Filipa Pato began making wine in Bairrada in 2001, aged 25. Her early wines made an impression, and over the years she has built the project with her husband, Belgian restaurateur and sommelier William Wouters. William joined in 2006; Filipa remains responsible for the winemaking.
A distinctive region and its old vineyards
Bairrada’s reputation is growing, helped in part by Filipa’s father, winemaker Luis Pato, and by a new generation of producers focused on the region’s traditional varieties—especially Baga. The area’s limestone and clay soils, varied from site to site, give it the potential to produce wines with a strong sense of place. Alongside the Pato-Wouters wines, producers such as Vadio, Quinta de Baixo, Gonçalves Faria, Quinta das Bágeiras and Caves São João are contributing to the region’s progress.
Filipa and William now farm 20 hectares across 37 plots. Filipa started with three rented vineyards in 2001 and began buying land in 2006. In recent years, the couple have focused on acquiring and restoring old vineyards.
One of the oldest is the Missão vineyard, recorded as having been planted in 1864. Its vines are ungrafted, predating phylloxera. The east-facing plot has a thin layer of clay over almost pure limestone. Another old parcel, Careca, is fermented separately and may eventually become its own cuvée.
In the cellar, Filipa uses a variety of vessels, including clay. For Baga, she typically includes 30–40% whole bunches, which she says bring vibrancy and drinkability. She layers whole clusters and destemmed fruit in the tank, adjusting the proportion to suit each plot and ensure the vessel is filled.
Farming with pigs and drones
Filipa farms biodynamically and introduced animals to help restore the soils of vineyards previously managed conventionally. Sheep were difficult to protect from dogs, so in 2020 she turned to pigs—a natural fit for Bairrada, where suckling pig is a regional specialty.
The smaller pigs are crosses involving Vietnamese pigs and local breeds. They can live outdoors year-round and are moved between vineyard parcels. They spend longer in the vineyards than sheep, though they cannot remain there all year. Strong fencing is essential: escaped pigs have led to plenty of calls and recoveries. Filipa currently has nine pigs, including two pregnant females.
She also uses a drone for vineyard work. From May to June, when mildew pressure is high, it helps her treat steep or otherwise inaccessible old plots without compacting the soil. The drone can fly weekly, compared with roughly every two weeks when treatments were applied by backpack. EU rules prohibit using drones to spray agrochemicals, including copper and sulfur products, so Filipa uses it for plant-based treatments such as horsetail and willow teas and essential oils. In 2026, she used no copper in the vineyards for the first time.
The drone also treats olive trees, helping raise yields, and can spread cover-crop seed when the vineyards are difficult to access.
A celebratory lunch and tasting
A lunch marking 25 years of Filipa’s wines was prepared by the team from Lisbon restaurant Sála. The menu ranged from buffalo Pato tart and prawn puri to monkfish with mushrooms, Bairrada-style moray eel, and truffles with chocolate.
The wines served showed the range and character of the estate:
- 3B Blanc de Blancs NV — fresh citrus, pear and green apple, with chalky, saline notes. 91/100
- Vinha Maria Rinchoa Brut Nature 2021 — powerful and lively, with citrus, toast and salinity. 94/100
- Nossa Calcário Bical Branco 2025 — bright, stony and refined, with lemon and lime. 95/100
- Nossa T.la Bical 2022 — concentrated, mineral and saline, with a taut citrus core. 96/100
- Nossa Calcário Baga Vinhas Velhas 2023 — supple and fresh, with black cherry, plum and savoury spice. 93/100
- Nossa Calcário Baga Vinhas Velhas 2015 — still fresh after 11 years, with firm tannins, chalk and a touch of tar. 95/100
- Missão 2023 — focused and multidimensional, with black cherry, herbs, pepper and striking freshness. 97/100
- Missão 2015 — elegant and structured, with savoury spice, mineral notes and lively acidity. 95/100
- Flos Castanea 2023 — a distinctive Bical made with chestnut flower as a preservative; saline, tangy and detailed. 96/100
- Espirito Baga 2020 — a fortified, youthful wine with dark fruit, spice and firm tannins. 94/100
- S.l.ra NV — a traditional-method sparkling wine blending vintages back to 2001, with lime, toast, spice and lively acidity. 93/100