Vineyards at Vale do Tanha

Photograph of a landscape set composed of different vineyard plots located on the valley of a tributary of the Tanha stream, close to the summit of Cabecinho, north from Nogueira. The patchwork is marked by olive tree borders and dividing walls which delimit the plots, as well as circulation paths in the vineyard. The space is enriched by scattered trees, buildings of support to the agricultural activity, olive groves along the ridges and an extensive patch of pine forest at the top of Vale do Paço. In the set, two areas of terraced vineyards stand out on the right slope, one of them at the bottom of the valley, formed by wide terraces that follow the incline of the slope. The support walls follow the contour lines and paths, forming an amphitheater in the central part, filled with an orangery. At the top of the slope, above road 313, there is the other plot, composed of narrower terraces, with walls built directly on the bluffs that were not destroyed during the mobilization of the soil. The staircase stands out, adjusted to the shape of a large bluff and distributing the different levels according to the irregularities of the ground. This set preserves tanks for mixtures, shelters of vernacular construction embedded in the walls and some areas of vines in trellis.