SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – May 30, 2023 – Symington Family Estates, owners of Quinta do Vesúvio, one of Portugal’s most prestigious wine estates, is delighted to announce its Bicentennial year as a wine-producing property.
Founded in 1823, Quinta do Vesúvio is credited as the first known single estate Port wine to be bottled in the Douro in 1868. The estate was later saved by the legendary Dame of the Douro, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, whose vision for Quinta do Vesúvio contributed greatly to the Douro Superior being officially included in the Demarcated Douro Region in 1907. A widow from a young age, Dona Antónia dedicated her life to Quinta do Vesúvio, including building a school for the expanding community and growing other crops during the Phylloxera outbreak of the late 1800s that provided a livelihood for the community.
Acquired by Symington Family Estates in 1989, the family has proudly restored Vesúvio as a single estate, investing in viticultural improvements, maintaining the highest quality standards for the property’s vines. The 19th century winery is also one of the few where all the grapes for its Vintage Port wine are still trodden by human feet in original winery granite lagares, a time-honored technique passed down through the centuries.
Rupert Symington reflects on Quinta do Vesúvio: “It is an honor to count this iconic winery as one of our true gems, leading with tradition and legacy at the forefront of our efforts, while also innovating where relevant. We take pride in producing elegant wines that reflect the distinct beauty of the quinta and everything that has been accomplished here over the last 200 years.”
Under the Symington family’s leadership, Quinta do Vesúvio continues to exemplify the Douro as one of the top wine regions in the world. Spanning over 800 acres, of which 328 are planted to vines, Quinta do Vesúvio is one of the model vineyards in the Douro Valley. Located in the Upper Douro, the quinta’s extraordinary terroir is renowned for its unique microclimate, soil and aspect that create ideal conditions for consistently superb wines.
The property produces two Vintage Ports: Quinta do Vesúvio, using the highest quality grapes sourced from the property, and Capela da Quinta do Vesúvio, a single vineyard Vintage Port, only made in the very best years. Both wines are produced in very small quantities. In 2009, the Symington family launched the DOC wines Quinta do Vesúvio and Pombal do Vesúvio, showcasing the uniqueness and magnitude of the terroir.
For the very first time, Quinta do Vesúvio is offering a unique opportunity for a private day visit of this remarkable quinta with a dedicated guide. Visitors may take in the magnificently restored estate house and chapel; step into the granite lagares in the winery where grapes are trodden by foot; and tour the mountainous vineyards across seven hills. A tutored tasting of Vesúvio’s finest Douro DOC wines and Vintage Port Is also offered in the original winery accompanied by a traditional Douro lunch on the balcony at the house overlooking the Douro River. For more information, visit https://visit.quintadovesuvio.
About Quinta do Vesúvio
Quinta do Vesúvio is situated far upriver in the Douro Superior, 75 miles from Portugal’s Atlantic coast and less than 20 miles from the Spanish border. Since acquiring Quinta do Vesúvio in 1989, Symington Family Estates has sought to restore the quinta’s legendary reputation, including preserving the centuries-old method of treading the grapes in the granite lagares, which were built in 1827. Vesúvio is one of the last Douro Valley properties to maintain this tradition.
Quinta do Vesúvio has a total area of 800 acres, of which 328 are planted to vines. The property has great variations in altitude, from over 400 feet at the riverside to over 1,700 feet at the top of the ridge. Vineyards face north, south, east and west, providing a remarkable range of conditions. The property’s scale and mountainous terrain make for vineyards with multiple aspects and altitude ranges, providing the necessary elements of fine Vintage Ports and excellent Douro wines. Located so far inland, the quinta experiences climatic extremes, reaching very high temperatures in summer and very low in winter. It is very dry, with an average of only 15 inches of rain falling each year.
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 fine wines and Ports with a deep commitment to the region’s land and people. Today, ten Symingtons work across their four Port houses: Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s, as well as their Douro wine brands – Quinta do Vesúvio, Quinta do Ataíde, Altano and Prats & Symington (of Chryseia fame). In 2017 they launched a new venture, Quinta da Fonte Souto, in the Alto Alentejo. Symington Family Estates is a leading premium Port producer and the leading vineyard owners in the Douro valley, with 26 Quintas covering 2,462 hectares and 1,114 ha of vineyard. All their vineyards are sustainably managed under a minimum intervention certification and 130 ha are organically farmed, the largest area of organic vineyard in northern Portugal. The family has invested significantly in viticulture R&D to adapt to climate change and have an ambitious sustainability plan, with a series of goals under the banner of Mission 2025. In 2019 the company became a certified B Corporation – the first wine company in Portugal to take this step – joining a global community of businesses audited for the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility, committed to using business as a force for good. www.symington.com
