There is an estate in Colares where the westernmost vines of continental Europe grow — literally, there is no vineyard further west on the mainland. The Casal Santa Maria sits between the Serra de Sintra and the Atlantic, less than a kilometre from the sea, and carries one of the most improbable stories in Portuguese wine.
The main house dates from 1720 and survived the 1755 earthquake thanks to the granite of the mountain. Around it are a chapel, a working winery, a guest house and gardens with thousands of rose bushes facing the ocean.
This suits couples who want sea, vines and a true story behind the setting — not just any backdrop.
The story is worthy of film. Baron Bodo von Bruemmer, of Baltic origin, bought the derelict estate in the 1960s and, already 95 years old, decided to replant vines that had not grown there since 1903 — bottling his first wine with the words ‘It’s never too late’. He lived to 105.
Before the vines, the property was an Arabian horse stud in the 1970s and 80s, which left the soils rich for the vineyard that followed. The grape varieties — Malvasia de Colares, Chardonnay, Riesling, among others — were hand-picked for this maritime terroir.
If you ask us, few venues can offer at once an ocean view, a wine with real pedigree and a life lesson built into the very foundation.
We are in Colares, in the village of Casas Novas, on the western slope of the Serra de Sintra, facing the Atlantic. Cabo da Roca — the westernmost point of Europe — is right there.
It is one of the country’s most dramatic settings: a maritime climate, misty mornings, ocean breeze and late-afternoon light over the sea. Sintra, with its palaces, is a few minutes away; Lisbon airport about 40.
For a destination wedding, it is hard to beat this combination of sea, mountain and vineyard in one place — with the day-after already sorted between Sintra and the coast.
The Casal Santa Maria hosts weddings by arrangement, across the main house, the winery, the gardens over the sea and a chapel — rare in a venue of this kind, and perfect for those who want a religious or symbolic ceremony in the space itself.
The scale is generous for an estate: up to 200 guests for a seated dinner and up to 400 for an outdoor cocktail, with the ceremony in the chapel or the gardens facing the sea. Yet the space also draws in for smaller celebrations, without ever losing the view.
There is estate-grown wine, the sea in view and a chapel in the garden — few places offer this combination. Pop the question. We handle the rest.
The strength of the Casal Santa Maria is its versatility in a single estate: the chapel for the religious part, the gardens over the Atlantic for an outdoor ceremony, the winery and the 1720 house for dinner. Our job is to orchestrate the celebration across these spaces — up to 400 guests for a cocktail — without the group feeling the transitions.
Colares is the far west, closer to Cabo da Roca than to any large hotel. We design the transfers from Sintra, Cascais or Lisbon and the room blocks in the area, so the trip out to the vines is part of the day and not an end-of-night problem.
The gardens and the scale lend themselves to multicultural celebrations: open ground for an Indian-style ceremony or for the rituals each family brings, with the kitchen adapting the menu and the officiants brought in by us. The chapel adds the Catholic option in the space itself, rare in this combination.
And then what only a wine estate gives: a tasting of the Colares varieties, a dinner around the production, a day after of sea and hills. The red tape — civil ceremony and permits — is ours to handle; yours is the westernmost wine in Europe for the toast.
Up to 200 guests for a seated dinner and up to 400 for a cocktail; the ceremony takes place in the chapel or the gardens, with around 50 seats. The space also works well for smaller celebrations.
In Colares, in the village of Casas Novas, on the slope of the Serra de Sintra facing the Atlantic, near Cabo da Roca. Lisbon airport is about 40 minutes away.
The main house dates from 1720. The vines — the westernmost in continental Europe — were replanted in 2006 by Baron von Bruemmer, then 95 years old.
Yes — the estate has a chapel, which allows religious or symbolic ceremonies in the space itself.
The estate has a guest house; we handle the allocation and arrange nearby options in Sintra and Colares.
Mainly whites and rosés, from varieties such as Malvasia de Colares, Chardonnay and Riesling, in a unique maritime terroir.
