Wine tourism in Portugal: visiting Quinta do Vale Meão

Wine tourism in Portugal takes us to Quinta do Vale Meão, located in Vila Nova de Foz Côa in the Douro region. The estate’s history dates back to the 19th century under the leadership of Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira. In 1877, already the owner of the largest agricultural estate in the Douro, she purchased 300 hectares of virgin land with the ambition of building a model estate from scratch—a project fully realised between 1887 and 1895. It was her final and most significant achievement, though she sadly passed away in 1896.

Since then, Quinta do Vale Meão has remained in the hands of her descendants.

From the 1970s onwards, her great-great-grandson Francisco Javier de Olazabal took over management and began a long process of consolidating ownership. In 1994, together with his children, he became the sole owner. Until then, the estate’s grapes were sold to AA Ferreira SA, contributing to some of its finest wines. This relationship continued until 1998, when Francisco Javier de Olazabal stepped down as chairman to focus, alongside his son, winemaker Francisco de Olazabal, and Nicolau de Almeida, on producing, ageing and marketing the estate’s own wines through F. Olazabal & Sons.

In the 1980s, significant efforts were made to reintroduce the Touriga Nacional grape variety, previously neglected due to its low yields and cultivation difficulty. It proved highly adaptable to the Douro Superior’s conditions and has since played a key role in the quality and originality of the estate’s wines.

The estate’s diverse soils—schist, granite and alluvial—are carefully managed to enhance complexity. Today, Quinta do Vale Meão successfully combines modern technology with traditional practices.

Since releasing its first wine under its own label in 1999, the estate has gained both national and international recognition, becoming a benchmark in the region. It produces both red and white wines: the reds are powerful and elegant, while the whites are fresh and nuanced. Without doubt, a highly enriching tasting experience.