António Lança
António Lança was born in what is known as “Monte Velho”, the home of the Lança family in Herdade Grande, who has a strong bond to the agricultural activity and Vidigueira.
From an early age, Antonio Lança demonstrated a great interest in farming, something that his father Eduardo instilled, whom himself was a farmer and the heir of all the tradition learned with Ernesto dos Santos Lança, António’s grandfather who had purchased Herdade Grande in 1920 and established his family there.
The toils of the land, especially the cultivation of vines and olives, always filled the day-to-day of António Lança since the day, as a little child, he climbed on top of the first tractor that the estate had ever seen, or the moment when as a proud owner of a degree in agronomy in the late 70’s, he envisioned the current heritage of vineyards, as well as the establishment of Herdade Grande as a wine brand, which came to be in 1997.
A storyteller graced with a delicious sense of humour paired with a subtle smile, António Lança is the founder of one of the first wine products projects in the Lower Alentejo and the embodiment of the passion for Alentejo, that passes through generations and Herdade Grande celebrates.
Wine Phrases
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Mariana Lança
Insisted on spending every weekend and holidays in Vidigueira, with the grandparents, in Herdade Grande during her infancy and teenage years. The cereals, olive grove, animals and, above all, the vineyard served as a constant inspiration in a way that found it natural to follow in her fathers’ footsteps to have a degree in Viticulture and, afterwards, Winemaking.
Mariana Lança couldn’t be indifferent to the invitation of António Lança, in 2011, to take over the future of the project as general-manager of Herdade Grande. Renewing the commitment and vision of the family in fundamental areas, from sales to marketing, and her main passion, winemaking, where she seeks to honour her fathers’ and grandfathers’ principles. Today, she’s the representation of the fourth generation of the family that arrived at Herdade Grande in 1920.


WINEMAKING.
WINES PRODUCED BY PROFESSIONALS
Diogo Lopes are the winemaker that compose the winemaking team of Herdade Grande. Since his faculty years that he share a strong connection to Alentejo and Herdade Grande particularly.
Mariana Lança
Insisted on spending every weekend and holidays in Vidigueira, with the grandparents, in Herdade Grande during her infancy and teenage years. The cereals, olive grove, animals and, above all, the vineyard served as a constant inspiration in a way that found it natural to follow in her fathers’ footsteps to have a degree in Viticulture and, afterwards, Winemaking.
Mariana Lança couldn’t be indifferent to the invitation of António Lança, in 2011, to take over the future of the project as general-manager of Herdade Grande. Renewing the commitment and vision of the family in fundamental areas, from sales to marketing, and her main passion, winemaking, where she seeks to honour her fathers’ and grandfathers’ principles. Today, she’s the representation of the fourth generation of the family that arrived at Herdade Grande in 1920.
WINEMAKING. WINES PRODUCED BY PROFESSIONALS
Diogo Lopes are the winemaker that compose the winemaking team of Herdade Grande. Since his faculty years that he share a strong connection to Alentejo and Herdade Grande particularly.
Winemaker | Enólogo
Diogo Lopes
Although he was born in Lisbon in 1978, his Beira roots always connected him to the land. He met an already well-reputed Vidigueira agronomist António Lança while still studying to be a winemaker. He collaborated with Herdade Grande on promoting their wine portfolio while developing a strong empathy for the project and its staff. As if he was returning home, it was with great joy that after 20 years he accepted the invitation from António Lança to take over the winemaking department. On that interval, Diogo Lopes became one of the leading new generation portuguese winemakers. An experimentalist, he stands up for wines that are a true expression from the region where they are born. With a degree in Agronomic Engineering from the Instituto Superior de Agronomia and a PhD in Winemaking from the Escola Superior de Biotecnologia da Universidade Católica Portuguesa, he worked as a trainee in the portuguese wine regions of Douro and Alentejo but also in the Napa Valley (California). He started his professional career next to Anselmo Mendes, precisely in the region of Alentejo in 2005. He is also a consultant to the wine regions of Douro, Lisbon and the Azores.