Quinta Vale D. Maria ‘merges’ with Aveleda

Christiano van Zeller, owner of Quinta Vale D. Maria in the Douro, has announced he has “merged” his company with that of his cousins, the Guedes family, who own Aveleda.

Christiano van Zeller with Francisca and Martim and António Guedes

The deal sees Aveleda (which is a large producer of Vinho Verde) become a 100% shareholder in Quinta Vale D. Maria (which also covers Van Zellers & Co), buying the stocks, estate, brands and business in their entirety.

On the other hand, Christiano, his wife Joana and three children, have simultaneously become minority shareholders in Aveleda.

Furthermore, Christiano told the drinks business, he will now head up a new fine wine division at Aveleda with the wines of Quinta Vale D. Maria at its core and, “Aveleda’s Bairrada estate of Quinta da Aguieira in the very near future and any possible future investment of the family group,”

His daughter Francisca will work with him in the new fine wine division as marketing and communications manager.

He continued that all of the table wines and Ports in his portfolio – produced under the labels Vale D. Maria and Quinta Vale D. Maria, CV – Curriculum Vitae, Van Zellers & Co – “will be produced, marketed and sold by Quinta Vale D. Maria company, as it has been done from the beginning until now.”

Joana Pinhão will remain as winemaker at Quinta Vale D. Maria and across the brands, the viticulture team will also remain in place and Christiano added he would remain an “integral part” of the ‘Douro Boys’ group; a brand he personally co-owns with the other members.

“In reality, very little to nothing has changed, in practical terms. Quinta Vale D. Maria continues to be an independent company 100% owned now by Aveleda but now the company will take full advantage of the integration in one of the best and most professional teams in the world of wine,” Christiano told db.

In the letter announcing the move to its partners, Christiano explained further that the merger with Aveleda and the Guedes family (who are his cousins) had been years in the making; stretching back as far as 1996 when he first bought the Douro property after Quinta do Noval was sold to AXA Millèsimes.

However, he explained: “For many reasons, the initial discussions with the then board members: Luis, António and Roberto Guedes, did not have immediate follow-up. Our conversations then did not go any further than a mere exchange of ideas and possible opportunities.

“Twenty years down the line, during which years you have been a fundamental part of our story at Quinta Vale D. Maria and also in the creation of a new wine region in the world – the Douro DOC wine region – Martim, António and I picked up the initial discussions again.

“This is a new life for all of us, one that we are very happy and very enthusiastic to embrace. Both Francisca and I can now concentrate all our efforts in creating business and brand awareness for Quinta Vale D. Maria (and CV and van Zellers & Co.) and, of course, for the Douro region and its wines and Ports. After four generations, the Guedes and van Zeller families reinforce their family ties with this new partnership.”

Following its acquisition of Seis Quintas in Douro Superior last year, Aveleda now owns nearly 90 hectares of vineyard in the Douro, in addition to the 300ha (and counting) it owns in the Minho.