Born in Perth, Western Australia, Jackie had strong connections to Europe through her father which gave her a love of all things European and of course, a desire to travel. Eventually, she met the father of her two daughters in Timor, and he being Portuguese, it wasn´t long before they packed their bags and moved to a small village in Northern Portugal back in 1981.
The language barrier was initially a challenge but getting a job locally helped to break that and today she is a fluent speaker. Over the years, she couldn’t help but fall in love with this beautiful country with its rich history and traditions to cherish her own story here.
She began a career in the wine trade over 25 years ago, when a member of the Symington family asked her if she would like to join their team. The position involved taking care of all their Visitor Planning as their Public Relations person and she never looked back.
Regular visits to the Douro valley became part of her life, strengthening her background on the history of Port, the culture and the way of life in that region. Her dream is to have a home in the Douro Valley, enjoying the solitude of the region that contrasts with her busy life in Porto.
She also writes an English blog on Portuguese culture – Portugal Untouched, is a member of a hiking group and a huge animal lover helping to run an animal welfare shelter.
