The history of Quinta do Infantado is long, since its creation in 1816. Established for Infante D. Pedro, future King D. Pedro IV of Portugal and D. Pedro I of Brazil, it has been in the possession of the Roseira family for over a century. It is located about 4km from Pinhão, in the unique terroir of Vale de Gontelho, a micro region that has long been famous for the quality of its wines.
For six generations the “Roseira” from Covas do Douro live with passion and enthusiasm a life of vineyards and wines.
The first two generations only cultivated vines. With the purchase of Quinta do Infantado, João Lopes Roseira started the production of fortified wine.
In 1979, his sons Luís and António, based on the concepts of terroir and vigneron, started estate bottling their Porto Wines, making the family’s dream come true. With this innovation, Quinta do Infantado became the estate grown and bottled Porto Wine, thus breaking the monopoly of Vila Nova de Gaia’s négociants.
After the death of Luís and António, their heirs continue in search of the highest quality and maintain the path of innovation in tradition.

Timeline

Timeline

1977: First Colheita Porto

Three years, hot and effervescent, after the 25th of April revolution that ended fascism in Portugal, and with the first constitutional government headed by Mário Soares in office, the Douro lives one of the greatest vintages of the 20th century: 1997. At Quinta do Infantado a quantity far inferior to the usual is sold in bulk, keeping in its centenary cellars a good part of what would constitute the first Colheita Porto ever estate bottled and the oldest wine from a single vintage of the winery: Quinta do Infantado Colheita 1977 Reserva da Família.

1978: First Vintage Porto

In July of 1978, Luis Roseira travels through Bordeaux, Valée de la Loire, Languedoc and Toscana, visiting small vignerons to prepare the launch of the first wines from Quinta do Infantado. Everything precipitates in the 1978 harvest when Luís and Bruce Guimaraens have a violent discussion at Quinta do Infantado. Consequently, the Roseira family stopped selling its production to the Fonseca Guimaraens house (Taylor group). It is the big bang of Quinta do Infantado and the first estate bottled Vintage of a Douro farmer was born: Quinta do Infantado Porto Vintage 1978!

1979: start of estate bottling

During the first half of 1979 the bustle is high: registration of the Quinta do Infantado brand, registration at IVP, preparation of the first blends with António Dias Teixeira, creation of the image with master Amândio Silva, first texts with António Barreto. In July, the first three Quinta do Infantado Portos are estate bottled: Ruby, Tawny and 20 years old. Until 1986, only commercialization in Portugal was possible.

1991: commemoration of 175 years

In the 1991 vintage, a special Porto Wine, 100% Touriga Nacional, was made, to be the commemorative wine for the 175 years of Quinta do Infantado. Two years later, in 1993, Quinta do Infantado Porto Vintage 1991 TN (Touriga Nacional) was presented at Solar do Vinho do Porto.

1996: Luis Soares Duarte

In the summer of 1996 Luis Soares Duarte started the collaboration, as consultant winemaker, with Quinta do Infantado. It was another step in Luis' career that started at Casa do Douro with Eduardo Abade and Luis Sampaio. Porto Vintage 1995, launched the following year, marks the first stage of a long marathon of excellent Ports and Douros with his signature over more than 20 years.

2001: first Douro DOC red wine from Quinta do Infantado

After the experiences in 1994, 1997 and 1999, 2001 is the year of the first Douro DOC red wine from Quinta do Infantado. Fermented in lagar with foot treading, native yeasts and aging in French oak barrels, it was well received by critics and customers.

2008: Roseira and Quinta do Infantado organic red

In this unusually cool year at Quinta do Infantado (and in all Douro), two new Douro DOC reds were launched. Roseira, a wine made from Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, has floral notes, the Douro sun and is very easy to drink. Quinta do Infantado organic red comes exclusively from the Pousado vineyard with northern exposure, much less schist and deeper soil, shows remarkable freshness and greater natural acidity.

