any provisions needed for your stay should either be brought with you or purchased from the supermarket in the nearby town of Lagoa. Quinta dos Vales can provide a ‘Do it yourself breakfast package’ which includes coffee, tea, fruit juice, eggs, butter, local jam, bread, fresh farm fruits, chourico and local cheese, all for 8.50 euros per person per day.

The main activity at Quinta dos Vales is relaxation, I spent many a happy hour just sitting, resting on the patio by my private pool, watching the workers in the vineyard and soaking up the February sunshine. Although dry and sunny for our 3 day stay in Portugal, and with temperatures in the mid 60s Fahrenheit, the pool was a little too cold for me to swim in, but nonetheless provided a most pleasing environment in which to relax. For a little exercise there are plenty of places to walk, with around 50 hectares of land in total. Much of this land is given over to vineyards, with the rest laid out into perfectly manicured gardens, thought provoking sculptures and a delightful animal enclosure.



The animal enclosure is a well presented, well cared for area which is ideal for families with children. The animals housed there include goats, sheep, horses, pigs, geese, chickens, kangaroos, llamas and deer, there are even some wild boar in an enclosure by ‘Casa Margarida’. Food for the animals can be purchased in the wine shop. On-site there is a communal swimming pool and sauna. The impressive ‘4 Seasons’, which can accommodate up to 16 people, is the only other property other than ‘Casa Mararida’ to have its own private swimming pool. There is also a communal barbecue area and the sculpture garden where weddings are held and a children’s play area. Dining is pretty much self catering or you can drive out to a local restaurant, the nearest large town is Lagoa where you can find something to eat, or take a short drive to the coast and sample some delicious, typical Portuguese cuisine. Quinta dos Vales has a resident Chef on-site who is available for hire for private functions (ask the staff for details).






The ‘Must Do’ activity whilst staying at Quinta dos Vales is of course the ‘wine tasting’ tours, these can be arranged from individuals to groups, the wine tasting room can accommodate up to 60 people. Depending on your choice of either 'wine tasting by the glass (3 wines)’ or including a tour of the ‘wine cellar’ or tour of ‘vineyards, zoo and wine cellar’, prices range from 4.20 euros per person to 33.60 euros per person. The wine tasting normally includes a selection of bread, cheese, meats and olives to accompany the wine, although, other meal options can be arranged. There is also the option of ‘try and buy’ at the wine shop.



Our guide for our tour was Erhard Braun, a very knowledgeable and likeable German gentleman who has lived in Portugal for 30 years, and is clearly passionate about his job. Being fluent in German, English and Portuguese means that Erhard is often called upon to facilitate the tours as well as attend wine fairs and exhibitions. Erhard talked us through the 3 wines that we were to taste, a rose', a white and a red. He explained the process and gave advice as to how best to appreciate these truly wonderful wines. We sampled the standard wines but Quinta dos Vales, under the brand ‘Marques dos Vales’, produce a range of standard, superior and sparkling wines. Having won over 50 awards for their wines, Quinta dos Vales has quickly established itself as one of the leading wine producers in the area. The facts and figures that Erhard shared with us were both interesting and thought provoking. The estate use water from their own wells for the irrigation of the vineyard, and they can get through an astonishing 140,000 litres of water a day. Quinta dos Vales produce up to 130,000 litres of wine p.a. and although most of this is sold domestically, they can ship orders of up to 18 bottles to the UK for their guests. Orders for wine can be taken on their on-line shop.






After the wine tasting, we were given a tour of the wine cellar. Again the tour was punctuated with interesting facts and figures culminating with a visit to the lab where samples of the wine were being tested. We then toured the grounds with its many colourful and fascinating sculptures. These sculptures are designed and fashioned by the owner of Quinta dos Vales, Karl Heinz Stock and then painted by various artists. The sculptures include Bulls, Elephants, Bears and some rather large naked ladies. Many of these sculptures are for sale but with prices in the region of 6.500 to 8,500 euros, they are not within everyone’s budget. We continued our tour of the grounds with Erhard pointing out places of interest, the covered area where wedding guests can dine semi-alfresco, the orange, lemon, fig and date trees that are in abundance throughout the estate. There are also olive trees from which olive oil is produced for use on the estate. We then visited the zoo with its collection of very healthy looking and well cared for animals.







A car in the Algarve is a must and we rented ours from Europcar and collected it at Faro airport. There are many other car rental companies at the airport and prices start as low as £5 a day. The drive from the airport to Quinta dos Vales was in the region of 40 miles. Whilst in the Algarve we visited Estombar, Lagoa, Portimao and Alvor.

Portimao is a fairly large town of around 36,000 inhabitants, it is situated on the Rio Arade (River Arade) and the Atlantic Ocean. Here you will find a local market, fine restaurants and the popular beach of Praia Da Rocha. From Portimao you can take boat trips to the nearby caves and grottos, or hire a boat to go ‘Big game fishing’ for swordfish or simply to watch for dolphins.




Alvor is a small fishing village of around 5,000 inhabitants and dates back to Roman times, it is situated on the Rio De Alvor. There is a beautiful 16th century church (rebuilt in the 18th century) and the tiny cobbled streets are delightful. Alvor is also a wise choice for somewhere to eat as it has a good selection of restaurants serving locally caught fresh fish. We ate at ‘Sereia’ and I had a delicious meal of grilled Sea Bream with potatoes and salad for 8.50 euros, the cost of eating out is very similar to the UK. A walk along the river front in Alvor is highly recommended and the fishing huts are of particular interest, with the local fishermen often seen sat outside mending their nets.




Other places within an easy drive of Quinta dos Vales and worth a visit are the ancient maritime town of ‘Lagos‘, one of the most visited towns in the Algarve due to its beaches, bars and restaurants, ‘Loule‘, a large town which features an annual carnival, and ‘Silves’, with its 15th century Cathedral and Castle which dates back to the 8th century.

Portugal is among the 20 most visited countries in the world, averaging 13 million foreign tourists a year and is particularly popular with the British, German and Spanish. After the capital Lisbon, the Algarve with its wine, food, golf and many beaches is by far the most popular destination in Portugal. Faro is the main airport in the Algarve and it has regular direct flights from many UK airports. Flight time is between 2.5 and 3 hours and Portugal is in the same time zone as the UK (so no need to change your watches), flights start from around £70 p.p. return. The maximum temperature in the Algarve is around 25 degrees centigrade in winter and 48 degrees centigrade in summer, it seldom falls below 0 degrees in winter, making it an all year round destination.



Quinta dos Vales is a unique holiday destination, successfully combining wine, art and leisure. Their friendly staff are always on hand to give advice and information on both Quinta dos Vales and the surrounding area. For more information visit www.quintadosvales.eu