The Foundation

The Fundação Abreu Callado is a private foundation of social solidarity and an honorary member of the Order of Merit. It was set up by the will of Cosme de Campos Callado. It has its headquarters in Benavila (Avis) in a rustic manor dating from 1758.

The estate maintains active the old patio where a wine shop now exists in the former granary whilst the old slaughterhouse serves as a tasting room. There is also a restaurant for groups, a wine cellar and a rural museum with agricultural artefacts demonstrating, amongst others, traditional wine and bread-making techniques. The olive mill, almost 100 years old, is unusual in that it uses woven grass disks as a press mat. The 52-hectare vineyard is also located in Benavila, on loam-clay soils. Some of the original vines are now fifty years old.

The Maranhão reservoir is nearby and confers a mild site climate that contributes to the quality of the Abreu Callado wines. The winery combines both modern and traditional winemaking and ageing techniques (Algerian amphorae, and the basket press and vats have been actively used since 1956).

Amongst the grape varieties, the most relevant are the whites Roupeiro, Arinto and Tamarez and the traditional reds Aragonez, Trincadeira and Castelão. Touriga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet were added in 2003 and began producing wine in 2005 (award winning wine, in fact, such as the Reserva 2003).

The chief winemaker João Silva e Sousa has the assistance of a resident winemaker responsible for coordinating onsite winemaking.

We currently produce a fortified wine made from Moscatel (Muscat) grapes, as well as the still wines Abreu Callado (white and red), Cadeira da Moira (Aragonez), Horta da Palha (Touriga Nacional), AC Reserva (red) and the Dom Cosme Reserva (red) which pays homage to our founder. 

Wine tastings can be organised in the wine shop or in our tasting room subject to advance reservations for groups of up to 15 people. Groups up to 50 can reserve our dining room for weekend luncheons (subject to reservation at least one  week in advance).

 

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