The Herdade dos Coelheiros draws great lessons from the past for its future.
The estate, located in Igrejinha, close to Arraiolos, is a patchwork of cultures and habitats that spread over 800 ha. “Model of what was a typical Alentejo homestead 100 years ago – not a monoculture but a mosaic of cultures and habitats -, Coelheiros celebrates heterogeneity and makes the most of the biodiversity it promotes and protects. The adaptation to Regenerative Agriculture began in 2015, with new grape varieties better adapted to our reality, decreased production, regeneration of the cork oak area, among other practices. Nowadays, no herbicides nor insecticides are used at Coelheiros”, states an official communication. Famous for its wines, “icons in the Alentejo”, the estate also has a walnut orchard with about 40 ha. It was one of the first extensive walnut plantations in the Iberian Peninsula, and to this day, it is still recognised for its excellence.
