The Almeida Garrett family, originally from Porto, settled in the Castelo Branco district in the late 19th century, when Gonçalo Xavier de Almeida Garrett married Maria Joaquina Tavares Proença, daughter of Francisco Tavares Proença, one of the district's political leaders, a peer of the realm and a major agricultural landowner. Gonçalo Almeida Garrett was a professor at the University of Coimbra, a Knight of the Royal Household, a Peer of the Realm and Civil Governor of Castelo Branco, yet he still found the time for agriculture and winemaking in the municipalities of Castelo Branco, Covilhã and Fundão. At the time, most of the wine was sold in bulk, although a significant proportion was sold door-to-door to the local population. At the 1889 Paris Exposition, it won a bronze medal and had its name inscribed in the Livre d’Or for the quality of its olive oils and wines. Following the rise of the Republic, the Garrett family was forced to emigrate to the south of France and, upon their return, Francisco Almeida Garrett brought the first Chardonnay vines to Cova da Beira, more than a century ago. Even today, it is the only white grape variety in the Casa Almeida Garrett vineyards.

In the next generation, Manuel de Almeida Garrett, an agronomist by training, embarked on a bold investment plan in the areas of fruit-growing, wine-growing, forestry and livestock farming, and actively participated in the sector's politics as a member of various specialised governmental, non-governmental and EFTA committees. However, part of his activity was curtailed because he was the owner of the Beira Baixa newspaper, which was disliked by the regime of the time. With the emergence of cooperatives, which he promoted among the fruit-growers of Cova da Beira, he began selling most of his grapes to the Covilhã and Fundão Cooperative Wine-growers Associations.

In 1974, Manuel Almeida Garrett set up SABE – Sociedade Agrícola da Beira, S.A. with two of his three brothers to jointly manage the properties. However, the social upheavals resulting from the Revolution of that year led the family to emigrate again, this time to Brazil, leaving the properties to the dedicated agricultural managers José Fidalgo, in Cova da Beira, and Mário Lopes, in Castelo Branco. When Manuel Almeida Garrett returned from Brazil in 1981, his son José Alberto had already been managing the estates for two years. Having overcome the vicissitudes, both began a wholesale reconversion of the production areas, with particular emphasis on the vineyards. They then decided to start making wine from their own grapes. In 1985, they engaged in winemaking experimentation with Nuno Cancela de Abreu and, in 1989, due to his incapacity, they invited João Portugal Ramos to design the profile of the wines and direct the oenology side. After a short time, Entre Serras wines appeared on the market, to the delight of many connoisseurs and the prestige of Beira Interior, with the white Chardonnay making a particular impression due to its originality.

Today, another Manuel de Almeida Garrett, also an agronomist by training and the great-great-grandson of Maria Joaquina Tavares Proença and Gonçalo de Almeida Garrett, supervises the planting of new vineyards for the House and shares responsibility for the oenology with Mário Andrade – a disciple of João Portugal Ramos – making modern-style wines of great quality and consistency that are sold throughout Portugal and across the world under the Almeida Garrett, Entre Serras and Star Mountain brands, the latter exclusively for the British market. Thus their ancestors’ wishes have been fulfilled, with farming and particularly wine production continuing to be an indelible mark left by this well-known Beira family.

Vineyards

Vineyard operations management: Manuel de Almeida Garrett

Area of own vineyards: 43 hectares

Grape origin: Own grapes

Viticulture type: Integrated production and organic production

White grape varieties: Chardonnay

Red grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Trincadeira, Tinta Barroca, Alicante Bouschet, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Wine cellar

General manager: Manuel de Almeida Garrett

Oenologists: Mário Andrade and Manuel de Almeida Garrett

Cellar master: João Paulo Aleixo

Types of wine produced: White, rosé, red and sparkling

Wine brands: Almeida Garrett, Entre Serras and Star Mountain

Percentage of PDO/PGI production: 100% PDO Beira Interior

Average annual production: 205,000 litres

Production destination: Domestic market (60%) and export (40%)

Wine tourism

Events

Wine shop

Wine tasting

Part of the Beira Interior Wine Route