The headquarters of Casa Santos Lima is located in the municipality of Alenquer, 45 km north of Lisbon, in a region where the winemaking tradition is centuries-old, and the typical rural landscapes appear with enormous beauty. The vineyards extend over gentle slopes at altitudes between 100 and 220 m, with excellent sun exposure and a climate tempered by the gentle maritime breeze from the Atlantic Ocean, which is about 26 km away.
The predominant soil type is clay-limestone, from the Upper Jurassic period, where numerous examples of marine life fossils have been found, including traces of dinosaurs (Apatosaurus alenquerensis). The replanting of the vineyards has been carried out at a regular pace since 1990, with the noblest Portuguese grape varieties, which here exhibit a unique regional character, and to a lesser extent, with the best international grape varieties.
In the more than 200 hectares of the Santos Lima family vineyard, a huge diversity of grape varieties can be found. Aiming to prevent soil erosion, the natural reduction of the average yield, and the anticipation of ripening (important factors in the production of quality grapes), a policy of natural ground cover has been adopted. In this context, the company was awarded the “Annual Agriculture Prize (Viticulture)” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries.
Currently, Casa Santos Lima, in addition to the initial property in Alenquer that has been in the family for 5 generations, operates in the regions of Lisbon, Algarve, Alentejo, Douro, and Vinhos Verdes. The company produces wines known for their excellent quality/price ratio and exports about 90% of its total production to more than 50 countries on 5 continents. Casa Santos Lima is also the largest producer of “Vinho Regional Lisboa” and “DOC Alenquer,” and in recent years, it has been one of the most awarded Portuguese producers in the main national and international wine competitions.
Casa Santos Lima was distinguished by the prestigious wine competition “Mundus Vini 2021” with the “Best Portuguese Producer” trophy. This is not the first time the company has been recognized in this category, as it also received this distinction at the “Berliner Wein Trophy 2020” competition, for the second consecutive time.
Address
Casa Santos Lima – Companhia das Vinhas, S.A.
Quinta da Boavista, 2580-081
Aldeia Galega da Merceana
Portugal
