Sandra Tavares da Silva – A Pioneer of the New Generation of Winemakers in Douro

The journey of Sandra Tavares da Silva to becoming one of Portugal's brightest oenologists and winemakers was not straightforward. Born on the Azores as the daughter of Portuguese naval officer Paulo Tavares da Silva and his Swiss wife Alice, Sandra moved to Lisbon at the age of one, where her parents fulfilled their dream of owning a wine estate. They purchased the 16th-century estate Quinta de Chocapalha, located about 50 kilometers northwest of Lisbon, in 1987.

From Model to Winemaker

Even though the couple involved their three daughters in the work on the Quinta, the youngest, Sandra, initially pursued a very different career path: she played volleyball for the Portuguese national team and became a sought-after model worldwide. When Sandra Tavares da Silva eventually decided to make wine, the initial path was not easy. After studying agricultural sciences in Lisbon, she moved to Italy and earned her Master in Oenology at the Catholic University of Piacenza near Milan. Here, she developed a solid understanding of the Old World of viticulture and of truly fine wine.

Cristiano van Zeller as Her Mentor

When Sandra moved to Douro in 1999 to start her winemaking journey, no one initially took the former celebrated model seriously as a future winemaker. Her mentor, Cristiano van Zeller from Quinta Vale D. Maria in the Douro, eventually offered her the first job in the wine industry after many other wineries rejected her, reasoning that an ex-model must be only idle and unwilling to get her hands dirty.

Strong Work Ethic and Discipline

Contrary to this perception, Sandra Tavares da Silva demonstrated a strong work ethic and created her first promising vintage at Vale Dona Maria with remarkable discipline. Afterward, at her parents' request, she returned to the family-owned Quinta de Chocapalha in the Estremadura region of southern Portugal. As an experienced interpreter of the local terroir, she advised her parents in 2000 not only to sell the red grape harvest of the estate, which thrives on clay soil, to neighboring winemakers but to produce wine from it themselves.

Tavares da Silva Celebrates First Wine Successes

Today, Sandra Tavares da Silva serves as the chief oenologist for the winemaking successes at Quinta de Chocapalha. No longer is her influence limited to just this estate; alongside her husband Jorge Serôdio Borges, she also owns Wine & Soul in Douro and Quinta da Manoella in the Pinhão Valley. In these three terroirs, she has learned that it is the region that imparts its unique character to the wine. “The Touriga Nacional grape produces a robust, fruity wine in Douro, whereas in Lisbon it results in a floral, fresh wine,” she explains. The same grape, the same winemaker, yet different terroir creates the individual character of the wine, which is the equation Sandra Tavares da Silva uses when making wine today.

Sandra Tavares da Silva's Wine Adventure “Wine & Soul”

In 2001, together with her husband Jorge Serôdio Borges, who comes from a renowned Portuguese winemaking family, Sandra Tavares da Silva decided to produce her own wine. The dynamic duo initially only had a vision for their own wine adventure. They named their company “Wine & Soul” to express how much passion they put into their wines, characterized by high quality and strong individuality. From the start, it was the perfectionist Sandra Tavares da Silva who brought elegance to the company's wines, while her husband Jorge focused on fruit and robust aroma.

Sandra Tavares da Silva's “Pintas” Showcases the Best of Douro

The couple began producing a garage wine named “Pintas” in 2001, crafted from the grapes of a single ancient vineyard in Douro. Planted with a traditional mixed composition of over thirty indigenous grape varieties, it was ideal for their first attempt at winemaking. “We wanted to make a full-bodied wine, a wild and dizzying blend that illustrates the flair and colossal landscape of the Douro Valley,” Sandra recalls. For her, “Pintas” still showcases the best sides of Douro: lush fruit, strong character, and perfect balance with a long and lasting finish.

Remarkable Wine from Very Old Vines in Pinhão Valley

From the initial solitary vineyard Pintas, over the years, 22 hectares of vineyards have emerged, of which 16 hectares belong to the Quinta da Manoella in the Pinhão Valley, inherited in 2009. These predominantly very old vineyards are south-facing, with some over a hundred years old and others over thirty, along with new plantings. “Our very first wine from Quinta da Manoella, the 'Vinhas Velhas', quickly became one of the best and most remarkable wines from Douro,” states Sandra Tavares da Silva. The Vinhas Velhas, the red Pintas, and the fruit-forward Pintas have since been joined by a white Guru—a single vineyard white wine from the higher elevations, Vintage Port Pintas, and a very special 5G Port wine—a very aged tawny port, made from a blend of several mostly over a hundred years old port wines.

The Terroir Gives Wine Its Own Identity

In winemaking, Sandra Tavares da Silva honors family traditions while also embracing new technologies in the production process and respecting the terroir, giving her wines their unique identity. Each wine made by Sandra Tavares is linked to a single vineyard, ensuring that each wine's identity remains consistent year after year while quality improves.

Wine is the Result of a Combination of Details

“Wine is the result of a combination of various details,” says Sandra Tavares da Silva. Her wine production process begins far before the grape harvest, following strict personal guidelines. As a perfectionist, all details of wine production are crucial for her, from the vineyard worker to the quality of the label. “By minimizing errors at all stages of the process, we will undoubtedly maintain the high-quality standard we once aimed for.”