Sustainability at Quinta do Pinto

According to the World Commission on Environment and Development, sustainability is a set of environmental and socially responsible principles​​ and economically viable good practices ​that cover all aspects of the vineyard, winery, surrounding habitat and ecosystem, employees and community.

Quinta do Pinto has about 63 hectares of vines planted on gentle slopes respecting the landscape of the Lisbon region and the implementation of this project created new opportunities for local employment, that today has 20 permanent employees. Since the beginning, Quinta do Pinto has been an advocate of minimal intervention to maximize the potential of the grapes created in this terroir while minimizing any other intervention, according to the traditional winemaking philosophy “the wine is made in the vineyard ”.With the awareness of sustainable agriculture, we are certified as integrated production as we have the greatest respect for the land and nature.

We have a very close relationship with the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, and with the Institut des Hautes Études de la Vigne et du Vin (IHEV) of Montpellier, ensuring space for scientific investigations in favor of the best agricultural practices. Thus, we practice precision sustainable viticulture with several test fields where we optimize defoliation tests, abolish herbicides, improve pruning techniques, weeding systems, forms of organic fertilization, lawns, etc. Actions aimed at contributing to a more sustainable viticulture. Initially used in wine-growing areas with humid climates, such as the region where Quinta do Pinto is located, in order to reduce soil moisture and consequently the vigor of the vines.

All grapes are vinified in the same way, with the aim of maximizing the quality with which they enter the winery. Based on fermentations by indigenous yeasts (natural fermentations), acidity adjustments by blending and the least intrusive practices possible, all by-products resulting from winemaking are monetized. The stalks are used for fertilization and animal feed, and the skins and lees are sent to a distillery with the consequent obtaining of brandy. In this way, the deposition of solid waste into the environment is avoided.

The social responsibility we assume by keeping the environment around us healthy and without neglecting economic viability, allow us to ensure sustainability today and that of future generations.

The World Commission on Environment and Development’s (the Brundtland Commission) report Our Common Future (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987). Down to Earth, A Seasonal Tour of Sustainable Winegrowing in California Hardcover – April 1, 2014 by Janet Fletcher (Author),