News

Three QSS wines received gold medals at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2024, confirming their prestige and globally recognized quality.

The S. Sebastião Reserva 2022, red, the Angry Duck 2022, red, and Lisabona 2022, red, received the highest award.

At national level, Quinta de São Sebastião Reserva 2022 and Quinta de São Sebastião Cercial 2020 received the Choice of the White Market of Portugal award from Grandes Escolhas magazine.

The quality of QSS wines is, therefore, once again, recognized nationally and internationally.

The quality of The Angry Duck red 2022 is, once again, recognized with the attribution of one more gold medal in 2024. This time by the hand of the esteemed Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

The Angry Duck red wine 2022 was awarded a gold medal at Challenge International du Vin 2024, which took place in Bordeaux, France, on the 21st and 22nd of April.

The competition gathered around 400 professionals and connoisseurs and is one of the most important in France.

QSS wines were one of the great stars at the prestigious CWSA 2024 competition in China, receiving a total of 20 gold medals.

The wines Forte de S. Sebastião Grande Reserva white 2021, Forte de S. Sebastião Icone red 2021, Forte de S. Sebastião Reserva red 2022 and the QSS Rare Reserva red 2022 were awarded double gold.

Gold medals were awarded to the wines QSS Forte de S. Sebastião Signature red 2022, Forte do Cego red 2022, Janela Branca Special Selection red 2022, Mina Velha Reserva red 2022, Miradouro da Vinha red 2022, Miradouro da Vinha Rosé 2023, Miradouro da Vinha white 2023, Portão 9 Icone red 2020, Portão 9 Reserva red 2022, Portão 9 Grande Reserva red 2021, Portão 9 Oenologist’s Choice red 2022, Arreio red 2022 and Fonte das Setas white 2023.

The quality of QSS wines justifies their great national and international prestige, proven once again with a veritable shower of medals at CWSA 2024.

QSS wines continue to be distinguished with awards all over the world, as well as being referenced by the most prestigious wine magazines, thus proving their quality and international prestige.

Wine Enthusiast rated the São Sebastião Reserva red 2021 wines and the Dijante Reserva red wines with 90 points.

The Mundus Vini 2024 competition, held in Germany, awarded gold medals to Forte de São Sebastião Signature, São Sebastião Reserva, QSS Rare (red), QSS Rare Reserva and Miradouro da Vinha (red) wines.

Vinalies 2024, in France, awarded gold medals to QSS Rare Grande Reserva 2021 (red) and São Sebastião Reserva 2022 (red).

The prestigious competition organized annually by the CWSA elected QSS Arreio 2022 as the Lisbon wine of the year, awarded a double gold medal.

QSS wines continue to demonstrate their quality, distinguished in several national and international competitions.

Forte de S. Sebastião Signature Red 2021 won the gold medal at the AWC Vienna 2023, with 15 silver medals being awarded to QSS wines.

Tradition, quality and diversity are characteristics of QSS wines, recognized nationally and internationally.

The QSS Dona Aninhas Reserva 2022 was chosen for the 2023 “Press Choice” Grand Prize, in the Rosés category, confirming, once again, the high quality of this QSS wine.

Val Moreira Douro Reserva 2021 received the “Press Choice” 2023 Award, in the Whites category.

The competition is organized by Grandes Escolhas magazine, which invites specialized journalists from other media outlets – written press, radio, television, electronic platforms and social networks – “to taste a sample of the best that is done in wine production in Portugal” .

The jury was made up of critics and journalists, sommeliers, professional buyers and bloggers, with the prizes being awarded at an event held at FIL – Parque das Naçóes, between October 14th and 16th.

Two dozen QSS wines received medals at CWSA 2023, with special emphasis on Arreio red 2022, awarded Double Gold and Lisboa Wine of the Year.

Of the twenty distinctions, in addition to the double gold, eleven more QSS wines received gold medals: Encosta do Forte red 2022, Fonte das Setas white 2022, Fonte das Setas red 2022, Forte do Cego red 2022, Janela Branca red 2022, Miradouro da Vinha red 2022, Portão 9 red 2022, QSS Rare red 2022, QSS Rare white 2022, QSS Rare rosé 2022 and S. Sebastião Premium red 2021.

The CWSA (China Wine & Spirits Awards) is the largest and most prestigious wine and spirits competition in China. ALL 100 judges are carefully selected from the top wine and spirits buyers in this market.

The QSS brand continues to win gold medals around the world, thus proving the excellent quality of its wines.

This time, 7 QSS wines were awarded gold medals at the Berliner Wein Trophy 2023 – Summer Tasting, which took place between July 29th and August 6th.

Rare 2022, Deferido Reserva 2022, São Sebastião 2022, Miradouro da Vinha 2022, Dona Flor 2022, Forte S. Sebastião Reserva 2021 and Forte S. Sebastião Signature 2021, received de maximum distinction.

