A DREAM COME TRUE

As an adult, Piotr began his journey as a collector. Starting with a space no larger than a wardrobe, he eventually expanded the collection into a vast cellar in Katowice that held over 5,000 special bottles. Today, Piotr’s cellar in the Algarve is relatively modest and dedicated to selected types of wines produced using the champagne method. All being well, you can expect to see us produce wine in that style at Quinta da Pedragosa over the coming years.

Enotourism became the bridge between Piotr’s four passions: travel, meeting people, wine, and food. Over the following decade, his knowledge exploded. Through masterclasses and hundreds of meetings with winemakers, sommeliers, restaurateurs, wine managers and ordinary enthusiasts, he built deep expertise and relationships that he still draws on today. Over these years, the passion turned into a strong desire to work with wine professionally.

For his first wine venture, Piotr set up two companies, Vinarius and Vinares, a network of boutique stores and a wine bar offering luxury wines imported from around the world. It was a step closer toward his dream, but not close enough to the art and science of viticulture that so inspired him.

In 2015, seeking a simpler, more grounded life, the Cholewa family began searching for a home in the Algarve. The unique place they found happened to be adjacent to a vineyard. Years later, fate would eventually bring the vineyard home. Native grapes typical of the Algarve terroir had been growing there for over two decades, thriving in mineral-rich soil, year-round southern sun, and caressed by ocean breezes. The right people had the potential to join forces and create something extraordinary.

In 2023, another twist took Piotr to Düsseldorf for ProWein, the worlds leading wine trade fair. It was there that he met Pedro Ribeiro of Herdade do Rocim. Their elegant blend of amphorae and modern winemaking perfectly suited Piotr’s taste and vision. The right place and the right people met at the right time for Quinta da Pedragosa to take shape.

Later that year, our first amphora wine was created. Just 1,000 bottles were produced; selected from the most perfect grapes with fermentation beginning within hours of the dawn harvest. The result is a natural, pure expression of our magical terroir. We’re proud to share that the wine has received a 93 rating and drawn industry praise from across Portugal, Switzerland, Germany and Brazil. It’s incredible to think that only 40 years ago, the prevailing opinion was that Algarvian wines were undrinkable. Now, along with our fellow local wineries, we’re changing that perception forever.