Quinta Alta
Quinta Alta is the materialization of two entrepreneurs' dream:
Fernanda Zuccaro and Chico Santa Rita.
THE ORIGIN OF QUINTA ALTA
Like so many stories shared between Fernanda Zuccaro and Chico Santa Rita, the idea of investing in a life project with wine as its main focus came up spontaneously during one of their many travels together.
In October 2010, Punta del Este in Uruguay was the country chosen by the two political marketing professionals to enjoy a well-deserved rest after the exhausting electoral campaigns in Brazil. At that time, Chico Santa Rita's experience in areas as distinct from marketing as hotel management and cachaça production, conditioned the visits in that country to the passage by several wine estates, which sharpened Fernanda's desire to become a recognized wine producer one day.
That desire comes true in 2017, after a visit to Portugal and the Douro region where - enchanted by the landscape and the production potential - Fernanda Zuccaro makes the decision that will forever change her life: to become a wine producer at Quinta Alta in the Douro.
A fatality of fate, however, ends up keeping Chico de Santa Rita from the possibility of seeing Fernanda Zuccaro's dream come true, as he begins to show evident signs of Alzheimer's disease, a highly debilitating and gradual condition.
In spite of everything, Fernanda Zuccaro never lowered her arms or gave up on her dream. Quite the contrary. Exactly as a tribute to her mentor, she put aside the hardships of life and dedicated herself body and soul to this project, learning to know the territory, its grape varieties, its weaknesses and potential.
In 2019, her effort takes its final form, with the first wine campaign being launched for the national market and consolidating once and for all her role as a Douro producer. This effort gains new life with the entrance of Nuno Mouronho in the project and in Fernanda Zuccaro's life, gaining space in the national market and opening doors to the international market.
Today, Quinta Alta is a recognized brand in the market and promises to surprise even the most demanding palates, whether in Portugal or overseas!
THIS IS GROUND THAT BEARS GRAPES!
Quinta Alta harvests and vinifies grapes from two properties: Quinta Alta dos Álamos and Quinta da Longra.
Quinta da Longra de Cima, with 3.5 hectares of vineyard, is located in the sub-region of Baixo Corgo, in the parish of Moura Morta - Vinhós, in the municipality of Peso da Régua, District of Vila Real. It is located at an altitude varying from 450 to 650 meters with the influence of the Marão mountain range, which gives it a good potential for the production of white wines.
This property was chosen exclusively for the production of white, rosé and softer red wines.
In the vineyards we find the white grape varieties: Gouveio Real, Malvasia Fina and Viosinho. Autochthonous and faithful varieties to the production of authentic Port and Douro wines. This is the composition of the QALT White Wine Blend. The red grapes Touriga Nacional and French from Quinta da Longra give origin to the QALT Rosé wine.
THE BEST DURIENSE GRAPE VARIETIES!
Quinta Alta dos Álamos, with 7 hectares of vineyards, is located in the parish of Ervedosa do Douro, in the municipality of São João da Pesqueira, District of Viseu in the sub-region of Cima Corgo, iconic place and reference of excellent quality grapes for Port and Douro wine. The property consists of 1.02 hectares of old vines, over 50 years old, and another 5.55 hectares of 12 year old vines in full production. There are still 0.8 hectares of olive grove.
The old vines are made up of traditional Douro varieties and are planted as they were in the old days: the grape varieties are mixed in the vineyard, or what we call Field Blend. Some dozens of varieties have been identified, such as: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Rufete, Sousão, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Bastardo, Mourisco among others. What is unusual about this vineyard are the 7 plots of old vineyards with different solar exposure, which guarantees the unique typicity of the Zuccaro - Field Blend wine.
On the terraces we can find the varieties: Touriga Nacional, totally exposed to the sun in the North; Touriga Francesa to the South and the varieties Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca are exposed to the Southwest.
Located in the heart of the sub-region of Cima Corgo and surrounded by the main vineyards of the great Douro wines. We can say, without any modesty, that we are neighbors to Quinta das Carvalhas from Real Companhia Velha, Quinta do Ventozelo from Porto Cruz, Quinta São José, Quinta do Pessegueiro, Quinta Vale D. Maria and other magnificent properties that produce wines of unquestionable excellence. This is, without a doubt, a source of pride for Fernanda Zuccaro.
DREAMS FROM BEYOND THE SEA!
Despite all the difficulties involved in learning the production process, Fernanda Zuccaro devotes herself body and soul to this life project on a daily basis, making a point of personally following all the processes in the vineyards, from winter pruning, to loading the boxes into the winery, as well as the respective vinification, storage, and bottling processes, so she knows every inch of the land, every vine, and every terroir of this land that is hers.