The Berliner Wein Trophy has become Germany’s most influential wine competition and the world’s biggest international wine challenge, under the patronage of the OIV and the UIOE.

The contest brings together, every year, well-known producers and distributors from all over the world, with representatives from 41 countries participating this year.

QSS Dona Aninhas Rosé was chosen to be part of the menu for Pope Francis’ return trip to Rome, aboard the Airbus 320 TAP.

The menu, prepared by chef Vítor Sobral, features, as a starter, Bísaro ham, Serra da Estrela cheese and fig jam, as a main course, golden grouper with roasted tomato cream and sweet potato, or veal stewed in Port wine, puree turnip, almond and rosemary.

The dessert served to the papal entourage was an orange pie, pistachio cream and roasted rock pear.

QSS Dona Aninhas Rosé is thus among the three wines chosen for the menu of Pope Francis, who left Portugal on Sunday, August 6th, after a five-day visit on the World Youth Day.

The Madre Group, which integrates the company Multiwines, producer of QSS Dona Aninhas Rosé, is proud of this true distinction of its wine, while welcoming the visit of His Holiness to Portugal.

The QSS wines S. Sebastião Premium 2021 and Rare Reserva 2021 won gold medals at the Brussels World Contest, held between May 12th and 14th in four different regions of Europe.

Croatia, and more particularly the region of Istria, hosted the main session of the competition, dedicated to white and red wines.

The competition took place in four separate sessions to assess each type of wine in a professional manner. The evaluations are entrusted to specialized experts selected for their knowledge and ability to taste all types of wines according to their particularities.

“This is the most rigorous evaluation process in the world, with the participation of 50 countries, allowing producers to compare their production, identify new opportunities and position their wines in the global market, a competition that has been running for over 20 years. of experience and which has become a reference when it comes to international wine competitions” can be read on the organization’s website.

São Sebastião Chardonnay won the 2023 “Great Choice in the Market”, in category B – PVP from 5 to 12 euros.

“The Great Choice Contest” is the biggest white wine competition held in Portugal, with almost 500 wines on the tasting”, can be read on the Grandes Escolhas website.

The big news of this year’s competition is that the winning wines will be in public tasting, open to professionals, on June 5th, at the Hotel Vila Galé Ópera, in Lisbon.

QSS wines continue to win top prizes in major world competitions.

This time, in London, at the London Wine Competition 2023, which took place between March 21 and 22, São Sebastião Reserva red 2021 received the Best Show by Country award, thus considered the best Portuguese wine in competition, after winning the gold medal.

QSS wines continue to win gold around the world thanks to their high quality.

The Mina Velha Reserva Red 2021, with a score of 95.75/100, was the Portuguese wine with the best score at the Citadelles du Vin 2023, thus receiving the “Special Prize Portugal 2023”.

This special award was the result of a presence of QSS wines in the prestigious Citadelles du Vin, awarded with two Grand Gold medals and six Gold medals, in the competition that took place from March 11th to 13th, in Bourg (Bordeaux – France).

With around 75% foreign wines, the Citadelles du Vin is one of the most prestigious competitions worldwide.

QSS wines continue on their brilliant path of international success, confirmed once again with the winning of two Grand Gold medals and six Gold medals at the Citadelles du Vin 2023, which took place from March 11 to 13, in Bourg (Bordeaux – France) ).

The QSS wines awarded Grande Ouro were Mina Velha Reserva Red 2021 and Arreio Red 2021.

Gold medals were awarded to QSS Rare Reserva red 2021, Forte do Cego red 2021, S. Sebastião Reserva red 2021, Portão 9 red 2021, QSS Rare red 2022 and Fonte das Setas red 2022.

The Citadelles du Vin competition takes place every year in March and brings together 50 high-level international tasters. To choose the best wines from around a thousand samples from around thirty countries.

With around 75% foreign wines, the Citadelles du Vin is one of the most prestigious competitions worldwide.

Four QSS wines were distinguished with gold medals at the Berliner Wein Trophy – Winter Edition 2023.

The distinguished wines were Quinta de São Sebastião Reserva Red 2020, QSS RARE Reserva Red 2021, Quinta de São Sebastião DOC Arruda Red 2021 and São Sebastião Reserva Red 2021.

QSS wines continue to receive top marks in the most important competitions worldwide.

Quinta de São Sebastião Reserva Red 2020 and São Sebastião Touriga Nacional 2021 were awarded Gold Medals at Vinalies 2023, a competition organized by Oenologues de France, considered one of the most important and influential in the world.

The Vinalies have been held for around 40 years and revive an Ancient Roman tradition, the celebration of the harvest and the best wines of the year.

