19 years ago Vincent and I had the (outlandish) and romantic idea to purchase a ruin of an agricultural estate on the Douro River, having fallen in love with the dramatic beauty while hiking in the region and afterwards searching for a place to produce our own wine. Vincent is Burgundian and wanted to sow his oats elsewhere than France, I am Californian and at the time was terribly in love with Italy, so my Latin lover/husband made sure I was not too close to the country that I so passionately loved, and voila` we landed in Portugal. The wildest ideas oftentimes turn into solid reality, if you are ready to pull up your sleeves and work on something that is yours. I still feel like a “pioneer” with all of the challenges, sometimes bittersweet, in something that at times resembles the Wild West, but today I am smitten by Portugal and the Douro Valley…the physical landscape, the people, the lifestyle and the potential to make world-class fortified and table wines, namely Port and Douro D.O.C. red table wine.
With a very dedicated work force, we have Jorge Alves, talented winemaker and general manager bar none; assistant winemaker with ditto great talent and drive Hugo Fonseca; dynamic and very congenial tour guide Monia; cook Adelaide, who puts some of the most savory delicious rustic food I’ve tasted on the table for our work staff and for us; vineyard manager Joaquim and crew who labor in the vineyard and make our viticultural success possible; our horse, Tedo, named logically after the river Tedo, who is the only thing that we have even close to mechanization in the vineyard; and our bird logo, in reverence to the migratory bird oenanthe leucurus, that vagabonds like us with purpose between continents, and sings the song of Quinta do Tedo. My blog will be a link for you to understand us more, and to share with you what is happening at our quinta and in the Douro Valley, from what makes our wine so outstanding to travel tips, to recipes, to humorous (now but not then) vignettes re: our experiences thus far and, with that said, bem-vindo a Quinta do Tedo!
July 10, 2009 at 8:30 pm |
I forgot to add an extremely important trigger to this blog, and that all summed up is “thanks Peggy for the nudge”……more on that at a later date…..
Kay
July 15, 2009 at 4:10 pm |
Kay,
What a nice touch. I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts, comments and reminiscences. We are looking forward to your visit here. We all miss your energy and spirit.
Bonne chance et bon courage. XO
Charley et famille!
July 20, 2009 at 5:31 pm |
This is amazing!! I am so proud of you!
I love the header….and the first story is awesome…I can’t wait to introduce you and your blog to my readers…now if only I could get you to twitter! 
Ciao Kay….mi manchi…amore, Peggy
July 31, 2009 at 7:40 am |
Hey, How about posting the QdoT song and illustration on the blog?
love,
gretchen
August 4, 2009 at 1:30 pm |
grâce a Echappées belles et mes recherches sur Internet (fantastique, ce truc là) mais c’est bien sur, c’est bien Vincent collègue de IPC VINS et camarade de cette belle époque.
Please Kay, tell Vincent about old friends Nicole and Christian.
Your website is very attractive and interesting.The landscape is gorgeous and so are, I am sure, the grapes and the wine you grow.
We enjoyed meeting Vincent’s family including “Tedo”. Best regards from Nicole and Christian
August 22, 2009 at 2:04 pm |
My husband and I have read your entire webpage this morning. As our Son Matthew, joins your team for the month of September, we are excited for him and you as you work together. What an experince for him to work in this beautiful setting and Country. I don’t thing either of you will be disappointed. As a Mom speaking, please take good care of our Son.
August 24, 2009 at 8:02 pm |
Thanks for reading the blog and of course we will take care of him. I will not be there, but he is in good hands with Vincent, Jorge, Hugo, Adelaide, Monia and others. I predict that it will be a positive experience for him, to learn and to live alot!
Best,
Kay
October 19, 2009 at 4:54 pm |
Kay, As stated before a great touch having this blog and I love the pictures, the description of the process and obviously the results. We’ll pull a cork this evening! As always we miss you all. Tell Vincent that the Spirous are all read and I look forward to your next visit. Muya XO bisous. Chas
October 23, 2009 at 9:18 am |
Thanks Charley!
April 14, 2010 at 3:49 pm |
Dear All!
Reminiscing our time spent with you at the Quinta do Tedo on our Easter break in 2007 and reading this blog about the suckling pig brought my salivary glands to submission. Reading about the Easter eggs in the olive tree and how the bunny managed to climb and hide them, made me laugh. All of these memories were super special and I council anyone who hasn’t visited yet, regardless of the time of year, whether it’s wet or dry outside, wildflowers in bloom or in the heat of the summer, to book this trip up the Duro to La Quinta do Tedo. Your hospitality and the unending charm of the place, not to mention the incredible ports you make should be enticement enough for all to consider. We love popping open a bottle of your Port with friends and family and recounting the amusing stories of our visit to Portugal and our incredible stay with you at the Quinta. XO Charley
April 21, 2010 at 8:58 pm |
Charley,
Those memories, ah yes, those memories! Special times that stick with us, eh? We look forward to having you all another time at Quinta do Tedo, after restoration, in 2011? Pictures are worth a thousand words, thanks also to Gretchen!
Hugs from the Bouchard clan,
K
August 31, 2010 at 12:47 pm |
That was a magical time together, and we did have our laughs! Easter egg hunting will always be a memory for us. I have the photo of us disappearing into the hedge at Mateus on my fridge in Italy and love to look at it and to see you all.