The third generation estate of the Ruivo family, Casa de Darei is a gorgeous property nestled in the Dão Valley in central Portugal, in the municipality of Mangualde. A dedicated natural reserve comprises the vast majority of the area, with beautiful forests lining the Dão River, verdant farmland for cattle, apple orchards, and 6.8 hectares of organic certified vineyards. Darei is the name of the town that the winery sits in, with a population of only 40 people. Some guanito (bat guano) is all the fertilizer needed on their white clover, serradela, and strawberry clover covered ground, all of which helps maintain a healthy balance in the vineyard soils. Using only indigenous varietals, these wines whisper to us of the land from which they come, the “Burgundy of Portugal” - more elegant and suave than the powerhouse wines that sunny Portugal has become known for.