Local partners in artisan crafts(wo)manship

Quinta do Tedo’s local partners in artisan crafts(wo)manship

30+ years ago, Quinta do Tedo essentially emerged out of blind passion and hard work to achieve big dreams. Today, Northern Portugal is brimming with other like-minded (perhaps less crazy) entrepreneurs whose ambition and crafts(wo)manship shine through unique and quality products we are honoured to work with.

As 20th century American writer, educator and humanitarian Helen Keller said - “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”. We support our local partners because sustainable development requires teamwork and their crafts add value to our Quinta do Tedo offer - after all, the most memorable wine experiences are multi-sensorial and interdisciplinary.

To kick off the new year, we’d like to highlight three partners and a humble reminder that every euro we spend casts a vote on the kind of future we want - support smart, support local, support sustainable, and support quality.

Susana Godinho, founder & creative director of SUGO Cork Rugs, “the first rug brand in the world combining an innovative cork solution with traditional tapestry techniques.”

Covid face masks couldn’t hide Susana’s passion and pride showing us around her warehouse outside Porto, in Paços de Brandão, back in 2020. Her traditionally-made rugs are ecological and contemporary works of art. 

SUGO cork rugs weave together (in large looms and by hand) up-cycled linen, cotton and uniquely Portuguese cork yarn; this last component imbues each rug with light, hypoallergenic, moisture-proof, heat- and sound-insulating, extremely flexible, and soft-to-the-touch functionality. This was exactly the creative solution we were looking for to add a personalised and elegant Tedo-inspired touch of warm colour and organic texture to the walls of our B&B rooms. 

We quickly became addicted to Susana’s electric energy and talent, spearheading a creative side of the circular economy, and worked together again in 2022 to produce a sound-proofing wall hanging for our Bistro Terrace, as well as some other original pieces for our family home - we’re certain our collaboration won’t end there. 

Anyone visiting Northern Portugal, check out Susana’s work featured at the World of Wine’s Planet Cork Exhibit in Porto, or in person at her warehouse.

Telmo Ramos, owner & producer at Quinta da Veiguinha.

In the heart of Vila Flor, to the northeast of Douro Valley in the Terras Quentes or Hot Lands of Trás-os-Montes, Telmo Ramos recuperated his family farm’s schist and granite barn in 1997 to produce DOP Terrincho cheese. With 100% raw Portuguese milk from free-ranging Serrano goats and Churra sheep Quinta da Veiguinha elaborates a variety of fresh, cured and spiced cheeses.

The local breeds, the plateau’s biodiverse pastures and marshes and unique climate composed of hot, dry summers and cold winters, and the local use of rennet as a coagulator and cloth as a cheese mould makes for the distinct quality and flavour of Terrincho cheese, produced since the early 1900s and DOP since 1996.

Similar to DOC wines, DOP cheeses and other foods are produced within specific demarcated regions, according to techniques and quality standards that cannot be “copied” anywhere else in the world. Amongst Portugal’s 11 DOP cheeses, the ever-popular Serra da Estrela cheese won 7th place in Taste Atlas’s Top 100 Cheeses in the World 2023. 

Each year since 2011, Telmo’s cheeses have won gold and silver metals and, notably in 2017’s Traditional Portuguese Cheese Competition, “Best of the Best” Terrincho cheese. Try the Fresh Goat Cheese “à Transmontano” with our Porto Rosé or Douro DOC Rosé, the Cured Goat Cheese with our LBV or Douro DOC Reserva, and the Paprika Cured Sheep Cheese with our Tawny Ports or Douro DOC Grande Reserva Savedra.

We started working with Quinta da Veiguinha in 2022 to showcase a local example of Portugal’s diverse and qualitative, yet undervalued, cheese selection to our visitors, and expand Port pairing horizons beyond blue cheese and chocolate.

Brigitte Bless Violet, founder of Chocolate Bless, blending high quality chocolate and fine Portuguese ingredients.

With a chocolatier degree from Alba, Italy and 10+ years of professional experience in Fribourg, Switzerland, in 2019, Brigitte started her own boutique chocolate production in the oceanside town of Famalicão, near Nazaré, where she and her husband fell double in love on honeymoon in 1982.

Chocolate Bless has a strong focus on sustainability and social responsibility, using no added palm oil nor chemicals, and only natural ingredients sourced locally or ethically-traded. Brigitte understands the importance of high quality ingredients and works directly with cacao farmers in the ex-Portuguese São Tomé and Principe islands.