2015: Álvaro Roseira

Born and raised in Covas do Douro, Álvaro Roseira, grandson of Luís Roseira, has a long experience in viticulture and oenology. For the first member of the sixth generation to work in the family business, the vine and wine bug started, of course, growing at Quinta do Infantado. After an initial internship at Niepoort, he worked for several Douro producers, and harvested in South Africa. In July 2015 Álvaro returned home, integrating the Quinta do Infantado team in the Douro.

2016: 200 years of Infantado

A celebration of two hundred years since the creation of Quinta do Intando: from 1816 to 2016. It is not for everyone! A toast to the Douro, the Douro people and the Roseira family with Quinta do Infantado Porto Vintage 2016.

2017: Vintage Porto: exceptional!

The exceptionally dry year of 2017 produced grapes of enormous quality in Vale de Gontelho. In the old vineyards they were harvested with perfect maturation, giving rise to Quinta do Infantado Porto Vintage 2017. “The 2017 Vintage Porto is a field blend from old vines coming in at just 52 grams of residual sugar, meaning that it is very dry—in fact, well out of the norm and about as low as I've seen. A step up on the 2016, this shows more intensity, more depth and more flavor. It is still lighter styled in the context of the vintage, but it has serious structure.” (91-93/100) in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

Timeline

1977: First Colheita Porto

Three years, hot and effervescent, after the 25th of April revolution that ended fascism in Portugal, and with the first constitutional government headed by Mário Soares in office, the Douro lives one of the greatest vintages of the 20th century: 1997. At Quinta do Infantado a quantity far inferior to the usual is sold in bulk, keeping in its centenary cellars a good part of what would constitute the first Colheita Porto ever estate bottled and the oldest wine from a single vintage of the winery: Quinta do Infantado Colheita 1977 Reserva da Família.

1978: First Vintage Porto

In July of 1978, Luis Roseira travels through Bordeaux, Valée de la Loire, Languedoc and Toscana, visiting small vignerons to prepare the launch of the first wines from Quinta do Infantado. Everything precipitates in the 1978 harvest when Luís and Bruce Guimaraens have a violent discussion at Quinta do Infantado. Consequently, the Roseira family stopped selling its production to the Fonseca Guimaraens house (Taylor group). It is the big bang of Quinta do Infantado and the first estate bottled Vintage of a Douro farmer was born: Quinta do Infantado Porto Vintage 1978!

1979: start of estate bottling

During the first half of 1979 the bustle is high: registration of the Quinta do Infantado brand, registration at IVP, preparation of the first blends with António Dias Teixeira, creation of the image with master Amândio Silva, first texts with António Barreto. In July, the first three Quinta do Infantado Portos are estate bottled: Ruby, Tawny and 20 years old. Until 1986, only commercialization in Portugal was possible.

1991: commemoration of 175 years

In the 1991 vintage, a special Porto Wine, 100% Touriga Nacional, was made, to be the commemorative wine for the 175 years of Quinta do Infantado. Two years later, in 1993, Quinta do Infantado Porto Vintage 1991 TN (Touriga Nacional) was presented at Solar do Vinho do Porto.

1996: Luis Soares Duarte

In the summer of 1996 Luis Soares Duarte started the collaboration, as consultant winemaker, with Quinta do Infantado. It was another step in Luis' career that started at Casa do Douro with Eduardo Abade and Luis Sampaio. Porto Vintage 1995, launched the following year, marks the first stage of a long marathon of excellent Ports and Douros with his signature over more than 20 years.

2001: first Douro DOC red wine from Quinta do Infantado

After the experiences in 1994, 1997 and 1999, 2001 is the year of the first Douro DOC red wine from Quinta do Infantado. Fermented in lagar with foot treading, native yeasts and aging in French oak barrels, it was well received by critics and customers.

2008: Roseira and Quinta do Infantado organic red

In this unusually cool year at Quinta do Infantado (and in all Douro), two new Douro DOC reds were launched. Roseira, a wine made from Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, has floral notes, the Douro sun and is very easy to drink. Quinta do Infantado organic red comes exclusively from the Pousado vineyard with northern exposure, much less schist and deeper soil, shows remarkable freshness and greater natural acidity.

