Portuguese Passions

By Serena Norr

Photography by Jonathan Baskin

In 2020, during one of the many lockdown days at home in South Salem, Naâma Laufer and Luis Correia were enjoying lunch when he remarked, “Why don’t we do this now?” Laufer knew exactly what he was referring to, and she agreed. The timing was right; everyone was shopping online. 

About a year later, they launched My Portuguese Market in December of 2021. Their online store features an assortment of high-quality and specialty items from Portugal, including limited-batch olive oils, textiles, soaps, salts, teas, beauty products and more.  

“We started the website with 50 boxes of olive oil,” Laufer says. “Everything went very quickly, and we realized we needed to populate the site with even more of our favorite goods.” 

Planting the seeds

Laufer and Correia first went into business together after Correia, who is from Lisbon, Portugual, noticed there were barely any Portuguese wines in New York.

“We jumped into a business that we knew nothing about, except that we really enjoyed drinking Portuguese wines and there were very limited offerings in New York,” Laufer remembers.

They formed NLC Wines, representing both partners’ initials, in 2009, and after years of education, they sold their first wines in December of 2012. They are one of the 250 wholesale distributors of Portuguese wines across the country, according to Laufer, who believes that today, no one is “more educated on Portuguese wine in the United States than we are.” 

Building their brand

When Correia and Laufer would travel to Portugal for work and/or pleasure, they’d regularly bring back a range of Portuguese goods, including olive oil, soaps, scented drawer liners, napkins and stoneware. And eventually, they began talking about creating a website dedicated to showcasing these products and their makers.  

“We figured that if we loved it, and these pieces were not available in the U.S., that others would love them, too,” says Laufer. 

They decided to begin by selling Portuguese olive oil because it felt on-brand for them and was a “smooth segue” into creating a larger marketplace. Plus, they knew a lot of wine producers who also produced olive oil, and they could store the olive oil bottles in their wine shipping containers. They began with one and now work with three producers whose olive oils come from different regions: Alentejo in the south; Douro in the north; and Dao in the east.

“So, for example, we originally sold olive oil from Mainova, who is a wine producer we work with,” Laufer explains. “It was very easy for us to add another pallet to our order. And little by little, we brought in more goods.”

After they opened their online store, they added additional products to their site, and just seven months after their launch, their Sardine Soap on a Rope was featured in The New York Times. 

“It was crazy, unexpected and exciting,” Laufer remembers. “It introduced My Portuguese Market to a national audience. Now, we have clients from everywhere!”

In October 2023, The New York Times featured another product: their Bicla napkin collection. Thanks to this and other press, their site quickly grew, and even their kids got involved in packing orders, sticking on shipping labels, and giggling with excitement when they had another order from Shopify. 

“After our first feature in The New York Times, the dings from Shopify orders were going crazy and we were all, kids included, giggling with excitement…and maybe a little panic too,” says Laufer. 

Today, you can find over 300 goods on their website; it’s a rotating selection of their favorite items, such as clothing, books, kitchenware and home goods.  They seek out and find local makers by word-of-mouth, during their travels, or by searching online.As they’ve grown, they have remained consistent in their message, brand ethos and product selection.

“We work with good people who have incredible products that are conscious of our environment,” Laufer explains. “These people are making products because they believe in what they’re doing.” 

Their “Who We Love” section features stories and videos about each of the brands on their website, allowing consumers to learn more about the makers and connect to the products they’re purchasing.

For example, Gecko products, like The OG “Original Gecko” Cork Yoga Mat, were created by Nicky Holmes, an American yoga teacher who moved to Portugal. When Holmes learned that yoga mats were made with toxic materials like PVC, she decided to create a high-quality mat using Portuguese cork, which is a renewable resource. 

“The world’s largest cork production comes from Portugal,” Laufer explains. “Incredibly, 70 percent of the wine that you uncork is actually a Portuguese cork.” 

They also feature numerous cooking-related products, influenced by Lafuer’s and Correia’s love of cooking and food. 

“We cook a lot, so we love to showcase Portuguese food, including a range of the Quinta de Lemos Arbequina olive oil from the Dão region, BEESWEET Organic Honey Seasalt No. 10 from the Alentejo region, traditional tinned Octopus in Caldeirada sauce, tinned fish, organic spices, tea and more,” Laufer explains. “We’re not showcasing or bringing anything in that we don’t consume ourselves.” 

A true partnership

While Laufer and Correia did not have professional a background in wine or retail (she previously worked in fashion and beauty marketing/PR while he worked in the finance/logistical sector of corporate construction), they’ve successfully managed to build businesses in both industries while also building a family.

The couple met 16 years ago in Angola, South Africa, where they both lived. They married three years later and “have been stuck like glue ever since,” Laufer says. Laufer and Correia are parents to Leah, 13, and Noah, 10, as well as Afonso, 21, from Correia’s first marriage. 

With two businesses and three kids, the couple created a smooth working relationship by focusing on their individual strengths and prioritizing open and clear communication. Specifically, Laufer manages the wine sales, social media and website design, while Correia handles finance and logistics.

“Luis is always the dreamer, and I am always the one who turns that dream into a reality,” she says. 

Beyond business, they are best friends who constantly discuss strategy and prospects. 

“We work really well together,” Laufer notes. “And we’re good as partners. Everything is transparent.”

Future plans 

While My Portuguese Market is currently online, a brick-and-mortar store is not out of the picture. The couple loves their national reach, but they also have dreams of opening a boutique shop in South Salem. 

“Our wares are so beautiful,” says Laufer. “I would love consumers to have the experience of touching and feeling them, as well as learning more about the makers.”

Currently a two-person team, they look forward to hiring someone who could work in the shop and take care of the online orders. Plus, right now, all their storage and shipping is in their home, but they are close to capacity. Ideally, they would love to have a physical boutique with storage that can also serve as a shipping facility for their online orders.

Laufer hopes this eventual store will also help more people experience the beauty of northern Westchester. 

“We moved to South Salem in 2019, and we love it,” she exclaims. “This area is so close to our hearts. But it’s missing specialized, unique and curated commerce like what we offer.” 

Currently, locals can see some of products in person at events and farmers’ markets, including Gossett’s Farmers Market in South Salem, the North Salem Farmers Market and tinned fish tastings at Folkways Wines in Croton Falls.  

As for what’s next on their site, they’re taking a cue from their customers. Laufer says everyone always asks them for travel recommendations to Portugal. While they don’t have the capacity to develop itineraries for everyone, they are creating a travel section that will include some of their favorite areas. 

“We receive 10 emails a day from people asking for recommendations,” she says. “Soon, we will have a rotating list of some of our favorite things to do in Portugal—restaurants we enjoy, hidden gardens, cool hotels and more.” 

And then, who knows? As our area’s unofficial Portuguese ambassadors, they are excited to pursue their dreams of opening a local boutique while continuing to support makers and bring Portuguese goods to the U.S.

This article was published in the July/August 2024 print edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.