SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 27, 2020 – Symington Family Estates, producers of some of the finest Ports in the world for five generations and owners of the renowned Port brands W. & J. Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s, is hosting #PortLoversUnite in support of the International Red Cross COVID-19 emergency appeal on Sunday, May 3rd at 3:00 pm GMT. The virtual gathering will bring Port lovers from around the world together to share a glass of Port via a live video conference with members of the Symington family with the goal of raising funds to support humanitarian relief and medical services in conflict areas.
Attendees are asked to register by 3:00 pm (GMT) on Sunday 3rd May via this form and make a contribution to the Red Cross appeal while joining the virtual gathering with a glass of Port in hand. Port lovers in time zones who cannot make the live event are invited to drink a glass of Port on the same day, share a photo on social media using the hashtag #PortLoversUnite and make a donation to the Red Cross. The Symington family will make their own donation and will announce the total donations raised after the #PortLoversUnite event.
Since the coronavirus reached Portugal, Symington Family Estates has implemented various initiatives to support the national response to the pandemic. These include the in-house production of 10,000 litres of antiseptic gel (made with distilled grape spirit, glycerine and water) which has been distributed to various hospitals in the north of Portugal, the donation of a ventilator to the Vila Real hospital in the Douro region, funding towards a diagnostic X-Ray machine for a hospital south of Porto, and the purchase of 3,000 medical-grade protective masks for hospitals in the Porto area.
“For many Port drinkers, opening a bottle is an integral part of family gatherings, especially after lunch on a Sunday – in this case on the weekend of our May Day holiday. Sadly, this year many families will not be together. Port has solidarity in its DNA, in that the Douro has more than 21,000 grape growers and 92 percent of them farm fewer than five hectares of vineyard. As a result, people who drink Port are supporting entire communities in the Douro. In this time of social distancing and lockdown, we wanted to create an opportunity for the global Port community to share a glass together online, while contributing valuable funds to support the many courageous people on the front lines of this global pandemic. The International Red Cross is doing vital work in response to the pandemic providing emergency healthcare support for those living in conflict zones.” Rob Symington, Associate Director – Symington Family Estates
About Symington Family Estates — The Symingtons of Scottish, English and Portuguese descent have been Port producers in northern Portugal since 1882. For five generations they have combined their passion for producing premium Ports and wines with a deep commitment to the region’s land and people. Today ten Symingtons work across their four famous Port houses – Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s – as well as their Douro wine projects – Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Ataíde, Altano and Prats & Symington (of Chryseia fame) – and a new venture, Quinta da Fonte Souto in the Alto Alentejo.
Symington Family Estates is a leading premium Port producer and the family is the leading vineyard owners in the Douro Valley, with 26 Quintas covering 5,527 acres and 2,530 acres of vineyard. Their vineyards are managed under sustainable viticulture practices and 276 acres are organically farmed, the largest area of organic vineyards in the Douro. In 2019 Symington Family Estates became the first winery in Portugal to achieve B Corp certification. Symington Family Estates is unique amongst the major Port companies in that each working family member farms their own vineyard, alongside those under the family’s joint company ownership.
