In Estremoz, it was all about poker:


A farm in the Alentejo instead of a Porsche in the garage

Quinta do Mouro, just outside the town of Estremoz, has for centuries belonged to the Zagalos family, one of the richest in the town. This original "quinta" in the Alentejo, where large estates dominate, has an 18th-century palatial house, enchanting gardens, offices and 18th-century ponds. In 1979, when he was just 26 years old, Miguel Louro was faced with the dilemma of whether to buy a Porsche or the Quinta do Mouro. The first hectares of vines were planted in 1989, after a failed foray into cattle farming, and today it is one of the region's most iconic wine producers.

"When I was passing through in 1978, I saw this quinta for sale. It stayed with me, but I was 25 at the time and I had to find the money to buy it... I went to sit at a poker table for a few hours, hoping that luck would give me the means. And that's what happened. (...) The credits from gambling were used to buy the farm and to do some work... When my friends lost, they said: 'OK, he's going to fix the roof' ".
Interview with Rogério Vidigal, Epicur Magazine, nº27, August 2014