As mentioned in previous blogs and newsletters, a new project is approaching completion – Casa do Cavalo, aka House of the Horse.
We are transforming our historic horse stable into a second Tasting Room, located just across the street from our 18th century Quinta and original Tasting Room, with stunning views of both Tedo and Douro Rivers.
The room is spacious, with an open-beam ceiling and thick granite walls, one of which (behind the bar) is an outcrop of layered schist formed over centuries. “Rustic-elegant” is the design concept of this new space where we will offer curated tastings of our library Portos and Douro DOC wines, as well as our “next generation” whites and reds, together with flavorful snacks.
A couple “international surprises” should appear as well, to celebrate our Bouchard Family’s connections to other wine regions (Burgundy, Tuscany, Napa, the list goes on), Vincent’s barrel business customers since the mid-80s, other family wineries and vigneron friends.
As in past projects, to include our B&B, Bistro Terrace, our original Tasting Room and things décor at Quinta do Tedo, I (Kay Bouchard) am elected to pull together the details. In the US, where I am from, distances are far and wide from the place of production of most materials, which are usually outsourced to another country. However, at Quinta do Tedo I focus on “Made in Portugal”.
I am lucky to work with dedicated locals, and I am proud to showcase Portuguese materials made with impressive craftsmanship, quality and integrity. The best part of it all? I get to visit the source of all this magic, usually within a 1- to 2-hour drive from Quinta do Tedo.
This Spring, I made a quick trip from Napa, California (my Winter- and Spring-focused work hub for our family barrel business, alongside husband Vincent and older son Paolo) to Douro, Portugal, to check on the Casa do Cavalo progress.
Hmmmm… slow… as to be expected, but the quality is there!
As we (patiently, excitedly… endlessly) wait for project completion to open strong this Summer, I’ll share with you a sneak peak of some Casa do Cavalo eye-candy design elements in progress.
A 45-minute drive south of Porto, in Aveiro, is the historic tile manufacturer Aleluia, who produced the azulejos under our pergola, in our lagares, and at the train station in nearby Pinhão, as well as other notable murals in Portugal. We commissioned Aleluia to create a 1,5m x 1,7m traditional blue and white tile mural to anchor to the schist wall behind the bar.
I visited Aleluia one morning (visits by reservation for the public) to check on the progress and the lovely (female) artisans working on it.
Casa do Cavalo was the historic stable of our Quinta do Tedo estate vineyard plough horse, and the 11th-century Lenda do Tedo about a fierce and defiant Spanish knight, Don Tedo, who fell in love with and died tragically in Tedo Valley for princess Aridinia, the beautiful daughter of the Moorish King Alboacem occupying the area at the time. It only made sense to feature Don Tedo on horseback as our Casa do Cavalo mural’s focal point.
I also visited the family-run business, a 30-minute drive north of Porto in Aver-o-Mar, creating our terrazzo floors. This durable and versatile composite flooring material is made from chips of marble, granite and quartz, and set in epoxy resin, colored to our liking.
Interior Designer Sofia Barros, from Nuance Home Design, helps me narrow down endless choices and pays immense attention to detail – it was a pleasure to visit the producer and decide on the final blend of colour, size and texture of rock particles of Casa do Cavalo’s terrazzo floor with Sofia.
Douro River-inspired, a slate-grey-blue “river” will run down the Tasting Room floor, and the “river banks” will be a warm beige extending to the walls – perfect to welcome our customers to a wine experience where Douro and Tedo rivers meet, n’est-ce-pas ?
Susana Godinho, founder & creative director of SUGO Cork Rugs, “the first rug brand in the world combining an innovative cork solution with traditional tapestry techniques”, joined me for a memorable evening at Quinta do Tedo before my departure back “across the pond”.
I first discovered Susana’s innovative, beautiful and sustainable SUGO Cork Rugs years ago at Vila Nova de Gaia’s World of Wine cork exhibit. She repurposes cork, raw linen and recycled cotton from large industrial productions into a weavable format.
While enjoying aperitivo on our Bouchard Family’s terrace overlooking Douro River, Susana pulled inspiration for a new 12m ceiling hanging to grace the banquette seating area at Casa do Cavalo, weaving sample patterns and colors on her mini travel loom.
Besides beautiful and unique, SUGO Cork Rugs are also sound-absorbing. Design and acoustics are important to ensure a sleek, enjoyable and memorable tasting experience.
I even learned a trick or two of Susana’s trade, as we wove together, with playful and creative juices flowing, as the sun went down on this sweet Spring evening – it was hard to stop! But we eventually did, to enjoy the new Spring menu at Bistro Terrace, where we installed Susana’s first custom-made SUGO Cork Rug for Quinta do Tedo.
Susana slept over with her daughter in one of our four B&B rooms, each featuring pieces by Susana, with simple motifs depicting Tedo River, our terraced vineyard parcels and olive groves, and Tedo Valley’s beautiful landscape.
Last but not least, not while not “local” by DNA, but rather by cultural assimilation since 1992 when our Bouchard Family purchased Quinta do Tedo, and with an artsy side of our own, we Bouchards never hesitate to add a touch of flair to projects, whenever we feel inspired.
Older son Paolo watercolored a series of maps of our Quinta do Tedo parcels and Portugal’s wine regions, as well as the first drafts of our Casa do Cavalo logo and “next generation” white and red labels, which daughter Odile, the winemaker (not without Paolo’s harvest support!) is fine-tuning with professional designers.
Perhaps you’ve also noticed the metal cut-outs of a cooper (aka wooden barrels craftsman), grape harvesters, winery dogs, ducks and chickens around our Subterranean Barrel Gallery? Younger son Joseph started the series, as a high school art project, and husband Vincent gave continuity to, paying homage to Quinta do Tedo’s historic farm animal community and traditions, some of which we maintain to this day.
Well, that should be enough of a teaser to entice you this Summer 2026 to discover Casa do Cavalo, a tasteful collaboration of Quinta do Tedo’s past, present and future generations, and local Portuguese craftsmanship!
Email kay@quintadotedo.com for more info.
~ Kay Bouchard