Monte da Casteleja

Monte da Casteleja is an organic wine estate a few minutes from Lagos, founded in 1999 by vigneron Guillaume Leroux on the family farm he inherited from his grandfather. The estate has been certified organic since 2008 (by Certiplanet) and is recognised as the only certified organic winery in the Algarve. The name Casteleja comes from the ruins of a small Roman era castle discovered on the land, close to where archaeologists believe the ancient settlement of Lacobriga, the precursor to Lagos, once stood. Guillaume trained as a vigneron with a degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Montpellier (1990) and a postgraduate qualification from the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia in Porto with Charles Sturt University, Australia (1995), before working at Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman, Quinta do Côtto and Quinta do Tedo. At Casteleja, he combines classic techniques such as foot treading, fermentation with stems and ageing in barrels with modern oenology to produce organic white, red and rosé wines from traditional Portuguese grape varieties. Guided tours of the vineyard, cellar and winery, including a tasting, run by reservation on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:00 or 15:00. The estate also offers guesthouse accommodation for a peaceful countryside stay away from the busier parts of the Algarve coast. The shop is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, closed at weekends.