Enology
A philosophy of sustainability, quality and long term.
The enology team is formed by Tiago Alves de Sousa, consultant enologist, João Rosa Alves, production director and Manuel Saldanha, resident enologist.
A talented, irreverent team with award-winning merit recognized among peers.
Tiago Alves de Sousa
Graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering from University of Trás-os-Montes (UTAD), was distinguished in 2003 with the Fundação Eng. António de Almeida prize and the merit scholarship of the Fundo de Apoio ao Estudante, which is awarded to the best degree student.
After several harvest internships complemented with training courses in Enology and Viticulture and a period at the Viticulture Institute of the Catholic University of Piacenza (Italy), in 2002 he joined the Alves de Sousa team, where he is currently technical director and responsible for export markets.
For a few years he accumulated functions with a PhD in Viticulture (which he concluded with the highest classification) at the Department of Phytotechnics and Rural Engineering at UTAD, where he has been, since 2020, on the faculty of the Enology degree.
In 2021, he accepted the invitation to be a consultant winemaker at Menin Douro Estates, where he actively participates in the process and creation of our wines.
Awards:
- Enologist Revelation Award 2022 (“Passion for Wine” magazine)
- Enology Award 2020 – Douro + Sustainable (IVDP)
- “National Enologist” Award by Ord. Honor. Sta. Maria Ossonóba
- Top 100 Master Winemakers of world 2024
João Rosa Alves
Graduated with a degree in Enology from University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) and a postgraduate course in Viticulture and Enology at FCUP (Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto). To complement his training, he carried out an executive program of Managing Wine Business at PBS (Porto Business School).
Throughout his journey, he carried out internships in different places such as Rozés SA, Alves de Sousa, Quinta do Vale Meão, Châteu Graud Larose and Quinta do Vesúvio. This was complemented with training in “Sensory Analaysis: A tool for monitoring winemaking” at the ISVV (institut Des Sciences De la vigne et du vin) and with level 3 in the Wine & Spirits Education Trust.
He was resident winemaker at Quinta do Tedo from 2016 to 2018 and is the current winemaker and production director at Menin Douro Estates.
Awards:
- EnEnology Award 2022 – Douro + Sustentável (IVDP).
