Herdade Paço do Conde received both Wine of the Year Portugal and Winery of the Year Portugal at the 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards, a welcome nod to a producer that has been building momentum in Portugal’s Alentejo region. Known for its thoughtful approach to vineyard stewardship and a commitment to varietal purity, the estate’s winning wine, the Reserva Antão Vaz, has become a flagbearer for Portugal’s ability to produce compelling, terroir-driven whites in warm climates.

Speaking with Carlos Campos, Commercial Director, it’s clear the recognition aligns with a broader, long-term strategy. From navigating key export markets like the U.S. and Japan to investing in sustainable certifications that only a handful of Portuguese producers have attained, Herdade Paço do Conde is positioning itself as a serious player in the global conversation around premium Portuguese wine.

Image: Pedro Schmidt (left), General Manager, and Carlos Campos (right), Commercial Director of Herdade Paço do Conde.

Congratulations on being awarded both "Wine of the Year Portugal" and "Winery of the Year Portugal" at this year’s Sommeliers Choice Awards. What does this recognition mean for your team, and how do you plan to leverage it in your communications, both domestically and internationally?

It is the recognition of years of dedication from a fantastic and unrivaled team that works with the aim of always doing better and improving year after year.

In terms of communication, we will publicize on our social networks, as well as in all our national and international presentations, and pass the message to our global partners.

Image: Herdade Paço do Conde Reserva Antão Vaz - "Wine of the Year Portugal" and "Winery of the Year Portugal" at 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards.

Let’s talk about the wine itself. What makes the Herdade Paço do Conde Reserva Antão Vaz such a compelling expression of the Antão Vaz grape and the terroir of the Vidigueira subregion?

The Vidigueira region has, in its main grape variety Antão Vaz, a huge potential. The great thermal amplitude during maturation, with very hot days and very cool nights, helps to complete and enhance what the Antão Vaz grape has best. Its great aromatic expression, its enormous potential to be able to adapt to the most varied winemaking techniques as well as aging without the loss of freshness, give it unique properties in this region.

Antão Vaz is often praised for its adaptability to warm climates. How do the estate's microclimate and soils influence this particular cuvée, and how do you preserve freshness and structure in such a full-bodied white?

The enormous thermal amplitude mentioned above, the soils of granitic and schist origin, the escarpments of the Mendro mountain range, and an East-West orientation, help to preserve this freshness over time. The terroir where we have the Antão Vaz vineyards installed is really the best in the Alentejo to extract the full potential of this unique variety.

Image: (Left) Herdade Paço do Conde vineyard and (Right) Antão Vaz.

From a sensory perspective, the wine offers floral aromatics, yellow apple, apricot, and a distinct smoky mineral edge. Can you walk us through the viticulture and vinification practices that build this layered complexity?

The milder climate in the summer even though it is the region with the southernmost location in the entire Alentejo, soils that lead to low productions, with an average that rarely exceeds 5000kg/ha, the cold pre-fermentative maceration, the fermentation in barrels with the fine lees and the help of batonnage, help a lot to complete this set in this wine of high expression from the Antão Vaz variety.

Carlos, from a commercial standpoint, how has this wine performed in export markets such as the U.S.? Are there particular regions, retail chains, or restaurant groups where it's gaining traction?

Fortunately the US market is growing, we know that it is a demanding market and with excellent wines, we have a great presence in Boston and L.A., in the latter, we are growing more slowly, because we are in the state of great American wines, but on the other hand our affirmation in California is proof that Portuguese wines are of great quality. At this moment, we have much more presence in the on-trade channel.

This type of distinction/award will help us grow in this market.

Image: Rui Reguinga, Winemaker (Left). Wine barrels stored for aging  (Right).

Which importers or distribution partners are you currently working with in key markets such as the U.S., the UK, or Asia? What kind of marketing or in-market support do you provide to help them move product and build the brand?

In the markets where we are present (Canada, China, Japan, United Kingdom, India, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, All of Europe, etc.), our support is very face-to-face, we always try to go to the market to accompany the distributors' sales teams, do tastings, have merchandising and show the market that wines are recognized with the awards they win.