The competition is certified and sponsored by the most representative entities in the wine sector: OIV – International Organization of Vine and Wine, IUOE – International Union of Operator Engineers and VINOFED, the largest federation of international wine competitions.

The Vinalies assert themselves as “competitions on a human scale, not elitist, and whose expertise only serves the objective and authentic quality of wines and other fermented and distilled beverages of plant origin. We do not judge a wine by its brand or denomination, but by its quality”.

QSS 1755 Reserva Red 2021 won the gold medal at Mundus Vini – Spring Tasting 2023, an important event that took place in the city of Neustadt, Germany, between February 21st and 26th.

With the participation of more than 150 companies from all over the world, a jury of international tasters highlighted the quality of the QSS wine, with the attribution of the gold medal to the 1755 Reserva Red 2021.

QSS wines have been winning, year after year, the greatest international distinctions, in clear recognition of their great quality.

QSS wines made an important presence at Vinexpo Wine Paris, between February 13th and 15th, the second largest event worldwide, dedicated to professionals in the sector, with more than 100 exhibitors.

A delegation from Multiwines, led by the general manager, Francisco Melícias, met with more than 30 partners and potential partners, in meetings where new business opportunities emerged.

“We feel that the fair was able to bring together and attract buyers from the most diverse origins, which further reinforces it as one of the most important international fairs in the sector. For example, we welcome people to our stand from Brazil, Mexico, USA, Canada, Angola, United Kingdom, Holland, Germany, France, Ukraine, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Romania, Israel, Japan, Korea South and Taiwan”, said Francisco Melícias.

In conclusion, the general manager of Multiwines, stated that these meetings “make us face the future with optimism”.

QSS wines, represented by the company Multiwines, are returning to major international fairs, starting on February 13th, in Paris, at VINEXPO and, in March, in Dusseldorf, at PROWEIN.

Vinexpo Wine Paris, considered the second largest event in the world, takes place between February 13th and 15th and is an event dedicated exclusively to professionals in the sector, with more than 100 exhibitors.

The Wines of Portugal – ViniPortugal – double their presence this year, occupying an area of 800 m2, spread over six pavilions.

PROWEIN, the world’s biggest event in this area, takes place from March 19th to 21st in Dusseldorf, bringing together more than 170 exhibitors.

The QSS wines will be present in the ViniPortugal pavilions, in a great opportunity for their dissemination.

São Sebastião Reserva Red 2020 received 90 points in the assessment of James Suckling, considered one of the most prestigious wine critics worldwide.

James Suckling was a journalist for 30 years at Wine Spectator magazine, which he left to found the wine media platform JamesSuckling.com and an events company.

Each year, his team tastes an average of 25,000 wines from around the world, and the site, with more than 600,000 visitors, evaluates more than 2,000 wines per month.

James Suckling’s reviews are read and respected the world over, influencing collectors and dealers alike.

The 90-point evaluation of the São Sebastião Reserva Red 2020 is further proof of the quality of QSS wines, and this classification is explained by James Suckling in this way: “A wine that we evaluate 90 points or more is excellent (A). It’s a wine you want to drink a glass of and it’s an excellent buy.”

The combination of the huge metal vats, aligned vertically, with the wooden barrels, in the background, horizontally, under a ceiling that is an installation composed of large vine leaves, turns the environment into a mixture of grandeur and intimacy, which invites you to a look and a reflection on the importance of wine throughout the history of mankind.

“Wine is a symbol of sharing between God and men”, wrote the American journalist, Eric Malnic, highlighting the unique role that wine plays in civilization, “founder, historic, central and sacred in the memory of men”.

“Wine and art walk relatively side by side with human history. Each one with its direct reflection, sometimes indirect, with the moments and with the habits of civilizations. Both linked to conquests, politics, the economy and social routine,” wrote Carolina Centola, a Brazilian journalist specializing in wines.

Returning to the QSS cellar, the composition of this majestic setting was completed with an installation made up of reproductions of the more than one hundred gold medals that the wines of Quinta de São Sebastião have received in recent years, which gracefully hangs from the ceiling of the central corridor.

António Bustorff is also the author of the installation.

His trait is still present in large black drawings, representing workers in the harvest, which give color to the huge white walls of the cellar.

Art and wine combine perfectly, or wine, in addition to its historical importance, is a true art.

About two dozen Brazilian tour operators, linked to the company DIVERSA, represented by the general manager, Charles Frakben, visited Portugal last week, having ended their journey, on the 4th of December, at Quinta de São Sebastião, where they welcomed by the owner and chairman of the Madre group, António Parente and by the general director of the AP Hotels & Resorts group, Emanuel Freitas.

At Quinta de São Sebastião, the group had the opportunity to visit the Multiwines cellar and do a tasting of some QSS wines and get to know in detail the hotel units of the AP Hotels & Resorts group, in a presentation given by the general manager, Emanuel Freitas.

