Quinta dos Santos offers a range of unique experiences in the heart of the Algarve. A restaurant, a venue for special occasions, and a place to produce their own wine and beer.

Quinta dos Santos is a family business that dates back to 2014, when the Dos Santos family, originally from South Africa but with Portuguese heritage, bought this piece of farmland. At that time, there was nothing apart from a small ruin. They began construction in 2016, planted the vineyards, and opened a restaurant in 2018.

A family-driven passion project

The family consists of Ann & Eugene and their two sons, Greg & Kyle. Kyle moved to England with his family and has since opened a restaurant called Santos & Co in Dorchester, Dorset, where guests can enjoy all Santos wines & beers. Greg is responsible for running the business, and his wife, Mariana, is the Weddings and Events manager. Ann & Eugene are still very much involved, with Ann being responsible for the beautiful design, thanks to which Quinta is a very popular place to organise weddings, anniversaries, and all kinds of gatherings.

I was stunned by all the products Quinta dos Santos produces and got in contact with their lovely Marketing & Social Media Manager, Frankie, who gave me a tour of the Quinta together with Kyle, the General Manager, who studied Oenology, Viticulture, and Pomology. Kyle is a true expert when it comes to wine and has been farming and producing wine since 2005.

Terroir-driven, artisanal winemaking

Quinta dos Santos focuses on producing handcrafted artisanal wines that are terroir-driven, capturing the essence of the vineyard in the bottle.

Terroir is how a particular region’s climate, soils, and aspect (terrain) affect the taste of wine. Some regions have more ‘terroir’ than others. In this case, the incredible terroir is what makes their wines different.

“Ocean influenced with ancient soils; a combination of limestone, sandstone, weathered granite, sand, and clay. The soils are also riddled with fossilised seashells, adding to the calcareous levels.” Kyle emphasises, adding “Only Portuguese varieties are cultivated, consisting of both red and white, striving to produce true, authentic Portuguese wines of the highest quality.”

Their winery is designed to be both a production facility and a destination where customers can view and participate in the winemaking process. As Kyle said, people are welcome to participate in the process, from early morning hand-picking sessions to barefoot grape treading. This is a great opportunity for wine lovers to experience the authentic process themselves.

The Wine Portfolio: Escolhido & Tesouro

Currently, Quinta dos Santos comprises two ranges in its portfolio: Escolhido Wines and Tesouro Wines.

Escolhido is a lifestyle brand with a core focus on creating wines that over-deliver for the knowledgeable wine consumer.

Tesouro is the single vineyard range, the quintessence of terroir-driven wine production. It is a super-premium range with an average total production of 900 bottles per line.

“We have three hectares of exclusively Portuguese grape varieties:

Branco (White) Grapes: Alvarinho, Encruzado, Malvasia Fina, Arinto, Verdelho, Esgana Cão, Negra Mole Branco

Tinto (Red) Grapes: Bastardo, Negra Mole, Sousão, Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet.”

All their wines are produced in small batches, allowing for attention to detail and ultimately high quality. Designed to be enjoyed now, but they also have the structure and complexity to age for many years, benefiting from bottle maturation.

Craft beer brewing at Quinta

The brewery, like the winery, is designed to be both a production facility and a destination where the public can view the brewer in action

Greg dos Santos is a trained brewer, so after opening Quinta, there was an opportunity to bring great craft, artisanal beer to the Algarve. Dos Santos Craft Beer was born. Now, their key lines (available all year round) consist of Pilsner, Lager, Pale Ale, Amber Ale, IPA, Weissbier (new this year), and a winter seasonal, which this year is a Stout. They are also working on exciting barrel-aged beer for 26/27!

Beers are brewed following the German Purity Law method, meaning that only the four core ingredients of water, hops, yeast, and malted barley are used, which allows the natural, biological process to happen.

“In terms of trends, we are seeing that people are, as a whole, drinking less, but what they are drinking, they want it to be of a really high and artisanal quality!”

Dining at Restaurant A Esquina

I had the chance to sample their current winter menu, which runs until May. Simone, their restaurant manager, made sure everything was perfect. Restaurant A Esquina offers spectacular vineyard views, based on a ‘farm to table’ concept. Here, you can taste Quinta’s own production, each item reflecting dedication to quality. Set across both indoor and outdoor spaces, it’s a great place to enjoy shared plates with friends and family or individual main courses, paired with their impressive wine and beer collection. It’s also a great chance to try their small batch, premium gin, or experience it in one if their cocktails.

A menu rooted in quality

We started with a charcuterie board “Tabua artisanal,” which consisted of a selection of Alentejo black pork, cheese, farm olives, artisanal bread, the chef’s chutney, and a red wine butter that was so delicious it became an absolute favourite! This sharing platter was a perfect introduction to their culinary philosophy. We also tasted three of Quinta’s wines. Drinking three glasses of wine at lunchtime isn’t usually my thing, but I tasted each of them – and I probably don’t need to add how much I enjoyed it! My favourite was a Ruby coloured wine with rich notes of wild berries, cherry, and plum. Black pepper notes make this wine an overall crowd pleaser. As meat lovers, we also tried oxtail croquettes and beef tartare with truffle mayo, both served with a vegetable selection. In my hometown, beef tartare is a very popular starter, especially in steak houses and I was pleasantly surprised to discover it here!

For the main course, we had “lombo” (fillet steak), cooked to perfection, with chimichurri sauce and mozzarella and basil ravioli with tomato sauce, a comforting dish, executed with confidence and simplicity.

We weren’t really able to eat much more, so we shared dessert, a homemade apple crumble with cinnamon ice cream. It was the perfect ending to this fabulous lunch.

Quinta dos Santos is a true Algarve gem - whether you visit for a relaxed lunch, a wine experience, or a special celebration, it offers a refined yet genuinely welcoming experience.

Directions: Quinta dos Santos, R. do Pestana Golf Resort 1, 8400-049 Estômbar