Press

Press kit

Everything a journalist needs about Hélder Cunha, in one place: biographies in three lengths, a facts sheet, television and media appearances, photographs cleared for editorial use, and a contact that answers. For the wines, the brands and their awards, use the Casca Wines press kit.

Biography — short

Hélder Cunha is a Portuguese winemaker whose first harvest was in Napa Valley in 2000. Trained in Germany, winemaker at Sociedade dos Vinhos Borges and a ten-year judge at the International Wine Challenge, he founded Casca Wines with the 2008 harvest and works old vines and native grapes across seven regions of Portugal. He is best known for the revival of Colares.

Biography — medium

Hélder Cunha was born in Cascais. His first harvest was in 2000, at Kent Rasmussen Winery in Napa Valley; he wrote his degree thesis at Geisenheim, Germany, working harvests in the Rheingau and the Mosel, then made wine in the Douro from 2001 to 2004 and was the winemaker at Sociedade dos Vinhos Borges from the 2005 to the 2008 harvest. From 2003 he sat on the jury of the International Wine Challenge in London for ten consecutive years; he holds the WSET Level 3.

With the 2008 harvest he made his first Colares and founded Casca Wines, an independent company working old vines and native grapes in Colares, the Douro, the Beira Interior, the Dão, Bairrada, Lisboa and the Alentejo. His work in Colares — ungrafted vines in sand, and the Ramisco and Malvasia grapes — is credited with the region’s revival and was the subject of a National Geographic episode of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (2021). Since 2026 he is strategic adviser to the Municipality of Sintra. He created the Drinkfulness concept (2024) and is the author of Histórias do Vinho.

Biography — long

The full text is on the Biography page.

Facts

Born: Cascais, Portugal
Profession: winemaker (enólogo); first harvest 2000
Training: Kent Rasmussen Winery, Napa Valley (2000); Fachhochschule Wiesbaden / Geisenheim, Germany; harvests in the Rheingau and Mosel; WSET Level 3 (2005)
Career: Douro (2001–2004); winemaker, Sociedade dos Vinhos Borges (2005–2008 harvests); founder and winemaker, Casca Wines (2008–)
Judging: International Wine Challenge, London — jury member for ten consecutive years from 2003
Regions: Colares, Douro, Beira Interior, Dão, Bairrada, Lisboa, Alentejo
Recognition: Grand Gold Medals at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles; wines rated by Wine Enthusiast for thirteen consecutive years (2011–2024), three of them at 93 points. Full list in the Casca Wines press kit.
Television: Rotas do Vinho, SIC (2013) — creator, producer and presenter; Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, National Geographic, season 3 episode 2 (filmed 2020, aired 2021). The story →
Public roles: strategic adviser to the Municipality of Sintra for the wines of Colares and Sintra (2026–, three-year contract)
Concepts and writing: Drinkfulness (2024); Histórias do Vinho, a history of wine in 118 chapters, published serially in Portuguese and English
Interview languages: Portuguese, English

Photographs

Editorial use permitted with the credit shown. Click an image for the high-resolution file.

Portrait of winemaker Hélder Cunha at harvest in the Casca Wines cellar — Hélder Cunha, harvest, Casca Wines cellar. Credit: Casca Wines.

Hélder Cunha in the sand vineyard of Colares — Hélder Cunha in the Colares vineyard. Credit: Casca Wines.

Gordon Ramsay and Hélder Cunha in the Colares vineyard. Credit: National Geographic / Justin Mandel.

Interviews, talks and juries

Available for interviews in Portuguese and English, for talks on Portuguese terroirs, Colares, native grapes, wine and sustainability, and Drinkfulness, and for judging panels. Send a request →

Press contact

Use the contact form with your name, outlet, deadline and request. Replies within two working days.