The meeting ended with an excellent lunch at Adega Velha, prepared by a team made up of employees from AP Vitoria Sports & Beach and AP Cabanas Beach & Nature.

The Brazilian operators were impressed by the quality of the AP Hotels & Resorts group and by the reception at Quinta de São Sebastião, with the hospitality that is characteristic of its owner.

Chicago’s WGN-TV dedicated a large part of its “Daytime Chicago” program on December 1st, to Portuguese wines, with great emphasis on QSS Rare and Forte do Cego, red wines, considered “great wines at great prices”, by the American journalist Liz Barrett.

The journalist, specialized in wines, presented three suggestions, two of them QSS wines.

Liz Barret declared herself to be a great lover of Portuguese wines, even guaranteeing that she had never known a Portuguese wine that “wasn’t delicious”.

Focusing on the Lisbon Region, having chosen the 2021 QSS Rare red as one of the wines, she presented it in detail, stressing that it was created “to draw attention to endangered animals”.

Regarding the Forte do Cego red 2021, the journalist suggested it as an excellent accompaniment to dishes such as tomato pasta, pizza, or even roast chicken.

The North American market is the largest international market for QSS wines and the choice of two QSS wines out of three reflects the appreciation with which they are received by North Americans.

The QSS São Sebastião Reserva Tinto 2021 is a safe option for passengers traveling with TAP, Business class, from the beginning of 2023.

Revista de Vinhos in November highlights TAP’s new wine list, selected from 750 wines in competition, with 200 evaluated in blind tasting, 120 producers represented and 11 regions evaluated.

QSS wines, with a large international market, start traveling on TAP, all over the world.

The renowned North American wine magazine, Wine Enthusiast, scored 90 Best Buy points for the wines QSS São Sebastião Syrah red 2020 and Arreio red 2021, in a selection of wines from around the world.

The North American magazine also selected as Best Buy, QSS Doc Arruda red 2020, Mina Velha Reserva red 2021, São Sebastião red 2021, Forte do Cego white 2020, QSS Rare Reserva red, Portão 9 white 2020, Mil Caminhos red 2021, Portão 9 rosé 2020 and also Janela Branca green white, QSS Rare green white and Forte do Cego green rosé.

The appointment of Wine Enthusiast reinforces the prestige of QSS wines among North American consumers, contributing to the sustained growth of QSS wines in the North American market, the largest international market.

QSS wines continue their victorious path in the various international markets, with special emphasis on the United States of America, currently the largest international market.

The QSS Rare Reserva Red 2021 won the gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition 2022 – SFIWC, matching wines from countries on different continents.

The SFIWC is one of the largest and most influential wine competitions and also one of the oldest.

The quality of the judges also makes SFIWC one of the most respected competitions in the world.

The best year ever, from the commercial point of view and the opening of new national and international markets, was the main reason for Multiwines’s annual post-harvest dinner, which was attended by the chairman of Grupo Madre, António Parente, the director -general of Multiwines, Francisco Melícias, the winemaker Filipe Sevinate Pinto and the other employees of the company.

At the end of the dinner, Francisco Melícias characterized 2002 as “a challenging, difficult and very demanding year, but in which we are achieving a series of goals, only possible with the effort and work of everyone, who form a fantastic team”.

“The future can only be prosperous”, he concluded.

Filipe Sevinate Pinto also noted the effort and availability of the team, namely the one most linked to the harvest which, he stressed, “was difficult, taking into account the weather conditions and the need to comply with the timings”.

Finally, António Parente highlighted that “a good harvest creates the necessary conditions for a good year, and guarantees the quality of our wines”, adding that he is satisfied with the information he received from the director general, Francisco Melícias, which points to a smaller quantity. , but good quality of the harvested grape, which will make possible a good final product”.

He also announced that the gold medals received for QSS wines are now over 100.

In 2022, Multiwines managed to open 12 more international markets, such as France, Mexico, Malaysia or Czechia, reaching regions such as French Polynesia.

From a commercial point of view, there was an increase in export sales of around 20%, in contrast with the national trend, which was a decrease in sales volume, with a 60% increase in the domestic market.

2022 is, therefore, following the previous year, a year that marks the consolidation of the company and that opens up excellent prospects for the future.

A year of “excellent white wines and good reds” is the forecast of the winemaker Filipe Sevinate Pinto, who characterizes 2002 as “a challenging year”.

In an overview of the harvest, Filipe Sevinate Pinto recalls the weather conditions, in a year of drought, a mild summer with cold nights, and two short periods of very high temperatures, which necessarily affect the quality of the grape and its maturation, as well as the production.

“It was a late year”, he added, concluding that the reds will have less grade.

