Quinta de Santa Clara Project

In order to tell the story of Santa Clara we must begin with the history of the Douro Valley. The first traces of vines found in the region date back to the Bronze Age, around three thousand years ago. For over two thousand years, a unique viticulture landscape has emerged on the schist and granite terraced hillsides along the Douro River producing some of the world’s best wines.

Portugal began to be known for its wine with the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal in the 12th century. By 1386, The Treaty of Windsor set forward one of the world’s longest alliances between Portugal and England. With this treaty Portugal had a strong trading partner and many English merchants moved to Portugal to take advantage of these new business opportunities.

Over the centuries the British and the French would struggle over war and blockades. With these disruptions in the wine trade Portugal was able to supply a wine that was enjoyed by the British. The wine was Port and it received its name from the city of Porto where the river Douro ended. By 1710, many ‘lodges’ were built in Vila Nova de Gaia opposite of Porto and where they remain today.

In 1756, the first minister of Portugal, Marquis of Pomal, created the world’s first wine classification for the vineyards of the Douro. These visionary reforms effectively established Port as the world’s first appellation d’origine contrôlée. 100 years before Bordeaux’s Wine Official Classification of 1855 by Emperor Napoleon III the Douro set a standard for wine and wine regions.

Santa Clara’s history develops in the 1700’s with the original family’s narratives and bloodlines. Quinta de Moledo was the original name of this property and it was once part of a much larger property dating to the Middle Ages.

The Santa Clara Convent in Porto owned part of the property and there is still a tiny structure left that stands where an old structure once stood. The family’s Grandfather was removing some ruins and found an old sculpture of Santa Clara buried in the earth. So, the family changed the Quinta’s name and built a monument to share this treasure with the community.

The oldest building on the property has a curious history and was a medieval “hostel” for pilgrims of the “Caminho de Santiago” also known as the “Way of Saint James”. Fortunately, one of our local roads translates to the “street of the helpful ladies” reinforcing the property’s importance and the connection to the Order of Saint Clare (Order of Poor Ladies).

Another important structure on the Quinta is a warehouse for making Port dating back to 1911 with a production capacity of 100 “pipas” or 200 modern barrels of wine. The building has been built with skilled quality and sold its Port to Casa do Douro, which is no longer in business. The sculpture of Santa Clara will be presented again upon completion of the project and to celebrate its history.