Enjoying a glass of wine on the balcony of our charming room, the wood-fire crackling cosily inside, we grinned as the loud bleat of a sheep perforated the misty evening still.
This was followed by a spate of moos and a solitary whinny from a horse as the sun languidly set on the horizon, bathing the surrounding countryside in vivid orange and pink.
And the sun’s unhurried pace pretty much sets the tone for a stay at the Herdade dos Grous.
An hour’s drive from the Algarve and under two hours’ drive from Lisbon, travelling to the Herdade dos Grous estate is an easy journey, but feels like a world away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind.
A working vineyard that produces acclaimed wine as well as farming its own organic vegetables and meat, the 730-hectare estate is located halfway off a main road between the A2 motorway and Beja, nestled among clusters of typical whitewashed Alentejo villages, set amid sprawling countryside.
Peace and relaxation is the name of the game at the Herdade although there are plenty of activities available for the more restless, ranging from wine-tasting to horse-riding, fishing to tennis-playing.
As part of the same group that owns and runs the prestigious Vila Vita resort in the Algarve, standards at Herdade dos Grous are identical even though the setting is in stark contrast to its famous bigger sister on the coast.
What Vila Vita oozes in quaint Algarve architecture, manicured gardens and sea views, Herdade dos Grous has in equal amounts in charismatic Alentejo design, vast vineyards, happily grazing farm animals and seemingly infinite fields.
Any time of year is a good time to visit the Herdade, with the landscape ever-changing from ochre reds in summer to deep emerald greens in winter. Late winter-early spring is particularly pretty thanks to a rug of blossoming flowers and baby animals whose contented bleats ring around the rolling hills.
Large swathes of the 730-hectare estate are farmed with vineyards and olive groves, the fruits being used to produce the estate’s acclaimed Herdade dos Grous selection of wines which can be sampled with meals as a wine-pairing, or in a wine-tasting session.