He also recalled the real “mouse trap” that, in the final phase, the three-day rain caused, with a precipitation of 80 liters – 10% of the annual rain -, at a time when the grape had already had its tannins maturation, the its acidity and aromatic component, which forced the beginning of the harvest even with lower grades.

The increase in cellar capacity, by about 50%, allowed harvesting to the maximum, anticipating the arrival of rain. Historical numbers of grapes entering the cellar were recorded.

Only the most resistant varieties were kept in the vineyard, which resist well to rain.

The winemaker said he was satisfied with the result of the harvest, which, he said, “is not naturally good, but with the common sense measures we applied we managed to achieve a good result”.

“What I feel this year is that wines end up not translating all these difficulties”, he added.

The bet is the growth in the positioning of the medium and high ranges, with the guarantee of quality of QSS wines.

The wines QSS Rare Red 2021, Arreio Red 2020 and São Sebastião Red 2020 were awarded with a gold medal at the AWC Vienna 2022, thus increasing the medal list of QSS wines, which now exceeds one hundred.

AWC Vienna is the international leader in wine quality awards, officially recognized by the European Union.

11.-342 wines from 1588 producers from 43 countries participated in the contests.

DWM – Deutsche Wein Marketing, awarded the Best Producer – Up to 20 Hectares prize to Quinta de São Sebastião, for the performance and results obtained by QSS wines in the three competitions it organizes: Asia Wine Trophy, Portugal Wine Trophy and Berliner Wine Trophy, the largest of the respective countries.

DWM is one of the largest companies in the area of ​​organizing and holding wine competitions, since 1994. In the different competitions held in the last year, more than 20 thousand wines were tested, including all entries.

The attribution of the Best Producer award to Quinta de São Sebastião is yet another proof of the international prestige of QSS wines, evidenced by the amount of medals they receive – more than one hundred gold medals – in competitions around the world.

QSS wines were in the spotlight at the China Wine and Spirits Awards 2022, having been awarded 10 gold medals (two doubles), two silver and two bronze.

In the event, which took place between August 22 and 26, in Hong Kong, China, the Arreio Tinto2020 and the QSS Rare Branco2021 were awarded with gold medals, with gold medals, the Dona Flor Tinto 2021, Fonte das Setas Red 2021, Forte do Cego Red 2021, Forte do Cego White 2021, Janela Branca Special Edition Red 2021, Mil Caminhos Red 2021, Miradouro da Vinha Red 2021 and QSS Rare Red 2021.

Portão 9 Red 2021 and QSS Rare Rosé 2021 were awarded silver medals, while QSS Rare Reserva Red 2020 and Encosta do Forte Special Selection Red 2021 received bronze.

The international recognition of QSS wines continues to grow.

QSS wines were awarded four more gold medals, this time at the Asia Wine Trophy 2022, the biggest competition in Asia, which took place in Daejeon, South Korea.

The wines Janela Branca Special Edition red 2020, São Sebastião Syrah Red 2020, QSS Rare Reserva Red 2020 and Quinta de São Sebastião DOC Arruda Red 2020 received the maximum distinction.

Three Val Moreira wines were also awarded with a gold medal: Val Moreira Altitude Red 2018, Val Moreira Reserva Red 2018 and Val Moreira Red 2018.

The quality of QSS wines is recognized on all continents.

QSS wines received three gold medals at the Berliner Wein Trophy 2022 (Summer Edition), the world’s largest wine competition, sponsored by the OIV – International Wine Organization, the most prestigious organization worldwide.

São Sebastião red 2021, Dona Flor red 2021 and Mina Velha Reserva red 2020 were awarded with the gold medal.

The QSS wines consolidate in this way, with this international recognition, their prestige, linked to their great quality.

We are all to be congratulated!

Quinta de São Sebastião Reserva red 2020 won the gold medal in the Lisbon Wines 2022 Contest, organized by the Confraria de Enófilos da Estremadura and the Lisbon Region Wine Commission.

The competition, held in Torres Vedras, received, as competitors, wines from the regions of Alenquer, Arruda dos Vinhos, Bucelas, Carcavelos, Colares, Encostas d’Aire, Óbidos, Torres Vedras and Lourinhã.

The quality of QSS wines once again receives the distinction of specialized juries.

The 9th edition Portugal Wines in Brazil, held in S. Paulo, was a great success in this important exhibition of Portuguese wine in Brazil, the 14th importer of wine in the world, with Portugal being its second supplier.

QSS wines were in the spotlight, alongside the biggest national brands.

Exports to Brazil represent around 8% of Portuguese wine exports and QSS wines are their second market.

The event is organized by the newspapers Público, from Portugal, and Globo and Valor Económico, from Brazil, in partnership with ViniPortugal.

With only two years of life, the rosé wine Dona Aninhas (QSS) is a success story, already recognized by the international and national markets.

