Tapada de Coelheiros

Tapada de Coelheiros is a family estate of nearly 800 hectares in Arraiolos, Alentejo. Records of it go back to 1467, and it has made wine since 1991. Most of the land, 650 hectares, is *montado*, a woodland of cork oak and holm oak. The estate sees the montado as the core of its regenerative model: it supports carbon sequestration, biodiversity and a farmed landscape built in several layers. Nature and biodiversity are central both to how the estate makes wine and to how it looks after the land. The vines grow on 38 parcels under regenerative and organic viticulture. Granite-based soils, gentle slopes and a network of streams create favourable microclimates for the vineyards, the olive grove and the surrounding woodland. In the winery, technology is kept to a minimum in favour of manual work. Each parcel is vinified separately, and the wines get extended ageing in barrel and bottle. Wine is only part of the farm. A flock of over 1,300 sheep grazes the land and fertilises the soil naturally. There's an olive grove with trees around 60 years old, along with pine groves, walnut orchards and organic beehives that give a small, artisanal honey harvest. Shelters and perches for birds of prey, small birds and bats are installed throughout the property to encourage natural pest control. A photovoltaic plant powers autonomous systems such as solar-fed water troughs for the animals. Visitors can come to Arraiolos for classic and terroir wine tastings, walnut tastings, jeep tours of the estate and seasonal harvest experiences, and see the landscape and production methods first-hand.