The Port trade is dominated by its shippers. Although other nations are represented, they are traditionally known as British or Portuguese shippers. The shippers' lodges — their offices and warehouses — have been located, since the 17th-century, on a hillside rising up from the riverbank, in Vila Nova de Gaia, the main suburb of Oporto. This is the "nerve center" of the port trade. For it is here that the port is aged, blended, bottled and shipped. It is here too, where they will decide the vintage.

Find Bargains on Vintage Port

We will focus here, on some of the best shippers. We will find out about their house styles and we will learn a little of their histories.

The Major Port Groups

The Port Groups dominate the Port market. They own one or more Port Houses and are well known the world over.

Cockburn Smithes
Cockburn • Martinez Gassiot

Croft
Croft • Delaforce, Sons & Co. • Morgan Brothers

A.A. Ferreira

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Quinta do Noval
Quinta do Noval • Quinta do Noval Nacional • Van Zeller

Sandeman
Sandeman • Robertson's Rebello Valente

Symington Port Shippers
Dow • Grahamn • Gould Campbell • Quarles Harris • Smith Woodhouse • Warre

Taylor, Fladgate & Fonseca
Fonseca • Fonseca-Guimaraens • Taylor

The Top Port Houses
Port House • Year Founded

J.W. Burmester • @1750
A.A. Calem & Filho • 1859
Cockburn Smithes • 1815
Croft • 1678
Delaforce, Sons & Co. • 1868
Dow • 1798
A.A. Ferreira • 1751
Fonseca • 1822
Fonseca-Guimaraens • 1822
Gould Campbell • 1797
W. & J. Grahamn • 1820
Graham's Malvedos •
C.N. Kopke • 1638
Martinez Gassiot • 1790
Morgan Brothers • 1715
Niepoort • 1842
Offley Forrester • 1737
Manoel D. Pocas Junior • 1918
Quarles Harris • 1680
Quinta do Bomfim • 1890
Quinta da Cavadinha •
Quinta da Corte •
Quinta da Eira Velha • 1978
Quinta do Noval • 1813
Quinta do Noval Nacional • 1813
Quinta da Roeda • 1811
Quinta de Vargellas • 1893
Adriano Ramos-Pinto • 1880
Robertson's Rebello Valente • 1847
Sandeman • 1790
Smith Woodhouse • 1784
Taylor Fladgate • 1692
Warre • 1670
Wiese & Krohn • 1865

Principle Port Houses
Port House • Year Founded

Barros, Ameida • 1913
Borges & Irmao • 1884
Champalimaud • unknown
Churchhill • 1981
C. da Dilva • 1862
Diez Hermanos • 1875
H. & C.J. Feist • 1836
Feuerheerd Brothers • 1815
Richard Hooper & Sons • 1771
Hutcheson • 1881
Messias • 1926
Osborne • 1772
A. Pintos dos Santos • 1872
Quinta do Crasto • 1615
Quinta do Infantado • 1816
Quinta do Panascal •
Quinta da Romaneira • 1813
Quinta de la Rosa • 1906
Quinta de Val da Figueira •
Real Companhia Velha (Royal Oporto) • 1756
Rozes • 1855
Van Zeller • 1780
Vasconcellos • 1789
Vieira de Sousa • 1925