2015: Álvaro Roseira

Born and raised in Covas do Douro, Álvaro Roseira, grandson of Luís Roseira, has a long experience in viticulture and oenology. For the first member of the sixth generation to work in the family business, the vine and wine bug started, of course, growing at Quinta do Infantado. After an initial internship at Niepoort, he worked for several Douro producers, and harvested in South Africa. In July 2015 Álvaro returned home, integrating the Quinta do Infantado team in the Douro.

2016: 200 years of Infantado

A celebration of two hundred years since the creation of Quinta do Intando: from 1816 to 2016. It is not for everyone! A toast to the Douro, the Douro people and the Roseira family with Quinta do Infantado Porto Vintage 2016.

2017: Vintage Porto: exceptional!

The exceptionally dry year of 2017 produced grapes of enormous quality in Vale de Gontelho. In the old vineyards they were harvested with perfect maturation, giving rise to Quinta do Infantado Porto Vintage 2017. “The 2017 Vintage Porto is a field blend from old vines coming in at just 52 grams of residual sugar, meaning that it is very dry—in fact, well out of the norm and about as low as I've seen. A step up on the 2016, this shows more intensity, more depth and more flavor. It is still lighter styled in the context of the vintage, but it has serious structure.” (91-93/100) in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

TEAM

Who’s who at Quinta do Infantado

António Guimarães
António GuimarãesPresident
Invited to be President of the Management Council of Quinta do Infantado by the two founding partners, Luis and António Roseira, António has been leading the company since 1996.
Paula Roseira
Paula RoseiraCommercial Director
Widow of the founder, Luis Roseira, Paula is Managing Partner and has been the Commercial Director since 1996.
João Roseira
João RoseiraWinery Production Manager
João had his first harvest at Quinta do Infantado at 6 years old. Since then, he has not missed a single one, 50 vintages in 2019. He recalls the first bottling in July 1979, where he did everything: bottled, corked, waxed, labeled, boxed … the first three “estate bottled” Portos: Quinta do Infantado Ruby, Tawny and 20 Years Old. João lives in Covas do Douro since 1987.
Álvaro Roseira
Álvaro RoseiraWinemaker
Born and raised in the Douro, Álvaro has extensive experience in viticulture and winemaking. Of course, it all started as a child at Quinta do Infantado. During university, he did a harvest internship at Niepoort … and from then on … he worked for several producers (including a vintage in South Africa). He returned home, to Quinta do Infantado, in July 2015.
José Carlos Oliveira
José Carlos OliveiraViticulture
José Carlos started working in 1986 at Quinta do Noval with Cristiano van Zeller. Since then, he has accumulated extensive experience in viticulture, mainly in the Douro but also in Távora-Varosa (where he is part of the respective CVR’s tasting panel), Dão and Alentejo. Collaborates with Quinta do Infantado since 2002.
Luís Soares Duarte
Luís Soares DuarteConsultant Winemaker
Luis Soares Duarte is part of an important family in Douro’s history, his great uncle Antão de Carvalho was one of the “paladinos” of the Douro. His first harvest was in 1989 in Vila Nova de Foz Côa. He never stopped. He has been part of the Quinta do Infantado team since 1996. Winemaker of the year for Fortified Wines in 2001.
Pedro Duarte
Pedro DuarteMarketeer
Pedro Duarte has been at Quinta do Infantado since 2018.
António João Carvalho
António João CarvalhoVineyard manager
The Carvalho family has been tied to Quinta do Infantado for many years. After his father, mother, and brother Zé, António João has been at the estate since 1989.
Manuela Lima
Manuela LimaAdministrative
Manuela was born in Pinhão but lived in Brussels until the age of 20. After a long career at Quinta de la Rosa, she started at Quinta do Infantado in 2018.
Douro Team
Douro TeamVineyards and bottling
Emosira Carvalho, Fátima Relvas, Fátima Oliveira and Teresa Machado. Alexandre Relvas and Manuel Júlio Soares.
Porto Team
Porto TeamOffice and expeditions
Célia Santos, Filomena Cunha and Sofia Magalhães work in the Porto office, in the commercial, export and administrative areas.

