Bruce Duncan Guimaraens (27 October 1935 – 22 August 2002) was a Portuguese-British
port wine
Port wine (also known as vinho do Porto, , or simply port) is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert, although it also comes in dry, semi- ...
maker.
Early life and education
Guimaraens was born on 27 October, 1935
to parents Charles Bruce and Cathleen May in
Vila Nova de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia (; cel-x-proto, Cale), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a population of ...
.
He was educated at
Abingdon School
Abingdon School is a day and boarding independent school for boys in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. The twentieth oldest independent British school, it celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2006. The school was described as "highly ...
from 1946 until 1953 and his elder brother John 'Gordon' Guimaraens also attended Abingdon School from 1946 to 1952. He served in the British Army as a Lieutenant with the
Royal Berkshire Regiment
The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was created in 1881, as the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment), b ...
and the
Royal West African Frontier Force
The West African Frontier Force (WAFF) was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia. In 1928, it received royal recognitio ...
in Ghana.
Career
After leaving the army in 1956 Guimaraens joined
Fonseca Guimaraens, the company his great-great grandfather Manuel Pedro Guimaraens had created in 1822,
which had earlier merged with
Taylor, Fladgate, & Yeatman
Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman (often simply Taylor Fladgate and trading under the name Taylor's) is one of the largest port wine houses. Founded in 1692 in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal by Job Bearsley, becoming Taylor, Fladgate & Yeatman when Jo ...
in 1948 to form the Taylor Fonseca Group.
In 1961 he was promoted to the position of director of winemaking and vineyard management at Taylor Fonseca, and was credited by ''
The Telegraph
''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include:
Australia
* ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' as playing an instrumental role in expanding the number of vineyards owned by the firm.
His tenure saw the creation of the Fonseca 1963, described by critic
Michael Broadbent
John Michael Broadbent, MW (2 May 1927 – 17 March 2020) was a British wine critic, writer and auctioneer in a capacity as a Master of Wine. He was an authority on wine tasting and old wines.
Career
Broadbent was born in Yorkshire. He was edu ...
as "one of the top '63s, and one of the best-ever Fonsecas",
and the Fonseca 1977, which also received high praise.
He retired in 1989.
Personal life
Guimaraens died of a heart attack on 22 August 2002. He was survived by his wife Magdalena and four children. At the time of his death his son David, who joined Taylor Fonseca in 1990, was the company's head winemaker.
See also
List of Old Abingdonians
Old Abingdonians are former pupils of Abingdon School or, in some cases, Honorary Old Abingdonians who have been awarded the status based on service to the School. The Old Abingdonians also run the Old Abingdonian Club (OA club) which is an organ ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guimaraens, Bruce Duncan
People educated at Abingdon School
1935 births
2002 deaths
Royal Berkshire Regiment officers
Royal West African Frontier Force officers
British expatriates in Portugal
People from Vila Nova de Gaia
20th-century British Army personnel