2011 Warre's

Warre’s earliest history dates to the late 17th century when a pair of Englishmen opened a trading office in Portugal to export food and wine. But the company didn’t get into the Port business until the early 18th century, when William Warre joined the firm. The Warre family became very successful in Port trading and the men of the family also became noted British military officers. Today Warre’s is owned by Symington Family, which traces its roots back 13 generations to Scottish and Portuguese families in the Port business. Symington Family Estates, which is still family owned and operated, also owns Graham’s, Dow’s, Smith Woodhouse, Martinez and Quinta do Vesuvio. Warre’s makes a full line of ruby and tawny ports.

Portugal is best known for its two legendary fortified wines, Port and Madeira, but it also produces significant amounts of red and white table wine. In most years it ranks around the 10th or 11th largest wine producer in the world. In 2013, for instance, Portugal was the 11th largest producer just after Germany. Wine has always been produced in Portugal and in fact the country was the first to organize an appellation system, which it did in 1756, nearly 200 years before the French set up their appellations. The highest quality wines are labeled D.O.C. for Denominaçào de Origem Controlada. Many of the most innovative winemakers today, however, are avoiding the appellation system, which they deem too stifling for modern winemaking practices. The Douro Valley is the nation’s most important wine producing region, and it is the capital of Port production. The Portuguese island of Madeira, located 400 miles west of Morocco, is the nation’s other famous wine region, having produced Madeira for export for more than 400 years. Many red and white wine grapes grow in Portugal, though the best known is Touriga Nacional, the red grape used for Port and, increasingly, high quality table wines. Touriga Nacional produces dark, tannic, fruity wines.