Development Plan
The development plan for Monte do Casarão has been drawn up in close consultation with local advisers and contractors.
The cottages have the typical ‘montes do Alentejo’ character, harmonising with the environment. They have been fitted with all modern conveniences.
Monte do Casarão is largely self-supporting:
- Two wells (one 60 metres, the other 180 metres deep, drilled into the rag stone) ensure water sufficiency.
- The power generation is an advanced system of 48 kV’s of batteries and a 50 kV diesel generator. The batteries supply our daily electricity; the diesel generator charges the batteries. If the batteries fail to provide sufficient electricity, the diesel generator starts up.
- Drain water is sufficiently purified at the estate and may be discharged into the surface water.
- Estate infrastructure includes: 2,3 kilometres of sand track and – under ground – over 2 kilometres of power cables, water pipes, sewerage, telephone- and data networks.
The estate has been planted with eucalyptus trees, sobreiros – cork oaks, some of which are over 150 years old – and azinheiros (holms). Sobreiros and azinheiros are protected by Portuguese law.
Construction
Netherlands
- management:
Wynand Riemslag, Nel Riemslag-Schimmer and Lies Schimmer
Portugal
- architect:
Ana Isabel Cortes (Odemira) - project development:
Erik Goedhart (Portugalimo, Melides) - construction support:
Bert Snijder and Saskia Bastings (Alentejo Home, Grandola) - main contractor:
Manuel Domingos (Vila Nova de Milfontes) - power supply:
José Manuel Revez (Revez-Solar, Beja) - kitchen equipment:
Nobre & Filhos (Vila Nova de Milfontes)
Twice a year – once in spring and once in autumn – Monte do Casarão organises a painting week. The course is suitable for both beginners and advanced students. You can paint or draw using any technique and any materials you like.
Abril 8 - Abril 15
September 30 - October 7
September: All the grapes have been harvested again—both the wine grapes and the table grapes, the red and the white ones. Just in time, because the blue jays had already noticed that they were ripe.
The grapes have been crushed and stripped of leaves and twigs. Now they’ll spend a little while in the barrel, and then we’ll have wine again—our own organic wine. Fifty bottles of white and about 100 bottles of red. That should last us another year...