After many trials tempering our own chocolates for Port and Douro DOC wine pairings and a delectable “welcome” in our B&B rooms, even with high quality supermarket ingredients, we found them too sweet and with unrefined texture. In 2022, we switched to Bless Chocolates, whose fine velvety consistency and deep flavour come from “conching”, a technique invented by Robert Lindt in the 1900s by which ingredients are ground and aerated over 3 days to slowly liquefy and amalgamate via kinetic energy (rather than direct heat) into a cacao paste before adding cocoa butter.

Brigitte leverages creativity and aesthetics from her past career in porcelain painting and fashion, and products from local partners to produce uniquely Portuguese-flavoured bonbons. Take, for example, the LBV dark chocolate, Tawny milk chocolate, or Extra Virgin white chocolate made with Quinta do Tedo Ports and Olive Oil and included in our Self-Guided Chocolate Pairing Experience.

Are you dying for a taste? Lucky you Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we have prepared 4 unique experiences combining Bless Chocolates, Quinta do Tedo Ports, Douro DOC wines and hospitality and Bistro Terrace gastronomy for you and your “love bird”.

  • Tour, Tasting, Chocolate Pairing : 50€ / 2 persons

  • Bistro Terrace Dinner : 60€ / person

  • Tour, Tasting, Chocolate Pairing, Bistro Terrace Dinner (with wine pairing) : 170€ / 2 persons

  • Tour, Tasting, Chocolate Pairing, Bistro Terrace Dinner (with wine pairing), B&B : 315-345€ / 2 persons

Reserve now while we still have availability, and feel free to upgrade from our Classic Port or Douro DOC Wine Tasting to a more premium tasting for an additional cost. 📞 +351 915 528 055 / 📩 reservas@quintadotedo.com

~ Kay & Odile Bouchard

Joyeuses fêtes 2023 !

2023 fut une année formidable, au cours de laquelle notre Équipe Tedo a excellé et notre Fan Club Tedo s'est agrandi.

Conformément à nos objectifs de gestion durable, nous investissons dans notre équipe de guides touristiques locaux, afin de les encourager à présenter fièrement, personnellement et professionnellement le patrimoine unique et les produits de qualité du Douro, et de les pousser à toujours apprendre.

Cette année, notre visite de référence a inclus le Graham's Port Lodge et une expérience d'accords mets-vins internationaux au The World of Wine, à Porto.

Bien entendu, le succès de notre enotourisme et de nos ventes dépend de la qualité de nos Portos, vins Douro DOC et  huile d'olive extra vierge.

Pour remercier nos équipes de viticulture et d'œnologie de leur travail ardu et pour favoriser leur développement personnel et professionnel, nous avons visité nos voisins à Real Companhia Velha à Pinhão, pour mieux comprendre le terroir et les vieilles vigne du Douro, et à Alves de Sousa à Santa Marta de Penaguião, dont nous admirons l'honnêteté et la qualité de leur vinification et assemblage de barriques. Obrigada pour nous avoir reçus :)

Quinta do Tedo vous souhaite de chaleureuses et joyeuses fêtes de fin d'année, pleines de Porto !

Notre célébration Tedo de fin d'année a compris un magnifique repas de 5 plats préparé par la merveilleuse équipe du Bistro Terrace, accompagné de vins fantastiques de notre région, ainsi que des pépites Californiennes et Bourguignonnes de la cave de la Famille Bouchard, et notre "nouveau" Tawny 30 ans 🍷

~ Kay & Odile Bouchard

Happy holidays 2023!

2023 has been a great year, through which our Tedo Team has excelled and our Tedo Fan club has grown.

In line with our sustainability goals, we invest in our team of local guides, empowering them to proudly, personably and professionally showcase Douro Valley’s unique heritage and quality products, and encourage them to never stop learning.

This year, our Tasting Room benchmarking field trip included Graham’s Port Lodge and an international wine and food pairing experience at The World of Wine in Porto.

Of course, the success of our wine tourism and sales depends on the quality of our fine Portos, Douro DOC wines and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

To thank our Viticulture and Enology Team for their hard work, and to nurture their personal and professional development, we visited our neighbours at Real Companhia Velha in Pinhão, to gain more insight on Douro Valley’s terroir and old vine field blends, and Alves de Sousa in Santa Marta de Penaguião, whose honest, quality winemaking and barrel blending we greatly admire. Obrigada for receiving us :)

Quinta do Tedo wishes you warm and happy, Port-filled holidays!

Our annual holiday party included a beautiful 5-course meal prepared by the wonderful team at Bistro Terrace, paired with fantastic wines from our region, as well and the Bouchard Family’s California- and Burgundy-focused wine cellar, and our extra special Tawny 30 Year 🍷

~ Kay & Odile Bouchard

Recent international tastings, and our new Grande Reserva Savedra 2020 and Olive Oil 2023

While Quinta do Tedo is first and foremost a winery, owner Vincent Bouchard always said “it’s easy to make wine, the challenge is selling it”… 

Well, good wine is not so “easy” to make, and great wine takes many more hours of skillful vineyard and cellar work to nurture, which our small, savvy Adega Team is dedicated to at Quinta do Tedo.

At Quinta do Tedo we do not just nurture great Portos, Douro DOC wines and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but a unique story, terroir, heritage and savoir-faire and our Bouchard Family values. This differentiates our premium quality and authentic products those reputation-tarnishing, mass-produced Portos you find for 5-10€ on the supermarket shelf, or those that grandma serves once a year, quasi-warm, from the cupboard in decorative aroma-crippling glasses.

We invest in qualified, local staff to host professional and personable technical tours at Quinta do Tedo, enlightening wine-curious visitors and aficionados about Douro Valley region and history, the traditional transformation of our estate’s grade-A grapes into a range of fine Portos and Douro DOC wines, when and how to enjoy them, and with what gourmandises.

For the sake of dividing and conquering duties, when not on-site at Quinta do Tedo, our Bouchard Family Brand Ambassadors embark on busy Port education and tasting itineraries to complement our on-site Team Tedo’s efforts, internationally. Let’s recap some recent Tedo appearances…

September 30, 2023 - Port Wine Day in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.

October 13, 2023 - Quinta do Tedo was the 7th top-selling producer at our Dutch importer Okhuysen’s Open Doors Tasting in Haarlem, Netherlands.

October 14-20, 2023 - Spirits Festival and La Part Des Anges in Nantes, followed by visits to 28 wine shops, bars and restaurants between Roche Sur Yon, Angers, Tours, Rouen and Paris with our French importer, Jean Boyer.

November 16 & 20, 2023 - sharing a stand with Odile Bouchard’s Gamine Rose personal white wine label at La Rèleve tasting of next generation Burgundian wine projects in Beaune, France followed by the infamous La Paulée harvest luncheon at Château de Meursault.

November 24, 2023 - launching our Tawny 30 Year at Germany’s premiere Port tasting, Portweinmessen, full of Tedo Fans and next generation of Port Lovers.

We hope to see you at one of the above tastings next year! In the meantime, mark your calendars for the following near-future tastings at which we’ll showcase some new products (see below):

  • December 15 & 16, 2023 - annual Quinta do Tedo tasting “entre amis” in Merceuil, France.

  • February 12-14, 2024 - Vinexpo in Paris, France.

  • March 10-12, 2024 - ProWein in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Grande Reserva Savedra 2020 (shop online)

We produce Grande Reserva Savedra only in high-quality years - 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and, our most recent release, 2020 - when our old vine Savedra parcel, a 75-year-old field blend of 18+ varieties, shines especially bright. Recent warmer and sunnier growing seasons charge our grape skins’ with more color, tannins, and aromas, which we finely extract via delicate macerations that preserve this iconic vineyard’s unique mineral, cherry and forrest berry, wild herbs and floral expression without losing freshness. 2 years of aging in mostly new 228L French oak barrels of various forest origins and toast profiles softens age-worthy grip and imbues noble chocolate and tobacco aged aromas in our Grande Reserva Savedra, focusing its tension and persistence. Pair with wild mushrooms, slow cooked beef or boar stew or blue cheese and confited-tomato tart, or cellar and enjoy its evolution over 5-20 years.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (shop online)

Considering our extremely limited albeit high quality 2022 olive harvest, which we quickly sold out of in September 2023, were happily blessed with abundance this year - our 4 hectares of 50- to 150-year-old olive trees literally overflowed with healthy fruit, which we started harvesting in October, preserving freshness without adding aggressive spice or bitterness to our in our rich and greatly gastronomic cold-pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The first batch is decanted, bottled and back in stock in our Tasting Room and Online Shop for your enjoyment.

Tawny 30 Years (shop online)

Our “newest” old Tawny is an exquisite elixir celebrating 30+ years of Bouchard Family ownership at Quinta do Tedo, since 1992. Its limited-edition packaging includes a velvet Quinta do Tedo embroidered bag, with our signature wooden bar top cork, soft wax seal with opening instructions, and hand-written bottle number. Read more about this new product in last month’s blog.

~ Kay & Odile Bouchard