The Saturnino Cunha Family
For over two centuries, the Saturnino Cunha family has been producing wines at Quinta de São João, in Alpiarça, in the heart of the Tejo region (Tejo (Alpiarça)). Across eight generations, the estate is one of the oldest family producers in the region, with a continuous tradition spanning generations.
The Estate
Quinta de São João spans 30 hectares of 100% estate-owned vineyards — boutique parcels hand-cultivated with dedication and respect for the land. All wine is grown, produced and bottled on the estate, ensuring total provenance control from vineyard to bottle.
The Historic 1947 Cellar
Pinhal da Torre's architectural icon is the 1947 cellar, housing 7 Algerian concrete vats engineered for thermal precision. These vessels breathe with the seasons, creating a microclimate where wine ages at nature's pace. Unlike stainless steel, these concrete vats offer natural micro-oxygenation through their porous walls, developing complexity that modern technology cannot replicate.
Happy Grapes Program®
The Happy Grapes Program® is our proprietary sustainable viticulture programme that integrates environmental stewardship with social responsibility. Every vine, every worker, every season — treated with intention. The programme ensures our farming practices respect biodiversity and promote long-term soil health.
The programme encompasses continuous monitoring of biodiversity in the soil and vineyard, integrated pest management without synthetic pesticides, promotion of cover crops between rows, and responsible water usage. Our farm workers receive annual training in regenerative practices, ensuring every decision in the field contributes to a healthier ecosystem.
Our Grape Varieties
Across the 30 hectares of Quinta de São João, we cultivate a unique diversity of grape varieties — both indigenous and international — that express the singular character of our Tejo terroir.
White Varieties
Arinto · Alvarinho · Fernão Pires · Fernão Pires Rosado · Verdelho · Viosinho
Red Varieties
Alicante Bouschet · Baga · Grenache · Sousão · Tinta Francisca · Tinta Roriz · Tinto Cão · Touriga Franca · Touriga Nacional · Ramisco · Syrah
This ampelographic richness allows us to create complex blended wines and expressive single-varietal wines, always with 100% estate-grown grapes.
Braille Labels — Pioneers Since 2003
Pinhal da Torre was the first wine producer in Portugal to implement Braille labelling on its wines, in 2003. Because the experience of an exceptional wine should be accessible to all, regardless of visual limitations. This innovation remains an integral part of our identity and our values of inclusion.
Winemaking Philosophy
We practice minimal intervention winemaking with absolute respect for Nature, Fruit and Time. Grapes are harvested exclusively between 07:00 and 13:00, preserving the delicate chemical balance that defines each vintage. Wild and indigenous yeasts guide fermentation. No shortcuts. The result is wine of rare purity and depth — wine that is 'Dangerously Drinkable'.
Region — Tejo (Alpiarça)
Alpiarça lies in the Lezíria do Tejo sub-region, 56.53 km from the Atlantic Ocean — the precise distance that delivers moderating maritime influence while preserving continental diurnal range. Alluvial soils (sandy, clay and limestone) over ancient Tejo terraces. Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and mild winters. These conditions, combined with our minimal intervention approach, produce wines of authentic terroir.