Living room with ceramic pieces and coffered ceiling
Portugal has 31 wine regions, a considerable figure given the size of the country. But the truth is that that of the Douro Valley reigns over all of them, if not so much for its size, then for its history and prestige.
In fact, it is the oldest appellation of origin in the world, Well, it was the Marquis of Pombal who established it as such in the eighteenth century to regulate the production of wine, especially Port, so appreciated by the English.
For centuries they were the ones who most and they knew better how to exploit these lands, with that great river in the middle, to bring to the tables of his vast empire endless bottles.
Pool made with granite from the area and integrated into the spectacular landscape of the Douro
Nevertheless, Douro, the Portuguese Duero, is much more than 'Porto wines' , since in its valley, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001 , they produce excellent wines, spirits and olive oils . This natural wealth and a unique ecosystem encouraged Philippe Austria to have his own Quinta in the Douro.
That was how in 2013 he acquired the centennial Quinta da Côrte, that for so long had been in the hands of the Pacheco family and what is found just three kilometers from Pinhão , that charming town in the heart of the Douro wine region and within the Golden Triangle of the Cima del Corgo, one of its tributaries.
Austruy, an enlightened man of impeccable taste, already told, as oenophiles will know, with vineyards in Provence, the Haut-Médoc and Tuscany.
And, although the Quinta with which he had fallen in love suffered relentless abandonment, he was clear about its enormous potential: the vineyards planted in those narrow terraces called “socalcos”, the landscape, the 19th century mansion, the cellar with its valuable barrels... that place deserved a new splendor.
One of the four bedrooms, which mix old Portuguese furniture with Ivanovitch pieces
It is not easy at all to get to Quinta da Côrte, especially because you have to pay attention not to get lost in such “socalcos”, but the reward is brutal: before your eyes a postcard between mountains, rivers and vineyards in which the view is lost, skies that are dyed in a thousand colors at sunset, majestic greenery and often that mysterious Highland-like mist that makes you feel king or queen of an ancestral territory. And the silence. A silence that is worth gold.
A worker in the vineyards of the Quinta
In addition to producing different wines, Austruy wanted to create here a retreat as sublime as it is simple and share his farm with guests who wanted to feel at home. In a family home where there is no room for formalities no protocol.
To achieve this he embarked on the project by interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch, and here's a confession: we actually discovered this estate through Yovanovitch, who is such a fan who signs these lines as the Condé Nast Traveler team, always pending his always magnificent works in hotels and villas all over the world.
In short, we immediately wanted to know what he had done this time in the middle of the Douro... and that's how far we went.
the main house, in the middle of the thirty hectares of the farm , is of a tricky simplicity. The kind nuno ferreira he receives us as a friend is received after, minutes before, we had been rescued by another person from the team who went to look for us in the vineyards of a neighboring farm.
Detail of the kitchen now converted into a dining room and nerve center of the house
Definitely, You have to be careful with the GPS in this winding area. Laughing at the lived anecdote, he invites us to enter the house, whose four rooms, all different, exude that new elegance nothing strident and based on Portuguese elements that mix with luxury in the details and the materials, Yovanovitch's watchword.
Passed test: a masterful work of how safeguard the espiritu loci, the long-awaited local spirit. Four other rooms in the annexes, two of them connected by a charming living room, allow you to expand the space, Ideal for groups of friends or families.
Living room attached to the dining room
The style sneaks everywhere, in every detail, and we instantly fall in love with the Portuguese bedspreads, the handmade rugs with modernist colors, the ceramic pieces, the works of artists such as Joana Vasconcelos...
By instructions from Austruy, the interior designer did keep some of the elements found in the house, such as dark wood antique portuguese furniture which now contrast with new and cheerful woods in natural tones.
The old tiled kitchen is now the dining room and the heart of the house, and in it commands a monumental fireplace.
The floor is terracotta and at the large communal table the attention the ceramic base of the artist Laura Carlin, represents a map of the Douro drawn by children. It is also worth spending some time the library, full of literary treasures.
Stairs of the new cellar created by Pierre Ivanovitch
In a new wandering, now more leisurely, we come across curious sconces and ceramic tables here and there, we discover that the headboards of the "Portuguese" beds are inspired by the archives of the Gulbenkian Foundation and we check that the collection of pottery and local antiques coexist with pieces by Jean Lurçat, Roger Capron, Bruno Gambone, Jean Derval and Georges Pelletier and even the lacework of Natalie Dupuis, among many other artists.
The result is a house with a local soul in which to feel at peace and relax between visits and walks or, why not, with a Porto-tonic in hand.
And, although it is difficult to leave the comfort of the Quinta, do not be lazy because the attractiveness of the area deserves to move: the route of the Portuguese Romanesque, the Museum and Archaeological Park of Vale do Côa, some jewels for followers of contemporary architecture such as the church of Santa María in Marco de Canaveses, designed by Siza Vieira, the villas that dot the valley, hiking, the proximity of some of the Historic Villages of Portugal or the train that leaves the precious Pinhão station, one of the most beautiful in the country.
Another essential experience is to take a ride on the river in a private boat, although the beautiful “rabelos” of yesteryear continue to navigate here, updated today. Back home, weather permitting, nothing like a relaxing swim in the sculptural pool, made from local granite.
One of the bathrooms, in terracotta tones and with a clay floor
The Douro is an oenological river, so we cannot ignore the occasional corkage during the trip. In addition to the old winery, which continues to produce Port wine (Quinta da Côrte in its Tawny, Vintage and Late Bottled Vintage varieties), Yovanonitch conceived a new and imposing cellar.
After showing us every corner, Ivo gives us a master class culminating with a tasting in which the DOC wines are of table the ones that most impress us.
Along with some delicious meals prepared by the cook, we tried the Quinta da Côrte Princesa and the Gran Reserva, that excite us to the point of return to Spain with several boxes, happy to think that they will transport us back to the state of pleasure that we live on the other side of the border.
The same happens with the three oils that Austruy produces in its properties: Quinta da Côrte, Casanuove in Tuscany and Peyrassol in Provence.
Facade with summer dining room
And back, When we open a bottle of Princesa, we are immediately struck by the beauty of the place. It's amazing how such a short getaway can give so much.
We'll be back, that's for sure. Perhaps in September, in the middle of the harvest, because Ivo promised us that we could tread the grapes with them in those huge tanks in the cellar. That we would live another unforgettable experience.
Philippe Austruy, owner of Quinta da Côrte, and interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch