SOALHEIRO - Key Persons
Being part of the herbal teas team brings Andreia great joy. She especially likes our process of drying the herbs, because it ensures the maintenance of all the qualities that the plants develop. She enjoys respecting what nature creates and assuring a harmonious completion of the whole process, leaving the integrity of the leaves and a high percentage of essential oils. She is proud to be taking part in an innovative project in our Territory and pleased to watch the way it can reach anyone, anywhere.
António Luís, better known as Luís Cerdeira, was born in Melgaço into the world of vines and wines. With a profound knowledge of Alvarinho, at the beginning of his professional career he was responsible for the Oenology Laboratory and a Wine Tasting Chamber for more than 20 years. He also taught oenology and wine marketing at a higher education institution, instilling in him the passion to always be learning. He fosters this spirit of permanent growth in Soalheiro's management and oenology. Luís is the full-time manager and winemaker at Soalheiro, a role he performs with a lot of focus and passion. Famous for his spontaneous smile, he knows Soalheiro like nobody else.
He was two when his father, with the help of his grandparents, planted the first continuous Alvarinho vineyard in Melgaço in 1974. Son of the founders, his deep attachment to viticulture steered him to the Oenology course at UTAD (Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro), from which he graduated in 1994. After many years by his father's side, and a traineeship in Burgundy, it was that year that he completed his first harvest as winemaker at Soalheiro. His desire for organisation, quality, and the sustainability of the Territory resulted in the creation of the Club of Producers, a non-profit association managed by Luís since 2019. Heencourages the continuous improvement of Soalheiro's team, and everything he does is guided by the search for quality and differentiation.
Carla is a native of Valença who lived away for a long time but ended up moving to Melgaço. She wanted to work for Soalheiro since the time she went to a local Alvarinho Festival and stopped at Soalheiro's stall to drink a bottle with friends. She is a foodie and loves to give great restaurant tips. Hardworking and talkative, she is now part of the administrative team, where she keeps a close eye on orders. Her cheery nature is contagious and her passion for our Territory continues to grow every day.
Cláudia makes sure our winery is always shining, clean and pretty, something she used to do in her beauty parlour. She left when she heard that there was an opportunity to work for Soalheiro. Always willing to help with anything, Cláudia says that the days at Soalheiro are enjoyable because it is like being at home. The main difference is that her two boys are not running around.
When talking to Cátia, you can already see that she is thrilled to work here. In her own words: "COVID closed a window, but Soalheiro opened a door!" She had already heard of the Soalheiro family and has found that the fame does justice to reality. She feels very welcome and has already adapted well to our mentality, learning something different every day and working out solutions along the way, leaving Soalheiro even brighter than it was before.
Inquisitive and talkative, Daniel loves the countryside and the vineyards in the region. His true passion, however, is the winemaking process, so his job is more focused on the vats. He carries out all winery operations methodically and thoroughly, and his expertise in winemaking equipment is an added value for the team. His inquisitiveness has also led him to discover another passion: wine tasting. He describes the stages of winemaking and the different wine profiles with a precision and ease that captivates his listeners.
It is at the Quinta de Soalheiro winery that Edmundo spends most of his days. He carries out all his tasks with rigour and dedication, always bringing a cheerful energy to the vats while he whistles and sings. Passionate for gastronomy and the Minho river, he experiments with some really special lamprey recipes. And it's not just any lamprey - he catches them himself.
A thorough number cruncher, Jorge is the linchpin in accounting and financial management. With a degree in Business Management (2001), he exudes an image of responsibility and high standards. Despite being the man behind the numbers, he appreciates gastronomy and wines, usually being the first to identify Syrah at our team tastings. He truly loves our region, but whenever he gets the chance he goes on to travel and discover the world.
João decided to trade the fast pace of the television industry in Porto for the calm of the Territory. Two days after he settled here, he discovered he was going to be a father, so he rolled up his sleeves and bought a vineyard. He came to Soalheiro to join the Producers Club and ended up handling our Communication. He says that the human quality and beauty around here keep surprising him every day.
Juliana was born and raised in Melgaço, but it was in Coimbra that she found her passion for Graphic Design. She quickly wanted to return North and found in Soalheiro a place to grow and develop her creativity. Humorous, fun, and eager to learn, she is now part of the Communication team as a designer. Each project is a challenge where she applies her passion and tries to leave her mark, always with an eye on Soalheiro's "personality".
Hardworking and always keen to learn, Margarida studied radiology. But after living afar, her love for Melgaço brought her back to her roots and made her join our team. Margarida does the administrative work at Soalheiro and supports Wine Tourism and Communication. She is a mother of three kids and says that the most important thing is family. That is why she enjoys working here so much - our family spirit means our team is more than just colleagues. For Margarida, it is important that Soalheiro continues evolving and keeps the same spirit.
A veterinarian by profession, Maria João was born to be surrounded by the vine, the land, and the animals. She is currently a global manager at Soalheiro and coordinates the vineyards, a project she fully embraced in 2004 when she had the whole vineyard at Quinta de Soalheiro certified for organic farming. She advocates for sustainable viticulture based on respect for the Territory. She always knew that she wanted to live here, inspired by her connection to the landscape and to the people of this region. She fosters these relationships through her coordination and supervision of more than 150 families of winegrowers, Soalheiro's Club of Producers. The diversity of the Territory led us to invest in Infusions, a project that Maria João has cherished from the very beginning.
The mother, the heart and soul of Soalheiro, Maria Palmira has been there since the beginning of this project. Anyone who has the chance to be welcomed by her will feel the soul of our Territory like no-one else. Co-founder of the brand, her cheerfulness and vitality infect everyone around her. She has coordinated the winery for several years and being a primary school teacher by training, she has a way with words when she explains all the details of Soalheiro and its history. She is attentive and wholehearted, actively participating in the development of every aspect of our company.
Marta's father planted his first vines when she was born, marking her entry into the world of wine. Spontaneous and fun, Marta joined Soalheiro's team to work with the area of Wine Tourism and Communication. Expressive, dedicated, and hardworking, she explains the details of the terroir and winemaking with passion and commitment. In fact, it only takes a wine tasting guided by her to understand her charisma and passion for wine tourism. She is a true ambassador for Soalheiro, Alvarinho, and the Territory.
Miguel is an agricultural engineer and responsible for the Club of Producers. He concentrates on the viticulture at Soalheiro, focusing on issues related to sustainability and environmental responsibility. He has been working all over Portugal, but his passion for the Territory and for Alvarinho brought him back here. He loves spending the day in the vineyards, in contact with the producers and helping to make Alvarinho one of the most noble varieties in Portugal.
Odete has a contagious smile. She came to Soalheiro through the vineyard, she worked at the winery, and nowadays she takes great care of herbal teas. She works in all steps of the process, from the reproduction of the plants, taking care of them when growing in our fields, pruning them while maintaining the integrity of leaves, and packaging with care and affection. She loves figure skating (always accompanying her daughter to trainings and competitions), and dancing (despite saying she has two left feet).
Hardworking and dedicated, Rafael likes to get his hands dirty. He worked for 5 years in a rubber factory but he always knew that he wanted to work in the field. The opportunity arose in Soalheiro and he seized it, embracing the opportunity to be outdoors. If we don't see him in the fields of Soalheiro, we will definitely see him taking care of his own vineyards. Fun, hardworking and dedicated, he is attentive to detail and he cares, like the rest of the team, for all the particularities of our vineyards.
Susana's smile and excitement are contagious to those who enter Soalheiro's store. At first a little reserved, once you get to know her you are surprised. Born in Melgaço, she studied management and lived most of her life outside of the Territory, but the need to have more time for her family brought her back. She says that the most important thing is to work in a place where she doesn't remember that she is working, and that is exactly what she found here. She explains, with care and affection, all the details of the different facets of Soalheiro.
Tiago worked in a bank until he decided to change his life and experimence the harvest in Soalheiro. He did a little bit of everything before moving to the administrative team. He hopes that his Geography and Planning studies can help Soalheiro in the future for innovative projects that promote this Territory that he loves so much.
Tiago, following in his father's footsteps, pursued studies in construction, but his passion for viticulture spoke louder. Today, he works in the field helping to take care of our vineyards. His passion is driving the machines, namely tractors and forklifts, which he does as if he was born behind the wheel. When he has the time, he loves to cook in the vineyard and enjoy local delicacies with a view of the unmistakable landscape of our Territory.
Vitor João studied hotel management and completed several cooking courses, but it was his passion for taking care of his family's vineyards that brought him to Soalheiro. His birthdays at Soalheiro are celebrated with a cake made by him. He works on the filling line and in the sparkling wine dégorgement. A man of many talents, one of his passions is music, an area to which he dedicates his free time.