Anna van Densky from ALENEJO There is no need to trot the globe to find an exquisite experience of nature, luxury, adventure and sophistication, meeting sunrise in a safari lodge next to turquoise shades of water. In the heart of Alentejo region just a couple of hours of driving from Lisbon or Algarve,  Malhadinha Nova Country House & Spa offers its charming universe and the savoir faire.

Malhadinha Nova will surprise you with a mixture of wildness, and comfort, romanticism and roughness in an eclectic style competing with the best lodges of African Sahel,  but without the dangerous of the latter. In the Estate the traveller will enjoy modern design interiors with exotic touch, and delicious fresh food and wine, making any meals of a day a magic ritual, full of sensations.

The Estate offers you the various ways to spend your day: from leisurely reading a book in a cosy rattan armchair next to the swimming pool, to horse riding, or a safari adventure, discovering landscapes around the farm in Alentejo savannah-like countryside.

The Alentejo scenery, competing in allure with the finest views of African Sahel is majestic. With its vast spaces, sometimes animated by a population of black Iberian pigs, passing for wild warthogs from afar. The ancient inhabitants of the Peninsula, they trace their roots to the Neolithic times, and today add the vivid authentic touch to stillness of Alentejo savannah-like topography.

The picturesque corners of Malhadinha Nova vast area, especially a still surface of the pond, make you think about wild natural reserve, but with the advantage of the contemplation of the dark waters without fear of a crocodile attack:) Those who enjoy fishing should definitely make a pause there attempting to get their big catch of a bass or two.

The vast areas of Malhadinha Nova, including abandoned arable land, received the second life with the new owners of the Estate, who have been investing their talent and passion for two decades into the transformation, which made the stunning metamorphosis possible. The vineyards, stretching to the horizon, constitute of carefully selected sorts of grapes, in the first ranks  Touriga Nacional, Aragonês, Alicante Bouschet, forming the Terroir of Malhadinha Nova in a distinctive way. The wine-tasting, wine lessons, and simply guided tours in the Cave imprint your stay, making one feel closer to the soul of Alentejo terracotta lands.

Touriga Nacional da Peceguina 2015  enjoys special attention for presenting the essence of Alentejo wine grape, its dynamic power and energy, with dark fruit sensations engaging with floral elegance of blackberries and blueberries shades. A complexity unfolds in layers with slight floral hint of violet, and tones of dark chocolate along with the spices and a slight toast of a barrel. However the charm of wines goes beyond the taste and quality due to a personal imprint of the family, baptizing each creation with a name of their own child, and with his drawing on the etiquette instead of a traditional Estate image.

The restaurant is waiting for visitors, ascending from the Cave, welcoming with the composition of wines and food, rooted in local traditions of Alentejo, but modernized and fashioned to contemporary taste. It offers an excellent opportunity to have a dinner with the gems in whites as harmonious and emblematic as Malhadinha Nova 2016,  touched by light aromas of fresh fruit; or intense  Monte da Peceguina 2016 reminiscent of tropical fruit, and an ideal match to the image of the Estate.

In Portugal the recipes of cooking cod are impossible to count, being a great classic of a menu they never sieze to amaze, however Malhadinha Nova chefs offer more than an excellence of taste, but an esthetic performance, the interaction between looks, sensations and smells. The excellence is not a coincidence,  but a fruit of a synergy of a consulting Michelin Star chef Joachim Koerper, the resident chef Bruno Antunes, and a the rigorous guardian of Alejento traditions chef Vitalina Santos. Originating from the most ‘most French‘ city of Germany’–  the Baroque Saarbrucken – Joachim Koerper brings the international dimension to rich and colorful tradition of Alentejo cuisine.

Malhadinha Nova Estate terrace is a magnet, but also an ideal place to take a break, reflecting upon the potential next steps: Horse riding? A photography lesson? Or an hour of Spa with wine massage?..

The terrace of the mason is a lovely place to spent any moment, but especially in the late afternoon. After the impressions of a long and charged with sensations day, when with a cup of a black coffee from ivory porcelain a traveller can have a look at gallery of images in the camera, posting some to share with friends before heading to the bar to continue the tasting of wines. And exchanging impressions with the guests before moving back to the restaurant for fine dining, anticipating the fantasy of the chefs…