André Manz is the creator of Manz Wine, a boutique cellar located in Cheleiros, just 30 minutes from Lisbon. A Brasilian business and sportsman, originally from Hungary, he travelled to Portugal in the 80s and ended up, through his pioneering spirit, creativity, and sense of mission, purchasing land for a project. A neighbour sold him an abandoned vineyard, and it was from these old vines that the first wine adventures started. The vineyard included a grape variety that was practically extinct, Jampal, and its recovery led to the start of the ManzWine project. These were the last vines of a white grape variety indigenous to the region of Mafra. And so the Dona Fatima wine was born, the only wine in the world with 100% of Jampal variety, and also the ManzWine project.
The ManzWine values are quality, recovery and revitalization. The revitalization of history, tradition and habits of the region were, and continue to be, the main objectives of the project. Restoring the old wine press and the old primary school are examples of this.
Since these events, Manz has taken cuttings of the 50-year old vines and expanded the vineyard. Today, there are 31 planted hectares (76 acres) of Jampal, primarily in the Lisbon region, and now also some in Northern Portugal. The new winery is a modern area, which maintains the traditional lines of the region. It is a magical location, and this includes the wine experiences that ManzWine offers.
