In 1942, the Portuguese company Sogrape and its founder Fernando Van Zeller Guedes, launched one of the world’s most innovative wines. Its striking image, unique flavour and curious bottle have brought it fame worldwide. The unique and iconic bottle (inspired by the flasks used by soldiers in the First World War) has contributed to the wine’s enormous success
Thanks to Fernando van Zeller Guedes's tenacity and innovative marketing campaigns, sales grew year after year, across various parts of the globe. It was these campaigns, some based on partnerships with ambassadors and consuls in cities around the world, that resulted in Mateus conquering the USA, Japan, Hong-Kong and Australia.
Mateus first became popular in the United Kingdom and enormously successful in the USA. In the 1950s, it became a truly global brand.
By the late 1970s, Sogrape was selling in around 120 countries; Mateus was inclusively the most requested drink during during the Summit of the Organization of African Unity, held in Lagos, Nigeria.
Mateus's story is largely the story of Fernando van Zeller Guedes, the visionary founder of Sogrape, and the man who dreamed up Mateus and brought it into being. A man ahead of his time, whose ambition was to make the best wines in Portugal and introduce them to the world.
Over time, the baton was passed on to his son Fernando Guedes, thus ensuring that Sogrape remained a family business. Through phases of growth and expansion, Sogrape became the force it is today - a Group with a presence in 5 origins and over 1,000 employees worldwide. |
