The joy of hosting friends and family and a passion for wine led José Rodrigues, a businessman from the Setúbal region, to seek a place where he could combine these two pleasures. In 2011, after much searching, he discovered his ideal retreat: a property in the Alentejo region, about 10 km from Évora, located in a landscape protected by the Natura 2000 network, which immediately captivated him.
The house at Monte da Ribeira was the only building dotting the property. He began by acquiring a tractor and some implements to support the agricultural setup, and his restless spirit didn't settle down until he fulfilled his desire to plant a vineyard. "I was warned many times to give up, they told me I didn't know what I was getting myself into, because planting a vineyard and making wine is a lot of work... But, despite that, I went ahead and I'm happy with the results," says José Rodrigues.
Between April and May 2012, he then planted 2.5 hectares of vineyards with grape varieties he had always enjoyed: Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Then, he called upon architect Jorge Fragoso Pires to design a functional and contextualized wine cellar for him. Finally, he invited one of the best winemakers in the Alentejo region, Pedro Baptista, to make the wine for him. The image of the products was also not forgotten, designed by Rita Rivotti.
Despite being a young project, it has already showcased some of its offerings in wine competitions, having won two Gold Medals this year, one at the Portuguese Wine Competition and another at the Syrah du Monde Competition, with its Humanitas Tinto Reserva 2013 wine, and two Silver Medals for the Liberalitas Rosé 2014 wine, one at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and another at the Portuguese Wine Competition.