Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo

Since 1999, Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo has been owned and operated by the prominent Amorim family. The 120-hectare estate is located alongside the Douro River in northern Portugal about 55 straight-line miles due east of Porto. The Amorim family’s first link to the wine industry was as cork makers in the late 19th Century.

The estate was owned by the Portuguese Royal Family until 1725 and has been listed as a winery since 1756 when the Douro wine region was created. Now representing the family’s fourth generation, manager Luisa Amorim has a deep respect for the land’s cultural heritage and ancestral roots.

Quinta Nova de Nossa Senhora do Carmo is composed of 41 vineyard plots, each with a distinct micro-terroir. It is located in the Cima Corgo sub-region and includes a 1.5 km stretch along the right bank of the Douro River. A unique area of 85 hectares is located within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Twelve percent of the estate’s nine grape varieties are planted with centuries-old vines growing on stone-walled terraces. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz make up approximately 60 percent of the vines.

Quinta Nova is comprised entirely of hills between 80 and 700 meters in elevation. The terraced vineyard plots are tilled traditionally using horse and plow and are naturally fertilized with grape husks. While the estate’s original cellar dates to 1764, a new wine cellar incorporates artificial intelligence to facilitate precise, real-time management. There are 32 cement tanks and two restored three-century-old granite grape presses.

The Amorim family is deeply committed to sustainability in the vineyard, as well as to social programs throughout the region. Through an association, they help to create equal opportunities for children and work to reverse the cycle of poverty and social exclusion through education.