Dow's Port

Dow's traces its origins to 1798, when Portuguese merchant Bruno da Silva began exporting wine from Portugal to London. The modern house took shape in 1877 when Silva & Cosens merged with Dow & Co. A pivotal moment came in 1912, when Andrew James Symington became a partner and took charge of the vineyards and lodges. The Symington family consolidated full ownership in 1961 and have now run the estate across five generations. In 1998, the Symingtons repurchased Quinta do Bomfim to mark Dow's bicentenary, and in 2015 they opened a visitor centre there.

• Founded 1798 by Bruno da Silva as a London export business
• Silva & Cosens merged with Dow & Co. in 1877
• Andrew James Symington became partner in 1912; family became sole owners in 1961
• Quinta do Bomfim repurchased by Symingtons in 1998 for the bicentenary

Dow's farms 85 hectares across two principal estates in the Upper Douro. Quinta do Bomfim (60 hectares) sits in the Cima Corgo subregion at elevations between 90 and 349 metres, with an average annual rainfall of 660mm. Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira (25 hectares) occupies the drier Douro Superior, receiving approximately 450mm of rain per year. Both estates are planted on steep schist slopes, the bedrock that defines Port wine terroir. Dow's also owns the Cerdeira and Santinho vineyards in Douro Superior. All vineyards carry an 'A' grade classification, the highest tier in the Douro's official vineyard rating system. The entire region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• 85 total hectares; principal estates in Cima Corgo and Douro Superior subregions
• Steep schist slopes throughout; elevations from 90 to 349 metres
• Quinta do Bomfim averages 660mm rainfall; Senhora da Ribeira averages 450mm
• All vineyards classified 'A' grade, the top tier in the Douro system

Dow's cultivates the classic Upper Douro red varieties: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cão, and Tinta Amarela (also known as Trincadeira). Fermentation combines traditional foot-treading in open granite lagares with modern robotic lagares, a technology that replicates the gentle extraction of foot-treading at greater scale. The house produces a full range of Port styles, including Vintage Port, Aged Tawny, Late Bottled Vintage, Ruby, and Colheita. Dow's hallmark across all styles is a distinctively drier finish, setting it apart from many of its peers in the Douro.

• Six principal red varieties led by Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional
• Uses both traditional foot-treading and modern robotic lagares
• Portfolio spans Vintage, Aged Tawny, LBV, Ruby, and Colheita styles
• Distinctive drier finish is the defining characteristic of Dow's wines

Dow's has earned an exceptional critical record. The 2007 Vintage Port received a perfect 100-point score from Wine Spectator, one of the most prestigious scores in the Port category. The 2011 Vintage Port went further, being named Wine Spectator's No.1 Wine of The Year in its Top 100 Wines of 2014. Dow's is also a member of Primum Familiae Vini, the invitation-only group of the world's leading family wine estates, a distinction shared with only a handful of Portuguese producers.

• 2007 Vintage Port: perfect 100-point score from Wine Spectator
• 2011 Vintage Port: Wine Spectator Wine of The Year (Top 100 Wines of 2014)
• Member of Primum Familiae Vini since joining the elite global wine family group
• Five generations of Symington family winemakers have overseen the estates