Quinta de la Rosa is a landmark in the Douro Valley, located right on the edge of the river, just above the railway line and a kilometer from Pinhão in the Cima Corgo region. Initially dedicated to the production of port, under the driving influence of the renowned winemaker, David Baverstock, they expanded their portfolio to now include both port wines and table wines.

However, Quinta de la Rosa is far from a newcomer to the region. Since 1906, it has belonged to the Swedish family, the Bergqvists, given to Sophia Bergqvist’s grandmother, Claire Feuerheerd, as a christening present. Under her leadership, between 1931 and 1986, the wines were sold to several famous houses in the Douro such as: Morgan Croft, Delaforce and Sandeman. But with the innovative spirit of Sophia and her father, Tim Bergqvist, what started as a family port shipping company, slowly transformed into an internationally renowned port and red wine company in 1988.

The original name of the property was Quinta das Bateiras (Bateiras is the name of a rapid in the river Torto, one of the many tributaries of the Douro River), but was later changed to De la Rosa. Curious, no? A Spanish named winery in the heart of the Douro Valley? But the name actually originates from a brand the Feuerheerd family sold in Jerez in the beginning of the twentieth century. Although the Feuerheerd family wine business was sold off in the 30s to Barros Almeida, Quinta de la Rosa remained, and eventually expanded to include: Quinta Amarela nas Bateiras in 1907, Quinta de Lameiro do Rego in 1973 (later renamed after Tim’s mother, Dona Clara), and Quinta das Lamelas in 1985.

By 2002, Jorge Moreira came aboard, a young Portuguese winemaker who earned his reputation for his development of a range of dry wines for Real Companhia Velha, better known for their brand, Royal Oporto.

Currently, Quinta de la Rosa produces approximately 50,000 liters of port wine from 55 hectares facing north to northwest on schistous soils.The majority of their vineyards not only expand along the banks of the River Douro, but also climb up to 400 meters above sea level, all of which is covered with an assortment of vines varying in both age and variety.

If you’re interested in visiting Quinta de la Rosa, you would be in for a treat, because they are one of the few Quintas which allows you to experience, first hand, the entire port making process from start to finish – a process I’ve been dying to see myself! You can don your vineyard boots and head out on a crisp autumn morning to see each grape being picked, then meander over to the granite lagares where the port wine is being foot trodden. Maybe if you’re lucky, they’d even let you participate! Finally, your visit would end with the bottling line, learning how each bottle is both manufactured and shipped off around the world. The other option is to merely swing by for the day to enjoy a brief tasting and a tour of vineyard, or stay for lunch under their vine covered terrace where you can feast on a three course meal paired with wines and ports from their Quinta. And if you’re lacking accommodations, you have the convenient option of staying at the Quinta itself or renting one of their two houses for a week at a time overlooking the Douro River.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had the great fortune of tasting Quinta de la Rosa’s port wines, and have been thoroughly impressed. All unique and of great quality, we’re both excited to share our tasting notes with you in the next week.

We have also been in contact with Sophia Bergqvist in hopes of giving you more information on both Quinta de la Rosa and Sophia, herself. If we have the opportunity to chat with her further, we promise to include any and all information on Catavino.

D.O./D.O.C/D.O.Ca: Port
Address: Pinhao 5085-215, Portugal
Telephone: +351 254 732 254
Fax: +351 254 732 346
Email: sophia@quintadelarosa.com
Website: http://www.quintadelarosa.com
Hectares of Vines: 55
Wines Produced in Liters: 50,000 liters of port wine and 100,000 liters of table wine
Bodega Founded: 1988
Enologist: Jorge Moreira
Grape Varieties Grown:
White: Primarily, Gouveio, Rabigato, Malvasia, Viosinho, Codega do Larinho
Red: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Cao, in addition to dozens of other varieties aged 50 years or more
Port Wines Elaborated:Port Vintage 2005, Port LBV 2003, Port Tonel n 12, Port Finest Reserve, Port Ruby Lote n 601, Port Tawny, Port White
Wines Elaborated: Douro Tinto Reserve, Vale da Clara Tinto, Vale da Clara Rose, Vale da Clara White