Howard’s Folly is the tongue-in-cheek name given to the winery 20 years ago by Howard Bilton, successful entrepreneur from Hong Kong, when he decided to develop a winery in Estremoz, alongside prizewinning winemaker David Baverstock.

The project has absorbed a lot of commitment, passion and investment, but has generated great rewards in terms of a range of wines widely recognised for their quality, a stunning winery in heritage buildings and financial support for visual arts: Howard’s Folly donates to the Sovereign Art Foundation, which assists under-privileged children using art classes as therapy, as well as sponsoring art prizes – works from the children and prize-winners adorn the wine labels.

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

Howard and son Tom gave an entertaining presentation as members sampled their wines alongside an outstanding menu featuring carpaccio of beef, risotto nel bosco and filetto di scamone, culminating in profiteroles filled with gelato complemented by dessert wine from Carcavelos, a rare treat as this wine region near Cascais is now tiny.

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

The Algarve Wine Society next meets for a trip to the Tejo in early May.

The Howard’s Folly website can be found at https://www.howardsfollywine.com/, and more information on the AWS is available at www.algarvewinesociety.com

Text and photos by Alison West