The name of this excellent wine is a tribute to the mother of the owner of Quinta de São Sebastião, António Parente.

Its excellent quality, combined with a unique flavor, the result of a combination of several varieties produced in the cooler areas, was awarded in the year of its entry into the market, in 2020, with the Grande Prêmio Escolha da Imprensa, from Grandes Escolhas magazine. .

At the same time, it enters the international market and is already exported to Switzerland, Brazil and the Netherlands.

With the arrival of the heat, Dona Aninhas is an indispensable company for a late afternoon by the sea, or for an aperitif before dinner.

A choice that musician Rui Veloso and actress Sofia Grilo did not want to miss.

CHEERS!

The prestigious Challenge International du Vin 2022, held in Bordeaux between 8 and 9 April, the oldest wine competition held in France, and one of the most important in the world, awarded three gold medals to QSS wines.

São Sebastião Touriga Nacional 2019, Fonte das Setas red 2021 and Encosta do Forte Special Selection red 2020 were awarded with a gold medal.

In a year that promises to be very good from a commercial point of view, the international recognition of the quality of QSS wines is an excellent contribution to the achievement of the defined objectives.

QSS wines continue to win prizes in all major international competitions in which they participate.

This time it was in Germany, at the Berliner Wein Trophy 2022, held between February 26 and March 6.

The São Sebastião Reserva Red 2020, São Sebastião Touriga Nacional Red 2020, Arreio Red 2020, QSS 1755 Reserva Red 2020 and QSS RARE Red 2021 received gold medals.

The Berliner Wine Trophy has been held twice a year since 2004 and is already the most influential wine competition in Germany and one of the biggest international awards worldwide.

400 international tasters were present, in a competition where wines from more than 40 countries participated.

When we now look at the vineyard geometrically aligned, with thousands of naked plants, in a well-deserved rest, the green vine of a few months ago comes to mind, from the hustle and bustle of the harvest, the sudden change in color of the vine, from green to a purplish brown, a sign of duty accomplished.
The cycle repeats itself, year after year.
After the vegetative rest, it is time for pruning.
On the Quinta de São Sebastião, work has already begun.

To observe a vineyard throughout the year, with its transformations, is to observe Life.
When autumn gives way to winter, and when winter is halfway through, it’s time to prune the vines, an essential task to ensure a good grape harvest.
This will be followed, in early spring, by the “crying”, the loss of sap in the pruned cut areas.
From here the plant begins to gain more and more life, first, small green leaves, then the flower buds and bunches.

And there, at the end of summer, we will have another harvest at Quinta de São Sebastião, the result of a lot of work and dedication.
At the heart of this task is, of course, wine, “the only work of art you can drink”, as Louis Stevenson wrote.
Baudelaire, cursed poet, assured that “wine is similar to man: one never knows how much we can esteem it or despise it, love it or hate it, nor how many sublime actions or monstrous crimes it is capable of”. . Let us not then be crueler to him than to ourselves, we must treat him as our equal.”

QSS São Sebastião Syrah 2020 was awarded Gold and Best Show Lisboa at the Grand International Wine Award, within the scope of Mundus Vini 2022, held in Germany, in the city of .

Likewise, the Val Moreira Reserva Red wine was awarded the Grand Gold and Best Show Douro.

This is yet another acknowledgment of the great quality of QSS and Val Moreira wines, awarded among six thousand wines tasted.
The Mundus Vini Grand International Wine Award is considered in Germany to be a prestigious international competition for wines from all wine regions in the world.
The purpose of the contest is to promote wine quality and boost sales of wines and sparkling wines.
An international jury gives an independent, neutral and expert verdict on the wines, thus ensuring that the competition is fair and professional, which gives a high level of recognition to the medals awarded at Mundus Vini to the awarded wines and their producers.

Vinalies Internationales, which has been held for over 25 years and brings together the most prestigious winemakers, is one of the most important competitions in France, aimed at promoting the know-how of French and foreign producers.
Each technical proof is attested by the comment of a specific and precise winemaker for each award-winning wine.

This prestigious international oenologist competition is organized under the high patronage of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV). The OIV appoints an expert commissioner who attends the tests of the various juries and is responsible for verifying compliance with the rules established by the norm that governs the organization of international competitions.

One of the most recent Quinta de São Sebastião (QSS) wines, Rare, joined the cause of the fight against species extinction, drawing consumer attention to this worldwide problem through its labels.

On each label, the consumer can access via mobile phone and know in detail the identified species and all the efforts being made to protect it.

The four species featured on the Rare labels are the Iberian lynx, tiger, sardines and the long-snouted seahorse.

Help Save the Animals is the watchword that can be read on all the labels.

Rare red, a rare blend of three different grape varieties – Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah – also has the special characteristic of being a vegan wine, at the same time it is associated with the cause of the Iberian lynx and, in this way, has helped to its conservation and the evolution of that community.

