The quest to find the true embodiment of a vineyard led Alves de Sousa to use only grapes from his own estates to produce his wines. All the good grapes in the Douro Valley were used to make Port. Meanwhile, Domingos Alves de Sousa thought it would be possible to make also fantastic still wines. In 1991, he released his first wine at just six barrels.
The quality of Alves de Sousa wines has been widely recognised with distinctions and mentions in the most acclaimed national and international publications. Alves de Sousa won the "Producer of the Year" award in 1999 and again in 2006 by the Portuguese Wine Magazine ("Revista de Vinhos”). As such, Domingos Alves de Sousa became the first to twice receive the most coveted and prestigious distinction for Portuguese wine producers.
Alves de Sousa consists today of six properties: Quinta da Gaivosa in Santa Marta de Penagiao; Quinta da Alveleira; Quinta das Caldas; Quinta da Estação; Quinta da Vale da Raposa, and the latest addition, Quinta da Oliveirinha.