Dona Maria Wines

Neptune watches over us. The god rises, not from the ocean, but from an ancient irrigation tank, now a swimming pool. In fact, the sea is more than 150 kilometers away. But that’s not why Neptune is any less powerful. He is one of the entities that dominates the D. Maria Estate, a triumph of the Portuguese Baroque. It lies the heart of Central Alentejo, near the town of Estremoz, some 90 minutes east of Lisbon. It’s where some of the most unique Portuguese wines are made. The place is an icon of the country’s aristocratic history, and it’s a house open to everyone.

“It’s good to be the king!” said Mel Brooks in a famous 1980s comedy, playing Louis XVI of France. João V (1689-1750), a sort of Sun King of Portugal, could have said the same. The Magnanimous One, as he was known, had a certain Maria among his favorite courtesans. She was such a favorite that he offered him this magnificent property. In fact, just over 20 minutes from Estremoz is Vila Viçosa, where there is a famous ancient royal palace. The Alentejo, a land of hard rural labor, is full of surprises from the nobility.

The D. Maria Estate has been in Isabel’s husband’s family for five generations. It has always produced wine but has only been commercialized for the last 30 years. It’s something very special. “Normally Portugal is a country of blends,” says Isabel, ”but we have a lot of monovarietal. Viognier, Syrah… Alicante Bouschet, an icon of this area, brought over in the 18th century. These are very old vines. And we produce very fruity whites, we have very gastronomic rosés…”. All top of the range. All combined, the long history and the nectars, it’s the closest thing there is in Portugal to a French wine-producing château.

There’s more to the farm than just that statue of Neptune. There are exotic trees, sculpted waterfalls, a vast garden. A main house whose grand hall displays vibrant azulejo panels depicting country scenes and hunting. And, as said, it’s a house with open doors. “What I really like to do is welcome guests myself. I show them the wine press” (we’ll get to that in a moment), “explain everything, take them to the beautiful chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, tell them the story of the king and his mistress”. Isabel doesn’t delegate anything to tour guides and doesn’t mix groups. Each visit is an exclusive moment.

None of this would make sense, of course, without sharing the magnificent Alentejo food with Isabel herself. “Everyone who visits sits at the table with me! I love setting the table the old-fashioned way, with Vista Alegre crockery and silver cutlery. I prepare the flowers. I choose the wines, always the best, two whites and four reds. And then the conversation starts. The guests always turn into friends. I talk about our day-to-day life, tell them about the project… And at the end I show them the kitchen! They love it. It’s a really old kitchen, a copy of the one in the nearby Royal Palace of Vila Viçosa. It’s very genuine. Even the fridges are in another room!”

The wine press, then. It’s a kind of temple to grapes. Gigantic, with tanks built entirely from marble, the noble stone of the Alentejo. And they are still being used for the best of purposes, for the best of reasons. Marble provides very low temperatures, which is great for making wine. And the fact that the stones have been here for over 300 years has made them porous, which also helps fermentation. What’s more, the grapes are even trodden by foot, resulting in smooth wines. If there’s a chance, guests can join in the grape treading! Just ask to book, come around September.

“How is it possible to live like this, in this big house, with this production?” is what visitors most often ask Isabel. “I work a lot here, I love it!” is the simple answer. “For me, welcoming customers is a day very well spent. You eat well, drink well, talk about life!”

Oh, there’s something else she loves: “Walking my dogs!”. How many dogs? “I have six!”. Their names? “Tinto, Syrah, Bouschet…” Each dog, one wine, one variety! Cheers!