Among the valleys of the Douro River, near the left bank, in the village of Cambres, Lamego county, in the heart of the first Pombaline demarcation of the Region, is Quinta da Pacheca, one of the most prestigious and recognized properties in the Douro Demarcated Region. The history of the vineyard in this property dates back to the XVI century when it was a collection of vines that belonged to the Monasteries of Salzedas and St. João de Tarouca, as referred to in a document dating 1551.

It was in 1903 that D. José Freire de Serpa Pimentel bought the property and began to work on the modernization of the vineyard and structures among which are eight granite stone tanks where red wines from Pacheca are still vinified, resulting in limited annual productions of special categories Douro DOC wines and Port wines.

With around 75 hectares of own vineyards planted in the Humanity World Heritage, classified by UNESCO in 2001, Quinta da Pacheca has always been focused in the pro- duction of quality Douro DOC and Port wines and was one of the first in the region to bottle DOC wines under its own brand.

In 1995 Quinta da Pacheca officially began its project in wine tourism opening its doors for guided tours to the property and sale of its wines in Quinta’s store. The con- cept was developed over the years with other activities of relevant wine tourism interest and resulted with the opening of The Wine House Hotel Quinta da Pacheca in 2009, thus exploring another form of business and con- tributing to broaden the tourism offer in an increasingly sought region and recognized as a destination of excellence.

With its unparalleled singularity Quinta da Pacheca has become one of the most visited estates in the Douro Region and has been consecutively awarded in wine tourism, example of this is the prestigious distinction of Best of Wine Tourism.

If you want to make your own compost at home, you should set up the right environment for this. The compost you make will be an organic fertilizer for your soils and it is the best way to make sure that no chemicals will affect your produce. The best way to store your own compost is to use special bins for this. But why spend a lot of money on such bins, when you can build your own? Using mostly recycled materials you can make your own compost bins in no time. To give you an example you can use a wide variety of materials to build your bins from old tires, to wire and even cardboard. How exactly will you make these projects happen? Find out on the following links and build your own compost bin as soon as you have some spare time.

1.How To Build The Ultimate Compost Bin

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2. A Used Tire Compost Bin

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3. How To Build A Tumbling Composter

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4. DIY Trash Can Compost Bin

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5. DIY Double-Decker Drum Composter

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Barrels turned into furniture are a new trend in garden and home decoration. In recent years, interior designers have reinvented the humble barrel, giving it a new purpose, as a decorative object. Integrated perfectly into rustic decorations (and sometimes in modern or even futuristic ones), old wooden barrels were turned into charming furniture, after careful disassembly and reconditioning. See below what type of furniture can be made from wine barrels. For instance, a great idea would be to turn a barrel into a hammock, as it is also the easiest option and you can enjoy lazy summer days from your new piece of furniture. You can also make chairs for you porch, a bench for your garden or turn barrels into small couches. Each of these will give your home a unique vibe so take a look at the pictures and choose the idea you like the most.

1. Table and chairs set from recycled wine barrels

2. Garden set

3. Wine Barrel Bottle Holder

4. Barrel Coffee Table

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5. Recycled Wood Wine Barrel Garden Bench Seat

Wine barrels have so many hidden features as they can be a great supply for your next DIY project. When you think about a wine barrel you surely associate it with liquor, but if you look beyond that and transform them you will find a new use for these barrels. For instance, take a look at these images of reshaped wine barrels that now serve as pet beds. Such a cool idea and an easy one to put into practice too. If you think about it, all you need to do is to cut off the top of the barrel or turn it on their side and cut a hole in it. Then you can place a comfy pillow inside and the pet is ready to be used. After that you can decorate the side of the barrel any way you want or paint it in another color. Just make sure you cut off a significant part from the top and create a bed that is low enough for your pet to get inside. Take a look at all the pictures and create a comfy new bed for your pet, out of a wine barrel.

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Gardening shouldn’t be about spending a lot to get a nice looking result. Sure, you can impress with a big marble fountain or flower pots, but instead of an outdoor decoration that costs couple hundred dollars, use these instructions to make your own barrel planter, as much as ten times cheaper. Here is what you will need:

• half of a wine barrel;
• a measuring tape;
• (optional) twine;
• 2 boards of 1/2 by 6 by 26 inches wood;
• 7 pieces of 1/2 by 4 by 12 inches wood;
• a jigsaw;
• some wood screws;
• a compound miter saw;
• a power screwdriver;
• drill bit;

Start by measuring the barrel and dividing into thirds. You can use the twine to help you mark well the place to cut the barrel into 3 main tiers. Now comes the tricky part: with the help of the jigsaw cut 12 inches down the first tier, and then 6 inches down the second tier. When you get to the metal band, use a special blade you can buy from a hardware store.

Put a pair of drain holes into the bottom of the barrel, for each tier. Then, you could take some recycled pallets and take out the boards of wood. Fashion the two 1/2x6x26 inches boards to match the curb of the barrel, then attach them like in the image with some wood screws. Use the other 7 pieces to make the triangle pieces. Pour soil and place your plants. It looks vintage and awesome!

source: designsponge.com

Made from a Canadian Oak Wine Barrel which has previously stored French Wine in the Bordeaux Province, this unique Baby Cradle can be found on Etsy. Baby Cradle includes a British Made and British Standard Breathable foam Mattress and 2 fitted sheets and also a Scottish Sporran and Hanging Rope. No glues or unnatural products have been used to create this cradle. How deos it look ?