Domingos Soares Franco, winemaker and vice-president, is the youngest of the two representatives of the sixth generation of the family that manages José Maria da Fonseca. He studied in Davis, California, and started working at José Maria da Fonseca in the 1980s. Since then, he has introduced several changes into the wines produced by this company, becoming one of the most innovative new-generation winemakers in Portugal. As a winemaker, his first major influence was undoubtedly that of his father Fernando Soares Franco. His uncle, António Porto Soares Franco, a man of great vision, also influenced him tremendously. Among other important achievements, he deserves to be recognized as the creator of Lancers, one of the best known Portuguese wines around the world and José Maria da Fonseca’s first international "best seller".