C2
Founder · Software engineer
Manuel Guimarães
The Patriarch
In 2008 he rented our first spare room on Airbnb. In 2011 it became a company. Still walks the vineyards every day.
The family
Three generations. One Douro.
Photo · C1 family group
In 2008 Manuel — software engineer, father of the three brothers you keep seeing on social media — rented the first spare room of our family home on Airbnb. It wasn't a business plan. It was a way to keep the lights on during the crisis.
Guests started asking where they could actually taste wine. Manuel put them in the car, drove them to a quinta. They came back happy. More guests asked. And more.
In 2011 it turned into a company. Animation4Ever — Manuel wanted the name to carry something that lasted. Thirteen years later it's three brothers full-time, two cousins, two close friends, and our parents still in the middle of everything.
None of this was planned in a PowerPoint. It started with a rented room and an innocent question about where to taste wine.
Who you'll meet
The people you'll spend the day with.
The founders
C3
Quinta operations
Teresa Guimarães
The Heart of the House
Runs the day-to-day of the quintas with Manuel. The lunch table comes out of her kitchen.
The sons
C4
Operations · WSET 3
Nuno Guimarães
The Middle Son
Manuel's son. WSET 3 sommelier. Wherever the wine is, he's there.
C5
Operations
João Guimarães
The Calm One
Manuel's son. The calmest of the three. Watches everything, says little.
C-filipe
Operations · IT
Filipe Guimarães
The One Behind the Screen
Manuel's son. Behind the screen. You probably won't meet him.
The guides
C6
Senior Tour Guide
Paulo Sérgio
The Glue
Manuel's cousin. The guy who keeps everything running on the ground and never complains.
C7
Senior Tour Guide
Jorge
The Master
Manuel's cousin. Was a sommelier in London before coming home. Knows too much and loves to share.
C8
Tour Guide
Joca
The Big Heart
Nuno's father-in-law. Thirty years of martial arts and the friendliest person you'll meet in the Douro.
C9
Tour Guide
Luís
The Eternal Student
From Coimbra. Still reads wine books on weekends. Always asks the right question at a tasting.
C10
Tour Guide · Porto
Jorge
The King
Paulo's brother-in-law. Based in Porto. Knows every shortcut in the city and along the river.