SAN FRANCISCO, November 22, 2016 – The new visitor center built by the Symington Family Estates in Portugal’s Douro Valley at Quinta do Bomfim, has been awarded the 2017 Global Winner Wine Tourism Services from the Great Wine Capitals, an association of major wine cities around the world. Bomfim had already won the 2017 Regional Award; on November 10, at a ceremony held in the city of Porto, it was named Global Winner.
Originally acquired by Dow’s in 1896, Quinta do Bomfim is a 76-hectare (188 acre) vineyard located near the village of Pinhão in the Douro region of northern Portugal, the world’s oldest demarcated wine region. It is also the birthplace of some of the regions greatest Vintage Ports, including the legendary Dow’s 2007 and Dow’s 2011 Vintage Port.
The visitor’s center opened in May 2015, offering a tour that reflects the rich heritage of the winery including the historic vat cellar. Guests can taste Symington Family Estates Ports and Douro DOC red table wines on the terrace with breathtaking views of the Douro River and the surrounding vineyards. Self-guided vineyard walks and picnics are also available.
“We are delighted that Bomfim has won this important global award. For years we have been waiting for visitors to finally discover the incredible beauty of the Douro and now it is happening, bringing new opportunities for our wines and for the people of our region,” says Paul Symington, Symington Family Estates Chairman.
About Symington Family Estates: The Symingtons have been Port producers for five generations since 1882 although their involvement in Port dates back fourteen generations to 1652 through their great-grandmother Beatriz Leitão de Carvalhosa Atkinson. The family company is the leading quality Port producer with brands such as Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s as well as being the leading vineyard owner in the Douro Valley with 1032 hectares (2550 acres) of vines and 28 Quintas. Many of the region’s finest Quintas belong to the family. For more information on Symington Family Estates, visit www.symington.com.
About The Great Wine Capitals: Founded in 1999, The Great Wine Capitals is a network of several major global cities in both the northern and southern hemispheres which share a key economic and cultural asset: their internationally renowned wine regions. It aims to encourage travel, education and business exchanges between the prestigious wine regions of Adelaide, South Australia; Bilbao, Rioja; Bordeaux; Cape Town, Cape Winelands; Mainz, Rheinhessen; Mendoza; Porto; San Francisco; Napa Valley; Valparaìso; Casablanca Valley and Verona. For more information, visit www.greatwinecapitals.com
