Founded in 1716, Quinta do Vallado is one of the oldest and most famous estates in the Douro Valley. It is located on the banks of the Corgo River, a tributary north of the Douro River, right next to the estuary where the Corgo and the Douro merge, close to the town of Peso da Régua.
In 1993, the Quinta, under the leadership of Prof. Nuno Maghalhães, is undergoing a thorough restructuring of its vineyards, with the aim of producing high quality grapes.
The new vineyards were planted with a single variety on each plot, breaking the old tradition of blending different varieties on the same vineyard. Today Quinta do Vallado has 10 hectares of old vineyards planted between the 1920s and 1950s, including Vinha da Granja in 1929 and Vinha da Coroa in 1958. The remaining 55 hectares were planted in the 1990s.
In Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Quinta do Vallado acquired Quinta do Orgal where 35 hectares of organically grown vineyards have been planted since 2009. Quinta do Vallado is currently managed by João Ferreira Álvares Ribeiro (CEO) and Fransisco Ferreira (Board Member, Agricultural Management, Winemaking and Production), with help from Francisco Olazábal (Winemaker). All great-great-great-grandsons of Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira.
Under this management, a unique and modern building was built in 2009 to house the new winery and barrel cellar, which combine state-of-the-art technology with high-quality architectural design, making it one of the most visited places in the Douro Valley.