Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/237615
UP Aveleda Up Front with PHOTO COURTESY OF AVELEDA by Lana Bortolot If Portugal is white-hot right now, you can thank a company best known for its cool wines. Aveleda, producer of Casal Garcia—a line of crisp Vinho Verde, rosé and go-to sparkling wines that's a staple of many a summer party—is one of several powerhouse companies that are helping propel Portuguese wines and their reputation. Portugal's largest family-owned wine company, Aveleda built its export business in the 1950s by leveraging the country's ties with former colonies in South America and Africa. Now a fifth-generation—six siblings at the helm and 14 cousins—are taking the company into the future, assisted by six generations of employee families that have called the storied estate their home as well as their place of employment. "It is a heritage to be cherished and developed. I am a witness of the constant evolution of the passionate work developed by the previous generations for this business," says Francisco Guedes, who handles communications and hospitality for the family estate. It was Guedes ancestors that had the vision to spot a rare beauty: the 16th-century estate of Quinta da Aveleda, which had been lost in time and was acquired by Fernando's great-grandfather in 1850. Manoel Pedro Guedes de Silva da Fonseca— PHOTO COURTESY OF AVELEDA The adega velha (old cellar) at Quinta da Aveleda is a reminder of the family's long and important winemaking heritage. A rare beauty: Quinta da Aveleda was brought back to life in the mid-19th century. 6 / the tasting panel / january 2014 TP0114_001-33.indd 6 12/19/13 9:22 PM