The word “Quinta” comes from Latin (quintus for “a fifth”) - in the past the rent was settled with a fifth of farm produce. Nowadays our Quinta is divided into twelve hectares of vineyards, twenty hectares of woods, and the remainder gardens, orchards and wild grassland. Here the boundary between "cultivated" and "wild" is blurred and conserving the estate’s fauna is important. As well as the vineyards, we have planted more than a thousand different trees, including umbrella pines, cork oaks, cypresses as well as citrus, olive, peach and walnut trees.
We strongly believe in a responsible, sustainable vineyard management, ensuring the health of the soil and vines now and for future generations. Our Quinta is our home, and the vineyards are part of the Quinta’s wider ecosystem – we do our utmost to encourage its natural vitality and diversity.
We care deeply about the soils and are committed to conducting our business in harmony with nature. Great care is taken to prevent erosion by planting cover crops and channelling surface rainwater away from the steep slopes. Our flock of English Suffolk sheep can roam around the farm in the winter, keeping weeds down and fertilizing the ground as they go.
Wine
The proximity to the ocean is at the heart of our wine project, with its cooling influences and high diurnal temperature range, carving out a new style of wine marked by racy acidity, oceanic minerality, purity of flavour and gastronomic salinity; wines whose ageing potential is now well-respected.
Situated 12 km from the Atlantic coast and 30 minutes north of Lisbon, Quinta de Sant’Ana benefits from this unique, coastal microclimate and despite the small quantities, produces a range of grape varieties from international Pinot Noir and Riesling to native Arinto and Ramisco. With the help of award-winning Consultant Winemaker António Maçanita, owner James Frost has completed the three years of conversion to organic wine production, with certification in 2018, and is already reaping the benefits of healthier soils and 11 hectares of sustainable vineyards.
Honey
We all know this: as far as important species go, honeybees are top of the list. They pollinate crop species that feed most of the world. A world without bees would struggle to sustain the global human population. If this is not motivation enough to create a little bee paradise, we don’t know what is! We are hoping others follow suit: our vineyards are organic; we grow vast varieties of flowers and leave wild corners for insects to forage. When we harvest the honey, in June, we make sure to leave enough in the hives for winter reserves. We don’t prevent natural swarming. And most importantly, we strictly restrain from pesticides. The result is fabulous, golden, runny, unfiltered, unheated, crystallizing, free-flowing honey you can use to heal body
and soul!
Flowers
There is something magical about witnessing a year through flowers.
It is hugely exciting when the first seedlings come up, the stems grow, leaves form, early blossoms show, the first petals reveal their colours…On the heels of the local food movement, it does not surprise us that
the »field-to-vase« movement is becoming an ever more popular trend, especially for weddings. Our mostly eco-conscious couples are delighted to lighten their carbon footprint with locally grown blooms, choosing from a flamboyant display from early spring to well into our mild winter.