Companhia Agrícola do Sanguinhal

About Winery and Wines

Companhia Agrícola do Sanguinhal (CAS) was established by Abel Pereira da Fonseca in 1926 to administrate the estates that he owned in the region of Bombarral since the beginning of the century,still belonging to the same family. He planted his first stand-alone vineyards (i.e. vines with no other fruit tree in between) aligned and wired, which was considered very innovating at the time, as there were no tractors. Vineyards were divided into plots, each planted with one sole variety (which was also new at the time). He introduced new varieties. In a separate plot at Quinta do Sanguinhal, he planted 30 different varieties to study their adaptability. CAS began producing quality wine from the very start. The wines from Quinta das Cerejeiras, Quinta do Sanguinhal and Quinta de São Francisco were produced separately in their respective cellars, which had an overall capacity in oak and mahogany barrels and vats of around 2 million litres, used in the fermentation, storage and ageing of wines, fortified wines and brandies.