The Symington Family Makes its Debut in Vinho Verde in Partnership with Anselmo Mendes
San Francisco, CA, March 12, 2025 – Symington Family Estates, the leading and historic Port producer based in Oporto, Portugal, is pleased to announce that it is launching Casa de Rodas Alvarinho 2023 (SRP US $30), its first Vinho Verde, born from a partnership with winemaker Anselmo Mendes. This special Alvarinho wine, marking the Symington family’s debut in Vinho Verde production—specifically in the Monção and Melgaço sub-region—embodies a hundred years of winemaking heritage at the historic Casa de Rodas estate.
Originally built in 1566, Casa de Rodas is a historic estate in Monção, acquired by the Symington family in 2022. The estate spans 68 acres and has a rich history in the Vinho Verde region. In the 1920s, it was the first to commercially export Alvarinho wine with the grape variety indicated on the label.
“We are very proud to launch our first 100% Alvarinho wine, entirely sourced from this unique estate, and born from a highly valued partnership with one of Portugal’s most respected winemakers, Anselmo Mendes. He is an outstanding producer in this region, and this wine in particular represents the realization of a partnership that will undoubtedly be a success,” says Rupert Symington, Chairman of the Board of Symington Family Estates.
For Anselmo Mendes, “the growth potential of Vinho Verde—particularly in the Monção and Melgaço sub-region—is very significant, both in Portugal and abroad. The partnership established with Symington in 2023 is crucial in ensuring that this growth and recognition of the region becomes a reality, and for that reason, I could not be prouder of the launch of this first wine we have produced together.”
Casa de Rodas Alvarinho 2023 is available at major retailers in the US at $30.
ABOUT MENDES & SYMINGTON
The partnership between Anselmo Mendes and Symington Family Estates was established in 2023, leading to the creation of Mendes & Symington. This joint venture between the two winemaking families was formed with the goal of developing premium wines from the prestigious DOC Vinho Verde sub-region of Monção and Melgaço, in northern Portugal. As part of this joint venture, Symington acquired “Contacto,” a renowned single-varietal Alvarinho wine produced by Anselmo Mendes, and launched Casa de Rodas, produced at the historic estate in Monção and Melgaço, which Symington acquired in 2022.
ABOUT SYMINGTON FAMILY ESTATES
The Symington family, of Scottish, English, and Portuguese descent, has been producing Port wine in northern Portugal since 1882. For more than five generations, they have combined their passion for crafting fine wines and Ports with a strong commitment to the land and the people of the region. Today, nine members of the Symington family work in the group’s four Port wine houses: Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s, and Warre’s, as well as in their Douro wine brands—Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Ataíde, Altano, and Prats & Symington (known for Chryseia). In 2017, they embarked on a new venture, Quinta da Fonte Souto, in Alto Alentejo.
Symington Family Estates is a reputable producer of premium Port wine and one of the leading vineyard owners in the Douro Valley with 28 vineyards, covering a total of 2,490ha of which 1,076ha are under vine. The family business is a founding member of Primum Familiae Vini—an association of 12 historic European wine families. In 2020, Symington ranked 7th on “The World’s Most Admired Wine Brands” list, as voted by a panel of over 200 international wine experts, in a ranking organized by Drinks International.
All of Symington’s vineyards are managed sustainably under a minimal-intervention certification, with 130 hectares cultivated organically—the largest organic vineyard area in northern Portugal. The family has invested significantly in viticulture research and development to adapt to climate change and has an ambitious sustainability plan, committing to various public goals under the Mission 2025 initiative. In 2019, the company achieved B Corp Certification—becoming the first winery in Portugal to do so—joining a global community of companies audited to meet the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility. Symington was named “Ethical Company of the Year” at the 2019 Green Awards by The Drinks Business.
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