About us

Quinta do paço history

Since 17th Century

The centuries-old history of Quinta do Paço dates back to the 17th century, on the same site where today it is spread over 10ha of vineyards.

A Brief History of Quinta do Paço

Quinta do Paço came into the family in 1910 when Joaquim Ferreira da Silva bought it from the Monastery of Alpendurada. Joaquim Ferreira da Silva was a wine merchant who had boats for transporting the barrels he bought and sold in Oporto. He was the father of our paternal grandmother, Luisa Ferreira da Silva.

The Quinta do Paço was at that time the largest in the parish and included the present Quinta, the Quinta above which has a house that we called Casa do Vôvô Pereira, the Quinta do Tio Fernando just beyond, and the Quinta da Sobreira on the other side of the road. When my great-grandfather Joaquim Ferreira da Silva bought the Quinta, the house was very different as you can see in the following photo (see above)

Nowadays

In 2022 Quinta do Paço was sold to Mr Walter and Ms Helen Dubach who will give a new life to the Quinta and the house.

With this sale, the Quinta and Casa do Paço have definitively left the previous family (remaining, however, in the possession of Fernando Pereira da Silva the easternmost part of the primitive farm that belonged to him in shares with the death of his parents, Luisa Ferreira da Silva and Manuel Pereira da Silva)

The Dubach's

Wine and good food have always been a passion of ours and our family. The idea of being able to plant a vine and have a hand in the making of the end product is an age-old dream of ours. We never dreamed it would come true. But one step at a time.

After a holiday trip through Portugal, we learned to appreciate this country. During our trip, we met very nice and helpful people all over Portugal.
When we returned, we couldn’t stop thinking about finding an olive grove or winery in beautiful Portugal. With the help of Jaap Super, after a short search in the Porto area, we were able to visit Quinta do Paço, which was for sale. It was love at first sight.

Tomorrow

In the spring of 2023, we will already have our first 2 white wines in bottles with the names Minha Mãe Ana (Arinto and Premium) available here. The fact that we will reach a good quality level from the beginning is mainly due to our oenologist António Sousa. In addition to the wine, we also want to teach our visitors how to grow grapes and how to take care of them. To this end, our Guesthouse offers rooms for those who are interested or simply for those who love nature. We are happy to share our passion with many guests. Of course, visitors who just want to taste a glass of our wine are also welcome. We will continue to develop Quinta do Paço with joy and vigour, expanding our offer to include red and rosé vines. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Quinta do Paço. Helen and Walter

São Lourenço do Douro

The natural characteristics of this region are the ideal conditions for the production of excellent white wines.

Located in the interior of the Region, the region of Marco de Canaveses is protected from the influence of the Atlantic and at a high average altitude, meaning that the temperature ranges are higher than the average for the Region and the summer is hotter. These conditions favour the development of some later maturing grape varieties: Azal and Avesso (white), Amaral and Espadeiro (red).

Terroir

Granite Soil fruity aromas

The soil is granite, as in most of the Region. White wines usually have fruity aromas and a higher alcohol content than the Region’s average.

They are made from the Arinto, Loureiro and Trajadura grape varieties, adapted to temperate climates and, therefore, common to almost the entire Vinhos Verdes Region, but here with an ally, Avesso, a grape variety that is more characteristic of inland sub-regions.