Cas’Amaro
Cas’Amaro is about sustainability, using native grape varieties, and having a bold vision for the future. In a year of exciting milestones, they’ve embraced consumer trends for lower-alcohol and organic wines, made with precision and care. At the same time, they’ve faced challenges head-on, expanding their offerings to reflect a modern world.
Their vineyards are home to lesser-known native grape varieties like Bastardo and Tinta Miúda, thriving in the Lisbon Wine Region’s unique terroir. Beyond the wines, Cas’Amaro is a hub of creativity and connection. From their wine villa and restaurant to hosting life-changing moments like a wedding inspired by their eco-conscious ethos, their impact reaches far beyond the bottle. It’s a place where architecture, design, and art intersect with a genuine passion for winemaking, captivating visitors from around the globe.
Read our interview with Rui Costa below to explore their journey, their philosophy, and the fascinating stories behind a winery that’s quietly revolutionising Portuguese wine.
What has been your biggest win in the vineyard or cellar this year, and what do you attribute that success to?
Our biggest win this year was harvesting our grapes at the exact right moment, when they were at their freshest. This has resulted in lower alcohol wines – something our consumers are really keen to try out.
What was the most challenging aspect of winemaking this past year, and how did you overcome it?
Our most challenging aspect of winemaking this past year has been diversifying our range of products, as we move away from the traditional and aim to adapt to the new profile of our wine consumers. As such, we’ve been using fewer products and focusing on organic produce, in order to meet the needs of our consumers.
What new sustainability initiatives have you implemented in the past year, and what motivated those changes?
Cas’Amaro Wine and Tourism Project has a huge focus on sustainable practices in all its dimensions: environmental, social, economic and human. It’s our vision to work in harmony with the nature. We maintained, developed and respected Lisbon Wine Region ecosystem, indigenous grape varieties, reinforcing the intention of working organically, within existing terroir.
Can you share a funny or heartwarming moment that happened in the vineyard or winery this year?
In 2024, we had a charming young couple from the US visit who fell so in love with our work, specifically how we respect the environment in which we work, that they decided to get married in our Wine Estate. Whilst not something we usually offer, it was such a special day and gave us all a real sense of what our hard work can achieve.
Have you had a moment where a visitor or customer shared how your wine touched their life in a meaningful way? How did that affect you?
We host clients at our Wine Estate on a regular basis and recently had a lovely client from the US visit. They fell in love with our wines and the passion we have for winemaking. Whilst we don’t currently have a commercial presence in the US, this client is so dedicated to our offering that they keep buying the wines directly to share with their friends and family. This makes us so proud and reinforces our belief that we are working in the most innovative way we can!
Have you noticed any shifts in customer preferences or feedback over the last year? How has that influenced your wine production or marketing?
We are noticing within the wine market a trend of more of a demand of organic wines, which is fantastic, as it aligns with our company philosophy. Since the start of our venture, we have always produced organic low alcohol wines as well as dry and extra dry wines (low calories wines) – both trends that have captivated the market, which is exciting to see.
How has the story of your winery resonated with customers, and why do you think they connect with your brand?
We are a young and bold project with a very distinctive image and story to tell. All our wineries, wine hotels and wine restaurants are focused on architecture, design and art – and that’s really something that enthrals our customers. Even our wine bottles labels are made by a famous Portuguese artist, differentiating them from most of the wine labels from other producers!
Have you introduced any new grape varieties recently? Why did you choose them, and how did they perform?
We only work with native Portuguese grape varieties in each wine region where we are producing and most of them are quite unknown or, at least, very little used by other producers. In the Lisbon Wine Region, we have Sercial, Rabo de Ovelha, Tinta Miúda, Camarate and Bastardo (our main red grape) which are native grape varieties from the region, also not very common, but with great success and good performances in the vineyards.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned this year, and how do you plan to apply it in the future?
We are starting our expansion into the world of wines and, as part of this, we have been showing our wines in wine fairs and wine events all around the five continents along with thousands of other wine producers. The main lesson we have learned as part of this process is that it is important to focus on a serious, honest and humble project that is underpinned by real winemaking philosophy. It’s no use trying to be more than what we really are, and our focus is on our strong belief that the quality of the grapes we are producing is our best kept secret.
Which local restaurants/ points of interest do you suggest and why?
We’d be remiss if we didn’t recommend our very own Wine Boutique Hotel “Cas’Amaro Wine Villa” and our own wine restaurant “Cas’Amaro Wine Shop & Bar” as two of the most interesting wine spots in the region! Alongside our lovely hotel, shop and bar, the old village of Alenquer with its castle and several museums are stunning, as well as Montejunto Nature Protected Mountain for a picturesque hike.
You can find Cas’Amaro at:-
Cas’Amaro
Rua da Estrada Nacional 9, Nº 32
Localidade da Mata
2580-107 Aldeia Gavinha
Alenquer
+351 964 600 943