A noble cause for a wine present in several international markets, such as the United States, Russia, Australia, Brazil and New Zealand, among others, and internationally awarded by the most prestigious critics, such as the Wine Enthusiast or the Berliner Wine Trophy

QSS wines won four gold and two silver medals at PRODEXPO, held in Moscow, Russia, between the 7th and 11th of February.

The wines awarded with gold were Forte do Cego red 2020, São Sebastião red 2019, Rare red 2020 and Arreio red 2019.

Quinta de São Sebastião was one of 14 Portuguese wine companies present in what is the largest food products show in Russia and Western Europe, with 2660 participants from 73 countries this year, having received around 70 thousand visitors from 115 countries.

The wine sector had the presence of the largest producing countries in the world, such as France, Italy and Spain, alongside Portugal – which, despite being the smallest, is among the 10 largest producers in the world -, in addition to several countries in Eastern Europe.

The Portuguese producers present at PROEXPO, with many award-winning wines, dignified the Portuguese industry and, at the same time, the name of Portugal.

At the beginning of a new tourist season and on the eve of the opening of the hotels of the AP group, the directors and head chefs of all the Group’s hotels met at Quinta de São Sebastião.

The meeting, together with an excellent lunch at Adega Velha, began with a visit to the Quinta and a wine tasting at the Picadeiro.

The objective of the season that is now beginning was announced by António Parente: hotels must be the best hosts of QSS wines and directors will be their ambassadors.

The QSS winemaker, Filipe Sevinate Pinto, provided those present with the main ideas for presenting the wines to customers, pointing to the simplicity of the message, which is intended above all to be appealing in the tasting proposals.

The commitment and determination of the hotel professionals of Grupo AP are the guarantee of a successful season, which contributes to the rapid recovery of two very difficult years.

The excellent QSS wines will certainly be an important contribution to this success.

At the end of a very good year of sales, QSS wines entered the market in Japan, considered the most developed and mature in Asia.

In december 2021, the first order for Forte do Cego 2019, white and red, was chosen by one of the largest Japanese importers, which opens up excellent prospects for the future.

After China, Taiwan and the Philippines, Japan now opens its doors to QSS wines.

At the beginning of this year, another important market will receive our wines: Russia.

Thus, this important market will discover and enjoy the white, red and rosé Forte do Cego, the red Janela Branca and the red S. Sebastião.

Another important step in the internationalization of QSS wines, already present on five continents.

Kanpai!

Za Zdorovye!

Cheers!

Saúde!

QSS wines were present at the traditional Festival of Vineyard and Wine from Arruda dos Vinhos, which this year held its 24th edition, signaling the strong connection to its region of origin, which has made it known and dignified throughout the world.

Arruda dos Vinhos – the lands of  Enchanted Valley (Vale Encantado)-, with stories of medieval witches and knights, one of the poles of resistance to the French invasions of the early 19th century, is today a pleasant place to live, 30 kilometers from the capital, Lisbon, maintaining traces of rurality, but simultaneously possessing all the modern equipment.

About 13,500 people live in Arruda dos Vinhos, enjoying the tranquility of the countryside, but with access to everything that any large city can provide.

The origin of the name Arruda can either be due to the abundant existence of the shrub with the same name, as it derives from herta, the Latinization of the term rota, or even from the Arabic word al-rawda, which means garden or field. 

The researchers divide between the first two hypotheses, although the geographic location, constituting an ancestral crossing point of the Caminhos de Santiago, as well as the wine produced in Torres Vedras, which was sent to Lisbon for export by sea, point to the thesis rutta – route. Thus, archeologists Guilherme Cardoso and José D’ Encarnação very likely conclude that the origin of the Arruda place-name derives from a route. “Arruda dos Vinhos was “the wine route”! They were produced there, it is true, but it was mainly there that they passed”.

Wine, which appears in the name of the village, is the main production in the region, in a tradition prior to the 12th century, when the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, granted the charter to the Order of Santiago. At that time, it was from this region that the wines that supplied a large part of the country came from.

The winemaking tradition is, therefore, the great mark of this demarcated region since 1993, being this county the tenth in the country with the most planted vineyard area, in percentage terms, where Quinta de São Sebastião stands out as the main producer.

Dating back to the 18th century, Quinta de São Sebastião has always been linked to the planting of vines, although the independent production of wine only started in 2006. However, in this short period of time, the wines from Quinta de São Sebastião quickly gained great national and international prestige, and are now present in markets on five continents, where their quality has been recognized by the numerous other medals won in the most important competitions worldwide.

Quinta de São Sebastião formalized this Tuesday, the 16th of November, its solidarity support to the Casa do Artista, with the signing of the protocol that foresees the delivery of 15% of the proceeds from the sale of the wine boxes of the Aos Amigos edition.

