Sofia Saraiva and her vision at Quinta dos Capinhas
It was October 2021 and I had just finished an online International Wine and Business Course with Católica Portuguesa, Lisboa. One of the highlights of the course was meeting fellow student Nicolas Gianone, who at the time was the export sales director at Falua Wines.
Kind and warm, he asked me what I was doing for work. Without waiting for a reply, Nicholas immediately said, “Do you know Sofia? Sofia Saraiva? She is our wine sales manager in the Algarve; you have to meet her. She knows everyone in the wine business and she will hook you up.”
What I hadn’t realised at the time was that I had met her at Talha Mafia, the wine adega Sofia consults for in Vila do Frades in the Alentejo. So when we sat down for the first time, we realised we already knew each other!
That day over coffee in the marina, Sofia told me about Mosto, the new wine bar she was going to be a part of. This was also the beginning of our friendship that continues to revolve around our mutual love for wine.
Then, last February, Sofia told me about her new opportunity to be general manager at Quinta dos Capinhas. I had no doubt that this family winery was very lucky to find her. The job itself was a perfect fit and would benefit from her experience as a wine director, winemaker, wine brand and sales manager, accounting manager and finance controller.
Since beginning her position at Capinhas in March, Sofia has been going 100 km an hour and now that the grapes are safely harvested, it was time to catch up and visit her at her new work home in Porches.
A truly beautiful estate, situated just 2 km from the sea, Capinhas offers the most picturesque views right down to the water. The property encompasses 30 hectares, with eight hectares currently under vine, featuring 11 different grape varieties, encompassing both Portuguese and international varieties.
Warm and refreshingly direct, owner Horst Lieberwirth joined Sofia and me on their wine terrace. He shook my hand, sat down, and poured some wine for us. With a glass of their fresh Branco 2022 – a lovely blend of Arinto and Verdelho – in our hand, we discussed their goals and Sofia’s personal job highlights since she began.
The first thing she and Horst mentioned, practically at the same time, was their conversion to organics. It was and still is a big undertaking to convert 8ha of vines from conventional farming to organic. This transition cost them more money to implement and reduced their production levels by 70% due to the need to adapt their techniques to fight mildew. That said, Horst, Sofia, and their winemaker, Pedro Mendes, are excited and 100% committed to the conversion, with their minds already looking forward to the potential of next year’s production.
Commercially, Sofia has made a massive impact. After taking over, she landed a contract with a local distributor in the Algarve, ensuring that Falua’s wines had a representative in the region. Simultaneously, Sofia broadened brand awareness and nurtured relationships with local merchants, securing placements for their wines in many more restaurants, shops, and wine bars across the Algarve.
Another critical goal was to expand their wine tourism programme. Sofia took charge, hiring a wine professional from Argentina to implement revised tastings and tours. She reimagined the existing offerings, sparking the creation of the “picnic” wine tasting, held at a gorgeous grand picnic table on a precipice overlooking the valley and ocean beyond. Additionally, she introduced a fun buggy ride through the vineyards, giving guests a deeper understanding of the diverse landscape, location and proximity to the ocean.
Looking ahead, Sofia mentioned that being part of the planning stages for their new wine adega and restaurant has been a major highlight. “It’s possibly the most exciting aspect because I’m a part of the plans from the ground up.”
So what are you both most excited about from the 2025 harvest, I asked her. “Our Pinot Noir, definitely our Pinot Noir,” says Sofia. “This vineyard, along with our Negra Mole, are still young, but this year we got to harvest the grapes and they looked great!”
Separately, owner Horst Lieberwirth shared with me that he was looking forward to their new November release. He and his wine team found some old barrels of moscatel from Lagos produced in the 70s and will release the first few bottles next month.
With Sofia now at the helm, equipped with her motivation and diverse experience, together they are entering into an exciting new chapter for Quinta dos Capinhas, and the sky truly is the limit!
Candace Olsen is a sommelier, fine wine consultant, wine educator and wine writer candyleacane@me.com
To book a wine tasting, dinner or buggy tour, contact Sofia and her team at: info@quintadoscapinhas.com or visit their website: quintadoscapinhas.com
