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ABOUT US
Barbara and Georg Thomann
Still living in Switzerland, we fell in love with Portugal in the 1970s. At that time, the country was still a hot tip among European holiday destinations, and travelling within the country was still quite adventurous. However, from the very beginning, we were enchanted by the originality and multifaceted beauty of this country and its immensely kind people.
When we decided to move to Portugal in 1995, it was clear to us that this should be to the Alentejo. This enchanting landscape with its rolling hills, cork oak forests, olive groves and vineyards appealed to us early on.
With the purchase of Herdade da Mata we started our "second life", so to speak, working in agriculture was a completely new territory for us. The first years were intense and involved a lot of effort and work. We learned and experienced many things, we made good and sometimes difficult experiences, we invested a lot of time and personal commitment.
From the very beginning we have never regretted our decision, a decision which was also supported by our family, and we appreciate the high quality of life in our wonderful home Herdade da Mata.
The creation of our little paradise would not have been possible without the support of many people. First and foremost Carlos Branquinho, our manager, who has been with us since the beginning.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
At Herdade da Mata, climate and environmental protection is an essential concern for us and our employees. Biodiversity, sustainability, quality and animal welfare must be a reality and not just rhetoric.
Water, energy and every important resource is used responsibly and carefully at Herdade da Mata.
Thanks to the size of the Herdade, we can and want to manage Herdade da Mata in a very extensive, environmentally and animal-friendly way.
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