In 2003, José Ribeiro Vieira purchased a four-hectare vineyard in the foothills of Serra de Aire of Cortes, in the Alta Estremadura, near Lisbon. Vale da Mata is the name of a small, old vineyard in these foothills. It pays tribute to Vieira’s winemaker father, Manuel, who claimed that Vale de Mata was the site where he succeeded in producing his best wines. The Vale de Mata project respects the expression of its terroir, cultivating the vines sustainably and using minimal intervention in the winery. Vale de Mata is a member of the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability programme. Manuel gave this wine its name and his granddaughter Catarina Viera has followed in his footsteps, continuing his winemaking legacy. In 2018, Vale de Mata was awarded Best Wine Producer by Revista de Vinhos.