The women of Aveleda – Chapter II

08 Mar 2023 / Masters of Detail

Since 1870, the history of Aveleda is made of people whose dedication and passion are still more alive than ever. To be part of the Aveleda family is to cultivate a dream that was born more than 150 years ago. A legacy that crosses generations and in which many female faces are part of it. 
 
These are some of the faces we are honoring today. In different areas, these eight women contribute to the excellence of the work they daily perform at Aveleda. Get to know a little better each one of them:

 1. Patrícia Fontes, the excellence in creation
 
The connection to the world of wine began in 1998 for Patrícia Fontes, when she did an internship at the Comissão dos Vinhos Verdes. A year later, she was invited to join Aveleda's marketing team.
 
For more than 20 years at Aveleda, Patrícia values and encourages teamwork. The feeling of belonging "to this family" makes everything possible.
 
As it is difficult to choose a specific project, the relaunch of the Aveleda brand in 2012 was a defining moment. 
 
"I chose, as an object related to my activity, reels of labels. The label is the identity card of a wine and it reflects the detail and passion with which each of our wines is created."
 
2. Susana Barbosa, the passion for innovation
 
Susana Barbosa's professional career, in the area of international commerce, went through Italy and the United Kingdom. Back in Portugal, Susana's career continued to be linked to exports, embracing the wine sector when she started her activity in Aveleda six years ago.
 
The return to Portugal was also a return to her roots, in Penafiel. Maybe because of this, Susana describes Aveleda as "a place, this place, in which I feel at home".
 
Susana travels through countries with the will to take the Aveleda brand to more people. She speaks with pride of Canada "that has developed in a tentacular way and this is only possible if we have a deep understanding of the intrinsic reality of a market".
The suitcase that always accompanies this globe-trotter "carries everything I need, even wines"! After each return, loaded with memories, Susana prepares herself for new conquests.
 
3. Susete Rodrigues, the mastery in oenology

The beginning of Susete Rodrigues' professional career was in the quality area. With a Master's in Oenology, wine runs in Susete's veins and seven years ago she started a new phase with her entry in Aveleda where "she continued her passion for wine".
 
Perfectionist, Susete finds in the expression "savoir-faire" the way to express what Aveleda represents to her.
 
Throughout these years, "my true achievement is to have been able, in each activity that I developed at Aveleda, to foment improvements, through every detail, in processes or in the way people work as a team". 
 
Not being able to dissociate the tasting glass from the measuring glass, Susete has chosen these two objects that are an integral part of her daily life "through the tasting glass we define the profile of a batch of wine. Through the tasting glass, we feel if we have achieved what we dreamed".
            
4. Delfina Borges, the dedication to the other
 
Delfina Borges grew up with Aveleda "I had no connection to the world of wines. I joined Aveleda at the age of 18. I was still studying and it was my first job. Until today. I have been growing as a woman and as a professional in this house. It's a path of 40 years. A lifetime". 
 
It is not surprising that Delfina uses the word "love" to describe Aveleda, which, like her, has grown and been able to adapt to new realities. 
 
With experience in several departments in the company, Delfina is currently in logistics: "It's a job that I love, I've always loved administrative work, but this is challenging. I'm with Portugal and Europe, so I have contact with people from other countries. I feel fulfilled".
 
The work file where she keeps her orders, and through which she plans her daily life, is the object chosen by Delfina. However, this work file could contain musical notes since Delfina is responsible for the "Voices of Aveleda", the choir that has been rehearsing since 2017. Voices that echo with passion.
 
5. Adelaide Nogueira, the rigor in the analysis
 
With a background in IT, nothing predestined Adelaide Nogueira to work with wines. It was through a development company that she arrived at Aveleda almost 25 years ago.  
 
For Adelaide, Aveleda is synonymous with "growth, on a personal and professional level. At the time I was very young, and the areas I was involved in allowed me to grow and look at things in a different way".
 
"IT involves all the other areas of the company. Everything I've done so far has been for people to use in their daily lives, and that's a plus for me. It motivates me to know that I've been programming, creating tools for people."
 
Without hesitation, Adelaide chose the computer, without which nothing would be possible in the hustle and bustle of her daily life.
 
6. Cláudia Gonçalves, the commitment to rigor
 
"My area of study is geography. The connection to wine started when I was a little girl. My grandparents had a farm, where we did the grape harvest as a family. I think these memories awakened my interest in this world.
 
Family is the word that portrays, for Cláudia, Aveleda where she has been since 2009. "My father works here and I have had an uncle and three cousins who have also worked at Aveleda."
 
"My greatest achievement is learning new things and, with that, having more responsibilities. I like to be able to develop different jobs in the production as it happens, for example, with the labeling."
 
The Aveleda Parcela do Roseiral bottle is "a special project in which I was involved in terms of labeling”. An extension of her own fingerprint on each bottle.
 
7. Sara Dias, the curiosity for quality
 
Sara Dias' area of study is linked to science, with a later evolution into the environmental area through training in quality management. "My connection to wine came when I joined Aveleda, a world with tradition, a family". 
 
Quality is the word Sara uses to describe Aveleda, where she has been for 21 years. "Quality in a more global perspective. First in the quality of Being Aveleda, through the quality of the teamwork, the attention to detail, the will to do better every day, the dedication and the management of resources, in favor of the environment".
 
Among the many projects that I had the opportunity to participate in, the biggest challenge was the management of the contingency plan in the context of a pandemic, a new reality that we all had to learn to deal with.
 
"My pen is special. A unique piece, it accompanies me in all audits and certification processes in which I am involved."
 
8. Maria Manuel Ferreira, the attention to detail
 
When she graduated in chemistry, Maria Manuel Ferreira was far from imagining that her future would involve wine "after an internship at Amorim Irmãos, I realized that the world of wine was the one I was passionate about. From there, I decided to do a master's in oenology, which brought me to Aveleda as part of a grape-picking internship".
 
With experience in various areas of the company, where she has been since 2013, Maria Manuel defines Aveleda through the expression "attention to detail".
 
One of my greatest achievements "was my participation in the creation of the Public Relations department.  Although I had no basic training in this area, I felt that I had other knowledge that gave me support to do my work well in this new area that I embraced".
 
The decanter was chosen by Maria Manuel "to show that the Vinho Verde wine, and the Aveleda wines, are not only to be consumed in the same year. Wines, whose profile promotes greater longevity, can still be better after a few years than when they went to the market. The decanter helps "to open the wine and create memorable experiences that I like to share with those who visit us.

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The passion, dedication, and mastery of all those who are part of the Aveleda family leave a mark that results in wines and experiences that stay in our memory.


Written by Aveleda