Howard’s Folly

Howard Bilton was born in Yorkshire but spent much of his career working as a lawyer in Hong Kong. A passionate collector of wine and art, he looked to combine these interests, along with his passion for philanthropy. He joined forces with award-winning Australian-born winemaker David Baverstock (a pioneer of modern winemaking in Portugal, with an enviable resume including Croft, Symington, Quinta de la Rosa, Quinta do Crasto and Herdade do Esporão to create Howard’s Folly in 2002. Sales support the Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF), which funds educational programmes for underprivileged children with a heavy emphasis on art, with the art created in turn used on the winery’s labels.

In 2018, the team opened their new winery, based in the town of Estremoz and becoming the country’s first urban winery (which is also home to a hotel and two restaurants). Most of the fruit for their wines comes from their seven hectares in Portalegre, 100km northeast of the winery, at higher altitude in the granitic foothills of the São Mamede mountains, preserving freshness in the wines. Alongside these more youthful plots, they also source old-vine fruit from select growers. Many of the vines are up to 150 years old, and often field blends, something that they feel is part of the distinct imprint – and magic – of the region.

Beyond the Alentejo, they have ventured to Melgaço, a sub-region of Vinho Verde, to craft pure and age-worthy Alvarinho (aka Albariño), while they also craft the rare Carcavelos – a fortified wine that sits stylistically between Amontillado Sherry and Tawny Port, from a tiny region just north of Lisbon.