Monte Horizonte

Quinta do Portal, located in the Douro Valley, will officially open this summer a new sophisticated warehouse for aging their Port and Douro Wines designed by one of the most renowned Portuguese architects in the Douro Valley, Siza Vieira. According to Quinta do Portal’s general manager, Mr. Castro Ribeiro, the winery wants to turn this building into a cathedral for wine and architecture lovers.  They recognize that these days wine and architecture are a part of culture and can help to attract more people to visit the Douro Valley. The building represents an investment of 4 million Euros. It will have 4,722 square meters and besides the aging area it will have a visitors’ center, an auditory and a wine tasting room that will complement the tourist area of the estate. Siza Vieira used Douro materials such as the schist (slate that is traditional used to build the vines slopes in Douro) and cork due to its covering and isolating climatic properties perfect to provide the ideal conditions for the slow aging process of the wines. These materials cover the concrete structure. The architect also envisioned integrating the building structure with the landscape. – Currently it is already working and ready for visits.