José Maria da Fonseca

José Maria da Fonseca was established in 1834 in Vila Nogueira de Azeitão on the Setúbal Peninsula, making it the oldest producer of table wine in Portugal. Its founder, a mathematician trained at the University of Coimbra, pioneered the sale of wine in bottles and introduced new production methods for Setúbal Moscatel. The company's historic manor house was built in the 19th century and restored in 1923 by Swiss architect Ernesto Korrodi. Now in its seventh or eighth generation of family ownership, the estate remains one of Portugal's most storied wine institutions.

• Founded 1834 by José Maria da Fonseca in Vila Nogueira de Azeitão
• Introduced bottled wine sales and pioneered Setúbal Moscatel production methods
• Manor house restored in 1923 by Swiss architect Ernesto Korrodi
• Seven or eight generations of continuous family ownership

The estate's portfolio encompasses over 30 wine brands spanning still reds, whites, rosés, sparkling wines, and fortified dessert wines. Periquita, launched in 1850, stands as one of the first bottled red wines in Portugal and remains a flagship label. Moscatel de Setúbal was established as a brand in 1849 and showcases the estate's mastery of fortified wine production. Lancers rosé was introduced to the American market in 1944 and became a phenomenon, reaching sales of 1 million boxes by the late 1970s. Other key labels include Alambre, a celebrated Moscatel de Setúbal expression.

• Periquita (1850): one of Portugal's first commercially bottled red wines
• Moscatel de Setúbal brand established 1849; a hallmark fortified dessert wine
• Lancers rosé reached 1 million boxes in US sales by the late 1970s
• Portfolio of more than 30 brands exported to over 70 countries

The estate manages approximately 650 hectares of vineyards spread across five distinct regions. The Setúbal Peninsula provides a Mediterranean climate with strong sun exposure, and soils range from clay-limestone in some plots to sand-rich formations characteristic of parts of the peninsula. Granite soils are found in Alentejo vineyard sites. This diversity of terroir supports a wide range of grape varieties, from the indigenous Castelão and Moscatel de Setúbal to Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Aragonez, Fernão Pires, and the rare Moscatel Roxo.

• 650 hectares across five distinct vineyard regions
• Mediterranean climate with high sun exposure on the Setúbal Peninsula
• Soils include clay-limestone, sand-rich, and granite depending on site
• Grapes include Castelão, Moscatel de Setúbal, Moscatel Roxo, Touriga Nacional, and Fernão Pires

The Fernando Soares Franco winery, established in 2001, serves as the production hub with a 6.5 million liter capacity and 513 vinification tanks. The estate was the first Portuguese company in the table wine sector to be certified to the ISO 9001 quality standard and the first company in Portugal to earn the FAIR'N GREEN sustainability certificate. Head winemaker Domingos Soares Franco is the first Portuguese oenologist to have graduated from the University of California, Davis, and was named Winemaker of the Year for Fortified Wines in 2021.

• Fernando Soares Franco winery (2001): 6.5 million liter capacity, 513 vinification tanks
• First Portuguese table wine producer certified ISO 9001
• First Portuguese producer to hold FAIR'N GREEN sustainability certification
• Domingos Soares Franco: UC Davis-trained, Winemaker of the Year for Fortified Wines 2021