Intelligent winemaking
Blending in with its landscape, on a gentle slope looking out to sea, a discreet yet ambitious winery is making its mark in the Algarve region.
Bearing a rather comical name, Quinta do Canhoto (the left-handed man’s farm) is, in fact, a modern operation where no detail has been left to chance. “It all started with the left-handed groundskeeper”, explains Josefina Vilarinho, co-owner of the winery.
Josefina and her brother Edgar
“When people talked about the Quinta, they referred to it as ‘the farm of the left-handed man’, and it stuck.” This was before Josefina’s father bought the property in 1958 and sold grapes in bulk to make house wines, as he did.
“Coincidently, I’m also left-handed,” adds the matriarch, who followed in her father’s footsteps and studied Agriculture. “At 18, she did some training at the cooperative winery in Lagoa, which was unusual for a woman at the time,” insists her daughter Joana, who is also part of the project.
Today, the 22-hectare property features 11 hectares of vines. Josefina and her brother Edgar, the operation’s viticulturist, planted four red grape varieties – Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet – and two white varieties – Arinto and Antão Vaz. The latter is known for its lively aromas with hints of ripe tropical fruits and tangerine peel.
It is the apple of Josefina’s eye. “It’s a fruitier variety. It’s not from here, but it does well. It produces well and is pleasant to drink,” she concedes.
This is a tight-knit family. Together, they launched their first wine in 2017 and have been growing ever since, bottling some 50,000 litres annually.
They produce blends and single varietals. “Every year is different; it depends on the quality of the wine,” explains Joana. “In 2022, we had a big drop in production,” she recalls. “So, in 2023, to avoid running the same risk, we decided to buy a few kilos of Crato Branco from a producer friend.” This was a good experience for the team, as they plan to plant some Crato Branco within a year or two.
“We got to work with this variety and see if it fits our wine profile.” The result was a surprising and distinct wine, a deliciously fresh and well-structured Reserva.
Joana is the third generation of the family involved in the project. An architect by trade, she designed the modern winery. “It’s a bioclimatic building, which means we use passive construction measures to improve our energy performance. Around 90% of our winery is buried. Only one wall is in contact with the exterior and is east-facing, so the solar incidence is not so prolonged.”
Two large skylights help illuminate and ensure natural ventilation in the cellar, and the vegetation-covered roof also helps cool the winery.
On the upper floor, the vast reception room, where wine tastings and events are held, has 50cm-thick walls to guarantee warmer temperatures in winter and cooler temperatures in summer.
The architect explains that they also built a pond in the lower part of the garden to “retain rainwater that falls on the winery roof by channelling it into the lake”. She is proud of her creation, which earned an honourable mention from the Order of Architects.
This modern winery also features innovative vineyard solutions, including a brand-new watering system they are the first to implement in Portugal.
Edgar explains that the system includes real-time sensors that measure moisture levels at different depths under the vines, determining when the plants need water. It is paired with an underground irrigation system directly irrigating the vines’ roots. This technology, developed in California, is designed to reduce evaporation and prevent the vines from competing for water with other plants.
Quinta do Canhoto is also one of the few producers in the region that vinifies its wine in-house. Joana, the young architect, explains that Quinta do Canhoto boasts a very functional winery that was created in synergy with the winemaker, who gave them some winemaking guidelines and advised them “on how the space should be laid out to simplify work during the harvest”.
As for ageing, until now, all their wines have been aged in steel vats, resulting in light and fresh wines. But 2025 will bring novelty to the winery, as, for the first time, they will start vinifying certain lots in barrels to add depth to the wines.
The packaging has also evolved. Their Esquerdino (Lefty) range now features a fresher design with each family member’s left palm print. “For the Esquerdino Antão Vaz & Crato Branco Reserva 2023 (€16), we decided to use my grandmother Maria Emília’s handprint,” says Joana. This limited edition, of which only 1,333 bottles were produced, is mineral and fresh, revealing aromas of orange and peach.
The Esquerdino White single-varietal Antão Vaz 2023 (€10), which features Joana’s palm print, is a fruity wine that pairs well with salads and grilled fish. The Esquerdino Colheita, Antão Vaz, Arinto and Crato Branco 2023 (€9) is a complex wine with the freshness of the Arinto, the fruits of the Antão Vaz, and, as it has a little bit of Crato, “has a certain body. It’s a well-rounded wine”, says Josefina, of the wine identified by her palmprint, and which boasts a national silver medal.
The Esquerdino Rosé 2023 (€10), made with 100% Touriga Nacional, is a light and aromatic berry-coloured wine with hints of strawberry, rose, and violet. The 2022 Esquerdino (€10), the only red currently available, is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Alicante Bouschet, which has already earned several medals. Ideally paired with game meat, this blend has a good body, the spicy characteristics of the Cabernet Sauvignon, and the deep ruby colour of the Alicante Bouschet.
“Next year, we will have a single varietal Touriga Nacional,” reveals Joana, as, every year, they aim to make a single varietal from a red grape variety. They also have a sparkling wine made in collaboration with a Bairrada producer, which they created for the events side of the business.
The state-of-the-art winery is open for wine tastings by appointment on weekdays. These include a tour of the vineyards and cellar and a tasting of three or four wines accompanied by a cheese and charcuterie board (€30 per person).
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