Acushla

Twenty years ago, Joaquim Moreira allowed himself to be carried away by his inner calling and set his sights on the countryside and nature in Trás-os-Montes. In the «Wonderful Kingdom», as he calls this area, in the words of Miguel Torga. Here he has developed the Acushla project,on the Quinta do Prado, where tranquillity is king. And where the excellent organic olive oil they produce also reigns supreme.
We set out to discover the roots of this project. We arrived at the Quinta do Prado estate, a few kilometres from Vila Flor, driving downthe broad dirt track. We passed the estate’s gate and continued along the track, taking in the magnificent landscape – a vast olive grove set in an isolated area of around 300 hectares – and listened to the silence. Eventually we reached the top of a hill, where we found the tourist accommodation and stayed the night. The next day, we went exploring. You can «walk around and lose yourself in the 215 hectares of olive groves; in the 17 hectares of pomegranate trees; in the two hectares of vineyards and in the cork oak area, where you can find three beekeeping points; you can also see the flock of around 300 sheep; the ruins of old houses; the olive oil mill; the tourismproperties; and, of course, enjoy the superb views over the Vilariça valley as far as Alfândega da Fé,» Joaquim tells us about the property.
The mentor of this project began his working life in the textile sector, an activity he has maintained to this day, running Tetriberica SA for more than 30 years and holding management positions in other companies in the textile, agricultural and tourism sectors. He is a father of four and a keen lover of nature sports, such as running, mountain biking and yoga. When asked why he had decided to invest in olive groves, he was quick to reply: «Today, humanity is suffering from various health problems as a result of the contaminated food it consumes. The production of an olive oil such asAcushla, in an organic way, without the use of chemicals in agriculture, guarantees exceptional quality and, above all, ensures that it is free of contaminants for the body, that it provides a high level of antioxidants – essential allies for our health – and, finally, that it guarantees the practice of organic and regenerative agriculture that does not contaminate the soil and groundwater.»

Acushla is a high quality,well balanced, fruity extra virginolive oil with a slightly bitter and spicy flavour. It is extracted from the typical varieties of olive trees of the Trás-os-Montes area –cobrançosa, madural, verdeal and cordovil– and is perfect for serving at the table in gourmet dishes. In order to achieve this excellent level of quality, the production of Acushla olive oil begins with the organic practices, in the field, with total respect for nature and its cycles. «We are the first company to start the olive oil extraction season in Trás-os-Montes at the beginning of October, in order to harvest the healthy, green fruit, which is then immediately transported to the mill for cold extraction of the olive oil, in order to maintain all of its organoleptic quality, aromas and flavours and a high content of polyphenols, which are essential for our health. We filter the olive oil, which is aerated in stainless steel vats to completely preserve its exceptional properties, and in an acclimatised environment at a constant temperature of between 18º and 22º,» he explains.

Although Trás-os-Montes is an inhospitable and challenging region for agriculture, «due to its stony terrain, steep slopes and harsh climate, on the other hand, it enables the development of wonderful products, such as olive oil, wine and fruit». In addition to olive oil, Quinta do Prado also produces grapes for Port wine, pomegranates and honey.

The olive oil was a finalist in the Mario Solinas Quality Award and this year was considered the Best Portuguese PDO Olive Oil in the EVOOLEUM competition.

In order to increase its attractiveness, Joaquim has invested in ‘olive tourism’. There are two AL (Local Accommodation) houses on the estate, one of which has one bedroom and the other one boasting five bedrooms and a swimming pool. Both were designed to be sustainable spaces, with the Goldenhouse clad entirely in cork, a material native to the estate. From the terrace, next to the pool, you can observe the breathtaking sky, as «this area is part of the astrotourism zone, due to its low light levels». Here you get to the know th experience of being immersed in nature and olive tourism. In the near future, the plan is to «build a multifunctional space for activities, such as mindfulness, yoga and other wellness therapies, as well as building three more AL houses».

Are you curious about the origin of the name Acushla? After 13 suggestions submitted to the mentor of the project, Acushla was the one chosen,because of its meaning, which is of Celtic origin, just like the history of Portugal; because it has easy phonetics in several languages; because it has a heart surrounding an olive tree and because it means «heartbeat», which symbolises the passion for the project. And year after year, Acushla olive oil is one of the most awarded oils in the world, ranking among the world’s top 100 olive oils. Anyone who comes here falls in love with the sunsets like no others and the dazzling starry skies. During our visit, we were lucky enough to see the asteroid crossing the sky and illuminating the olive grove in shades of blue. An ecstatic moment, experienced on Acushla soil.

The «heartbeat» in the Trás-os-Montes