Winegrowing is introduced to Portugal by greek settlers hailing from Tartessus.

Cartaxo (a nearby town) is belived to have exported 500 shiploads of wine barrels which in a single year ammounted to 12.000 portuguese “reals”.

During the “golden age” that ensued the portuguese Discoveries, the ships and galleons sailing towards Brasil and the far East carried a variety of products among which was wine. At this time a new type of wine became popular - it was known as “Roda” or “Torna-Viagem” (“round-trip” wines). It was found that after generally six long months stocked in the galleys of ships, shaken by waves, exposed to sun and tempest, at times even submerged under water gathered in the hulls... wines actually tasted much better! Such distinctive ageing result was made possible by the heat withstood from twice crossing the Equator line and of course the fact that wine barrels where subject to a constant rocking motion, which made these wines unique, precious, and as such sold for trully fabulous sums.

Birth of D. Lourenço de Almeida, 3rd son to the Count of Avintes, brother of the bishop and the first Patrairch of Lisbon, Dom Tomás de Almeida, he was Commendator of São Miguel de Borba and Godim within the Order of Christ.          D. Lourenço held na important position in the Court and was the first great reformer and patron of Quinta da Lapa.

Birth of D. João V on October 22, “the Magnanimous”, King of Portugal and the Algarves, whose reign (1706-1750) was marked by the discovery of gold mines, which gave the name to the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil, and for the establishment of the Treaty of Methuan.

Marriage of D. Lourenço de Almeida to his cousin Dona Maria Rosa de Portugal, in India where he served as Captain of Sea and War.

Signature of the Treaty of Methuen, upon which England grants a special regime to wines imported from Portugal and temporarily embargoes the import of spanish and french wines.

D. Lourenço de Almeida returns to the Kingdom of Portugal.

D. Lourenço de Almeida and his spouse acquire the estate of Quinta da Lapa from Captain Bartolomeu Lobo da Gama for the sum of 11 500 portuguese “cruzados”. In that same year D. Lourenço is appointed to the important position of Governor of Pernambuco in Brasil, proceding to hold the much coveted and profitable post as Governor of Minas Gerais. Such an important political and military carrier granted D. Lourenço de Almeida a seat at the Council of State, certainly supported by his family who held great influence at Lisbon’s Court.

Vicencio Alarte publishes “Agriculture of the grapevines, and all that concerns them, towards the perfect harvest of wine, and relation to it’s virtues, and the trunk, cordons, leaves and lees”, Portugal’s first treaty on winemaking.

D. Lourenço de Almeida rules as Governor of the State of Pernambuco, in Brasil.

In Brazil, D. Lourenço governs the State of Minas Gerais, the Kingdom's great source of wealth, where he put into practice a specific way of governing, through dialogue and bargaining, in order to avoid the riots of the time caused by the collection of "quinto" (a form of tax at the time) and guarantee the preservation of peace and the growth of the Fazenda Real. On his initiative, the Government of Minas Gerais was transferred from Vila do Carmo, today Mariana, to Vila Rica, later Ouro Preto, which was richer and more important.

First great reform of Quinta da Lapa by D. Lourenço de Almeida and installation of an “azulejo” tile panel allusive to “Our Lady of the Conception of Lapa”.

In the neighboring village of Alcoentrinho, today Manique do Intendente, Diogo Inácio de Pina Manique (1733- 1805) was born, a notable figure of Portuguese absolutism in the time of D. José and D. Maria I. Among other positions linked to justice, he was Intendent General of Police, a position in which he gained special relevance at the time. He had for the town, in an attempt to make it grand, a large project which included a huge palace. However, his removal from the position of Intendant and later his death, ended up preventing the project from being completed and consequently the palace remained unfinished.

Signing of the first trading contract concerning the wines of Quinta da Lapa and Quinta da Prata, between D. Lourenço de Almeida and his servant João Rodrigues Nogueira, at his palace on Rua Direita de São Lázaro in Lisbon. The documents use the “almude” , an old portuguese liquid measure which corresponded to 16.58 liters in the region of Lisbon. The also mentioned measure of “barrel” could contain from 21 to 25 “almudes” or nowadays from 348 to 414 liters, varying from region to region. Each barrel was then worth around a thousand two hundread “reals”.

Signing of the second trading contract concerning the wines of Quinta da Lapa and Quinta da Prata, between D. Lourenço de Almeida and a merchant from Lisbon named João Milhão, which allowed the latter one to use the warehouses of the Lisbon palace to store the wine barrels shipped from the Quintas. Although we are not able to establish the total amount of wine produce by both estates, this had to have been an important volume, so as to justify the signature of such contracts.

Date on the Inaugural Stone placed above the main entrance of the Manor House at Quinta da lapa, which also bears Saint Theresa of Avila’s beautiful and eternal poem of faith: “Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”

Marquis of Pombal creates the Companhia das Vinhas do Alto Douro, delimited the producing area and regulated the production and trade of wine. Thus, protectionist measures, privileges, monopolies and exclusive rights designed to protect wine from internal and external competition from other wines, to preserve its quality and genuineness, to maintain prices at a relatively high level, to control production and ensure the regularity of trade.

Marquis of Pombal orders the vines planted in the Tagus fields to be uprooted, a protectionist measure aimed at protecting the Companhia das Vinhas do Alto Douro.

First ocurrence of “oidium” (powdery mildew) in Portugal’s vineyards.

Phyloxera is spotted for the first time in Portugal (in the Douro region).

The Wine Region of Ribatejo is formally constituted through the Administrative Reform.

The Junta Nacional do Vinho (National Wine Junta) is created to replace the “Federeation of Viticultors of the Center and South of Portugal”, launch of the slogan “To drink wine is to guarantee the daily bread of a million Portuguese citizens”.

The World Congress of the “Office International du Vin” takes place in Lisbon under the slogan “Portugal is the land of Sun and golden grapes”.

Creation of the “Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho” (Institute of Vineyards and Wine) in replacement of the Junta Nacional do Vinho (National Wine Junta)

Acquisition of Quinta da Lapa by José Guilherme da Costa and beginning of the second major renovation of Quinta da Lapa, with the planting of vineyards and construction of a modern winery, with the best winemaking technologies of the time.

Creation of the “Comissão Vitivinícola Regional do Tejo” (Regional Viticulture Comission of Ribatejo).

Creation of the “Comissão Vitivinícola Regional do Tejo” (Regional Viticulture Comission of Tejo).

Creation of the “Tejo Wine Route”.

“Quinta da Lapa Reserva 2008” red is bestowed with the “Best in Show” award the “Medal of Prestige” at Portugal’s “National Competition of Bottled Wines”, today’s “Wine’s of Portugal Challenge”.

Quinta da Lapa’s Wine Hotel opens to the general public adding a new chapter to its three centuries of history.

Launch of Quinta da Lapa’s premium wine “Homenagem a Santa Teresa de Àvila” (Tribute to Saint Teresa of Àvila), to commemorate the Saint’s 500th birth year.

The new cellar is concluded.