Real Companhia Velha

Real Companhia Velha

The mother company is trading under three different company names: Real Companhia Velha, Royal Oporto Wine Co and Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhos do Alto Douro depending on market, brand and other. This is somewhat confusing as, for example, the brand Royal Oporto can be shipped by the company Real Companhia Velha or vice versa. Until 1997 Real Companhia Velha and Royal Oporto were in fact the same wine but with different labels, where Royal Oporto is simply the English translation of the trademark. But from the 1997 Vintage the wines are produces separately.

In addition, Real Companhia owns several other companies and, for example, Real Vinicola is shipped by Real Companhia Vinicola do Norte de Portugal, SA.

Since its foundation by Royal Charter of King Dom José on the 10th of September 1756 under the auspices of His Prime Minister, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Mello, Count of Oeiras and Marquis of Pombal. Formed by the most important farmers of the Upper Douro and the Good Men of the City of Oporto, the Company was entrusted with the task of ‘sustaining the cultivation of vines, conserving the production of them in their natural pureness, in benefit of Agriculture, Trade and Public Health.’ Among the numberless services performed by the Company in favour of the public, the outstanding, because of their enormous importance, were the so-called Pombaline Demarcation in the Douro Region, carried out between 1758 and 1761 by the Deputies of the Board of the Real Companhia Velha. Thus the Port wine Region was delimited and being the oldest Demarcated Wine Region in the world.

In 1781 the Real Companhia Velha, also known as Royal Oporto Wine Company, presented its Port Wine to the Imperial lips of Catherine of Russia. As a result of the Company's action, exports of the famous wines of the Douro Region underwent considerable and successive increase. During the French Invasions (1809), Napoleon's troops requisitioned the wines of Real Companhia Velha which thus came to be part of the rations of the French soldiers. Almost at the same time (1811), Lord Wellington and his troops were also consuming the Company's Porto Wines.

Many Kings have reigned in Portugal and the importance of Real Companhia Velha is well demonstrated through the numerous services to the community and the support of the majestic privileges granted by Queen D. Maria I, King D. João IV, Queen D. Maria II and King D. Pedro. What makes Real Companhia Velha unique is the way its own history is intimately linked to the history of the Porto Wine trade and to the history of Portugal itself. For more than one century, between 1756 and 1865, Real Companhia Velha played such an important role in the Porto industry, as regulatory body, as well as trade promoter, that it can be said, the history of the Company is almost the History of Porto. On the 7th December 1865 by Royal Decree of King Dom Fernando the exports through the Porto Harbour of all wines produced in Portugal was declared free and the company lost its majestic privileges and became a public company trading in the open Porto market continuing to develop the reputation of its name all over the world.

Royal Oporto grew enormously after 1950, and Silva Reis bought it in 1960 but in the revolution of 1974 it was nationalised and the stocks sold off. The company has since been sold back to Silva Reis and when he returned he declared a vintage named ‘Desintervencao’ i.e. The Return.

Real Comp Velha and Royal Oporto was the same vintage wine in the bottle until 1997 when the house decided that Royal Oporto had a better selection of grapes and from the vintage 1997 they are two different wines.

The House Hooper was bought in 1951, Real Vinicola in 1963, Souza Guedes & Irmao in 1975, and Delaforce in 2001.

Quintas: Real Companhia Velha is one of the leading producer of Porto and the largest owner of Premium land in the Douro Valley. The Company owns some of the Douro´s finest Quintas.

Quinta dos Aciprestes
Since the 1860's the Quinta dos Aciprestes has been a conglomeration of several Quintas. The original Quinta - called dos Cyprestes - was founded in the 18th century by Dom José de Seabra, one of the ministers of Queen Dona Maria I, and owned by his successors, the Viscounts da Baía.

Quinta das Carvalhas
The Quinta das Carvalhas has a prominent position on the left bank of the Douro River facing Pinhão. It is most certainly the largest Quinta in the whole of the Douro Region and undoubtedly the jewel of Real Companhia Velha crown. Written reference about Carvalhas can be traced back to 1759

Quinta do Casal da Granja
The Casal da Granja is situated in the Plateau of Alijó right in the heart of Granja de Alijó village. Being at an altitude between 520-640 meters and fanned by cool mountain breezes Casal da Granja is an enormous property of gently undulating land and is privileged for the production of the finest White Port Wine and Douro table wines. Bought back of Silva Reis in 1972 for the Real Companhia Velha.

Quinta de Sidrô
According to historical information vines were first planted on the Quinta de Sidrô in the early 19th century when the imposing Palácio was built by the first Marquis of Soveral. Sidrô continued to belong to the Soveral family, which included Luis de Soveral, Ambassador to the Court of St. James and a personal friend of King Edward VII, until it passed to the Viscount of Asseca. Real Companhia Velha bought this prestigious Quinta in 1972.

Quinta do Corval
Corval is a small Quinta of 2,5 hectares. It was completely restructured in 2001.

Quinta do Síbio
Historians have confirmed that Quinta do Síbio was planted around the same time as the foundation of Real Companhia Velha (1756). It was in the hands of the Jordão family until 1934 when Real Companhia Vinícola purchased it.

Vintage Port tasting notes:

Old Colheita/Tawny tasting notes:

Last tasted:

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