ROSEIRA FAMILY

The Generations of the Roseiras from Covas do Douro

António Rodrigues Roseira
António Rodrigues Roseira 1783 -1867
1st generation. Only farmers, selling the grapes.
Umbelina Lopes
Umbelina Lopes1790-1877
1st generation
Luís Rodrigues Lopes Roseira
Luís Rodrigues Lopes Roseira 1816 - 1896
2nd generation. This generation remains farmers and keeps selling the grapes.
Ludovina Costa Ribeiro
Ludovina Costa Ribeiro 1852-1926
2nd generation
João Lopes Roseira
João Lopes Roseira1883 - 1940
3rd generation. With the purchase of Quinta do Infantado, João Lopes Roseira goes from a farmer to a producer of fine wines. The second step in the evolution of the Roseira family in the wine business.
Margarida Alice Osório da Silva
Margarida Alice Osório da Silva1889 - 1984
married to João Lopes Roseira. A widow, after her husband’s death in 1940, with three children studying outside the home, Margarida had the strength and courage to keep Quinta do Infantado going, through the very difficult period from the Second World War until the end of the 1960s.
João da Silva Lopes Roseira
João da Silva Lopes Roseira 1920 - 1998
4th generation. The eldest son of João e Margarida, agronomist and specialist in the tomato area. For years he led the most innovative factory in Portugal in the production of tomato concentrate, SIC in Azinhaga do Ribatejo. Married to Maria Luísa Gonçalves, without children.
Luis da Silva Lopes Roseira
Luis da Silva Lopes Roseira 1924 - 2015
4th generation. Luis lived between medicine, politics and the Douro, with everything that “the most serious reality in Portugal” (as Torga wrote) encompasses: people, traditions, territory and wines. The great driver of Quinta do Infantado as a vigneron, brought together the efforts of the family and a group of professionals (from oenology to marketing) to start estate bottling in 1979.
António da Silva Lopes Roseira
António da Silva Lopes Roseira 1925 - 2011
4th generation. António, electrical engineer, author of school books and teacher, started to manage Quinta do Infantado when his mother Margarida was no longer able to “take care of everything”. With his brother Luis, he is at the origin of the first estate bottled Porto wines in 1979.
João Luís da Silva Araújo Roseira
João Luís da Silva Araújo Roseira 1955 -
5th generation
Pedro António da Silva Araújo Roseira
Pedro António da Silva Araújo Roseira 1956 -
5th generation
José Alexandre da Silva Araújo Roseira
José Alexandre da Silva Araújo Roseira 1957 - 2015
5th generation. Zé Alexandre returned to Covas do Douro in 1978 (where he lived the first years of his life) and had an important role when Quinta do Infantado started to estate bottle. Later, he created his own wines: Torga and Roteiro Sentimental.
Catarina Luís Gali Roseira
Catarina Luís Gali Roseira 1977 -
5th generation
Margarida Beatriz de Almeida Roseira
Margarida Beatriz de Almeida Roseira 1963 -
5th generation
João Henrique de Almeida Roseira
João Henrique de Almeida Roseira 1964 -
5th generation. João works at Quinta do Infantado.
Maria Catarina de Almeida Roseira
Maria Catarina de Almeida Roseira 1965 -
5th generation. Between 1990 and 1996, Catarina was general director of Quinta do Infantado, a position she left to dedicate herself professionally, exclusively to her university career.
Bárbara Alexandra Rodrigues Roseira
Bárbara Alexandra Rodrigues Roseira 1978 -
5th generation
Álvaro Alberto Pereira Araújo Roseira
Álvaro Alberto Pereira Araújo Roseira 1981 -
6th generation. Álvaro works at Quinta do Infantado.
And the younger Roseiras...
And the younger Roseiras...
6th generation: Marta, Manuel, Constança, Catarina, Sara, Gustavo, Luis Maria, Miguel Maria, Carolina and Tomás.
7th generation: Alice!