The protocol was signed by António Parente, owner of Quinta de São Sebastião, and José Raposo, Sofia Grillo and Luís Aleluia, from the direction of Casa do Artista.

The close relationship between Quinta de São Sebastião and Casa do Artista justifies this solidary support through this initiative that pays homage, at the same time, to six great artists who have already disappeared physically, but who remain in the memory of the Portuguese.

The Aos Amigos edition consists of 1,000 boxes of six bottles of wine, each with a label dedicated to an artist that Quinta de São Sebastião wanted to honor: António Cordeiro, António Feio, Armando Cortez, Carlos Zel, Pedro Lima and Raul Solnado .

QSS wines continue to win gold medals in competitions on different continents.

The QSS 1755 Reserva red 2019 wine won a gold medal in the AWC Vienna – International Wine Challenge 2021 competition. This wine competition, officially recognized by the European Union, is one of the most prestigious in the world.

Almost simultaneously, São Sebastião red 2019 and QSS Reserva red 2019 wines received the gold medal in the Asia Wine Trophy 2021 competition.

The excellence of QSS wines has been recognized internationally, which justifies its growing international expansion, having already received six dozen gold medals in international competitions this year.

Gião Group, one of the most dynamic restaurant companies in the Algarve, based in Faro, visited Quinta de S. Sebastião this monday, in a meeting that consolidated the excellent partnership between the two companies, with the desire to strengthen it.

Founded in 2004, this family business, run by the Gião couple’s two children, Miguel and Ricardo, owns the Columbus and Lodo restaurants and manages three magnificent spaces at the Eva Hotel: Adão, Senses and Rooftop. 

Around two dozen employees of the Gião Group participated in this visit, in a demonstration of the company’s vitality and youth.
The Multiwines/ QSS partnership with Gião Group is now a reality, having also become a good friendship. The group’s visit was  another step in this direction.

Quinta de S. Sebastião presents an unprecedented and fair tribute to six great artists who have already disappeared, symbolizing in them the tribute to Friendship.

Aos Amigos is the theme of the collection of six great QSS wines, in an extremely elegant box, which is intended, in addition to paying homage to the six artists – Raul Solnado, Armando Cortez, Carlos Zel, António Feio, António Cordeiro and Pedro Lima – , to jointly support the Casa do Artista, to which a percentage of the sale is destined.

The collection is an excellent suggestion for a Christmas gift, but its meaning and also its solidarity objective make it an offer for any season.

Let’s toast to friends!

The QSS Rare Red Blend won the gold medal and was recognized as one of the top 14 wines at the San Antonio Stock & Rodeo Show in Texas.

The North American market thus acclaims Rare, whose quality had already been recognized by the prestigious Wine Enthusiast magazine, which awarded it 89 points.

Rare was the only Portuguese wine awarded, pairing with products from important international companies.

Quinta de S. Sebastião Reserva 2015 was awarded Best Red Wine in the 2020 Vinalies, scoring 95 Points. This competition, which took place in Paris between 28 February and 3 March, had more than 3,000 wines from more than 45 countries competing.

“Quinta de S. Sebastião has been producing and contributing decisively to the quality of wines from Arruda since 1755, and now, more than ever, we feel the responsibility to continue to be acknowledged and differentiated for our wines’ excellence”, says António Parente, owner of the Estate.

For his part, Filipe Sevinate Pinto, winemaker and consultant for this wine project, stresses that “Classic is always in fashion. A millenary region in wine production, a century-old Estate and unique natural conditions, where the slopes and proximity to the sea define a classic profile of great balance, elegance and freshness”. And he adds: “It is an honor to be part of this project, and Arruda dos Vinhos wins in the world scene for the way it has maintained winemaking in the region and for the opportunities it will have in the future”.
Quinta de S. Sebastião Reserva Tinto (red) is a blend of Merlot, Touriga Nacional and Syrah grape varieties, from mostly sloping vineyards, on clay-limestone soils, in Arruda dos Vinhos, which has a Mediterranean climate with a strong Atlantic influence.

This Lisbon Regional Wine is deep garnet colored, with aromatic notes of ripe fruit, orange blossom and some spices that pair well with the toasted notes obtained during the 12-year aging in French oak barrels. The palate is intense and elegant, with tannins ensuring a favorable evolution in the coming years. It pairs well with red meat, smoked sausages, roasted pork loin with chestnuts and Portuguese Stew (Cozido à Portuguesa).

Besides this score by the Quinta de S. Sebastião Reserva Tinto (red) in 2015, and also in the 2020 Vinalies Competition, the Quinta de S. Sebastião Touriga Nacional (86 points) and Mina Velha Tinto – red (87 points) were awarded a Gold diploma, in 2017 and 2018, respectively.