I entered ISA in 2000, advised by my father who spoke highly and proudly of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia. At that time, I wasn’t sure about my future. In 2004, I experienced my first grape harvest and, guided by ISA professors’ advice, I decided to specialize in Viticulture and Enology. With the educational structure and ingenuity methods of ISA, I managed to establish my own Enological Consulting company in 2006, called WineID, together with two colleagues from ISA. We currently support eight national producers.

It is important to mention that ISA provided me with the necessary foundations to make decisions, and it feels like a second home that gives us the solid ground to stand on.

In this institution, I received the necessary tools to become a successful professional. It is in this nurturing environment that I developed, and I write about it with great pride.

I attended ISA from 1979 to 1986. I pursued a degree in Agricultural Engineering, specializing in Improvements. I always felt that the buildings, gardens, and cultivated lands (right in the center of Lisbon!), the library, and the laboratories formed a whole that prepared us to study something with many aspects, considerations, and possible solutions. Students were trained to analyze and make responsible decisions. This kind of freedom in studying was a revelation, and it took some time for me to move away from the more basic methodology of secondary education and truly understand what I was preparing for. With an education focused on understanding the issues, with wise professors and caring assistants, I worked on various individual and group projects, exchanging life experiences and knowledge with people from different fields and positions, from the professor to the mechanical locksmith. As I was not an outstanding student and pursued a parallel musical career alongside my studies, it is natural that I repeated some courses and failed a few years, which allowed me to meet many more classmates and enrich my life with a few more friends. Finally, in my last year, during the internship, I had the privilege of working in the field where I joined a multidisciplinary team that I still miss. Moreover, my modest final project was even cited by American researchers with whom my internship supervisor had partnerships. My parallel career eventually took precedence, and I became a professional musician. From my time at ISA, I cherished the collaborative work, respect for other opinions, a deeper understanding of life and its paths, and a mental agility that prepared me to face different kinds of challenges, undoubtedly contributing to what Xutos & Pontapés has become. Thank you all very much.