Who was Joaquim Ribeiro and why is he considered a person of historical importance in Trinidad?

JOANQUIM RIBEIRO - WINE CONNOISSEUR.
The first Madeirans had originally come to the island in the post emancipation period around 1836-38 as indentured labour, but the vicissitudes of tropical climate had decimated them and many walked off the estates and became merchants and tradesmen in the poorer parts of the city. In 1856, Joaquim Ribeiro was born in Madeira. From a family of vintners, he not only acquired a connoisseur’s palate for fine wines, but became an apprentice winemaker himself. Economic troubles in Madeira in the 1880s forced him to seek greener pastures and in 1882 he found himself in Port-of-Spain, where it has been noted, a large Portuguese populace already existed. These countrymen of his were established as bakers and shopkeepers, the ‘Potogee’ rumshop rivaling those of the ubiquitous Chinese for popularity. Initially, Joaquim began in a small scale of business with a rumshop near the railway station in what is now City Gate. This establishment, appropriately named the Railway Bar prospered exceedingly since travelers on the uncomfortable train sought to bolster or refresh themselves with drinks of spirits.
This first establishment did so well that by 1890, Ribeiro had already established a warehouse where he imported fine and table wines, as well as beer, porter, whiskey and brandy. He also manufactured (re-branded) his own signature rum which was awarded a prize at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in London in 1905. ( The rest of the story can be found in Angelo's first self published book " WALKING WITH ANCESTORS).
The Ribeiro Family Vault located in the Lapeyrouse Cemetery in Port of Spain
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This excerpt written by Author and Historian Angelo Bissessarsingh (HMG) provides us with the answer to this question