For the brand to be known and recognized, the wine has to reach the final consumer, and the two biggest drivers are supermarkets and restaurants (on-trade and off-trade).

Image: The Roadshow Wines of Portugal in Florianópolis and Porto Alegre.

Are you currently in conversations with any major on- or off-trade buyers in the U.S., such as Whole Foods, Total Wine, or fine dining groups? If so, how are these relationships evolving—and what does your ideal retail presence look like?

We are working to establish relationships with major retailers. However, our focus is on expanding the brand and category with specialized accounts, where we lead through education. The goal of these efforts is to expand the brand to a place of recognition, where public awareness is at a sufficient level for large retailers to notice.

How are you using the estate to tell your story? What experiences are you offering that allow visitors to connect more deeply with your wines, your people, and the region itself?

Our brand image is the goliards, the musicians who in medieval times, were always present at court parties to cheer up the guests and provide them with unforgettable moments. This is how we want to receive our visitors, providing them with unique wine experiences, unforgettable moments. The Estate has been in our family for more than five generations, and since then we have opened our doors to friends, neighbors, and all those who pass through there with immense friendship. In addition to wine tastings, we like to provide a tour, in order to make known the diversity that exists in the Estate, the different cultures in the countryside, the animals or even a sunset on the Guadiana River.

Image: The Herdade Paço do Conde is owned by the Castelo Branco family.

How is Herdade Paço do Conde embracing environmental stewardship in both the vineyard and the winery? Are there specific initiatives—regenerative farming, water conservation, solar power—that you're proud of?

We invest in renewable energies, such as solar, to meet part of the electricity needs, whether in the different crops, through the pumping of water, or in the winery and mill for the various activities that require electricity.

We preserve countless species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, of different sizes, shapes, and colors. To ensure the diversity of cultures and the preservation of species, we gradually built dams throughout the Estate.

In the cellar and winery, water is needed for cleaning and is also distributed for use in different stages of the production process. All consumption is properly monitored and controlled in order to be as efficient as possible, and all wastewater produced is treated, stored, and reused in crops that allow it. All production is carried out in the integrated production system, respecting the most demanding European environmental production standards.

We are always looking for innovative approaches that lead to the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity, contributing to sustainability, generating opportunities for growth and enhancement of cultures. We were recently awarded the Certification in Sustainable Production. We are talking about a universe in Portugal of about 20 producers with this certification. This certification means that the wines are produced taking into account the impacts on the consumption of raw materials, whether solar, water, energy, and that the way the vineyard interacts with biodiversity is collaborative and constructive. By using fewer herbicides and pesticides, we improve soil quality of life and organic matter. This makes us have a greater capacity to retain water and nutrients in the soil. Thus, the plant is healthier, more resistant to diseases and heat waves, and consequently we will have better quality grapes and higher quality wine. This chain is transversal to the entire process – if I save materials, I save nature, and then I will have a better quality product and a competitive advantage in the market.

Image: (Left) Sustainable Production Seal and (Right) renewable energy sources - solar panels.

Finally, with such strong momentum from this double win at the Sommeliers Choice Awards, what’s next for Herdade Paço do Conde? Are there new projects, wines, or markets you're excited to explore in 2025 and beyond?

We will launch a new wine (but we will disclose it in due time). This recognition gives us an extra incentive to grow and bet on the American market, to be one of our target markets in the coming years. Of course, we will also take advantage of this recognition to grow in other markets.    

Conclusion

With its 2025 accolades now part of the brand’s story, Herdade Paço do Conde isn’t standing still. A new wine is on the horizon, and so is a deeper push into the American market, particularly through on-trade channels and direct engagement with importers. But beyond the awards and ambitions, what remains constant is a grounded, holistic view of what great wine requires: a strong connection to place, a team built on trust, and a long-term commitment to making wines that speak for themselves. 

In conversation with Malvika Patel, Editor and VP, Beverage Trade Network

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