I´ve made the visit yesterday with my father, the host was Francisco Guedes de Carvalho (Production Manager and the Estate Public Relations) the next generation of owners
.Although the name of "Quinta da Aveleda" already existed a long time ago, the date emblazoned on the top of the Chapel recalls the year of 1671.
The Estate is very well organized, they have a wine from Douro, Charamba; Quinta da Aveleda, green white; a Rosé from Casal Garcia (brand), and green white also from the same brand, that in the U.S.A. it´s knowned as "Casual Garcia".
Ok, I´ve to say that I´ve tasted these wines, and they are regular, but, the wines Aveleda Follies are very nice, they only use one sort of grape in each type: 5 different wine profiles: Aveleda Follies Alvarinho, fresh and fruity; Aveleda Follies Trajadura and Loureiro; Aveleda Follies Chardonnay, very aromatic, actually I prefer it rather the first two; and finally the Aveleda Follies Cabernet Sauvignon and Touriga Nacional, fruity and very well ballanced.
They have a annual production surrounding 15.000.000 btls and 210 employees during all year, of
course that it increases during the harvest season
The fermentation process occurs before the bottling, during all year and by request.
They also make a old brandy with 10y aging in french oak casks, the "Adega Velha".
Finally they produce two types of cheese ( 224 cows ); a soft and creamy cheese with a very strong milky taste; and a semi-hard cheese with 5 months ageing, the flavour it´s intense.
In terms of the landscape surrounding, it´s incredible an eucalyptus with 200 years; all full of different species of flowers that leeds the visitors to the middle of a rainbow; a medieval tower with 3 floors that is used as home for five "midget goats"; a challet in the middle of a lake that is used by the family in the relaxing moments; a old chapel next to the family house; a small museum with the first bottle of the Estate; pictures of fourth generation ancestral relatives; a box that was used to sell fresh butter, the first labels... visitors have their tastings in a porch with a nice view for the vineyards
Now the pictures will speak by themselves...
