Description
“Quinta do Vesúvio is situated far upriver in the Douro Superior, 120 kilometres from Portugal’s Atlantic coast and only 45 kilometres from the border with Spain. The Quinta’s special reputation for producing outstanding wines goes back to the nineteenth century, when the Viscount of Villa Maior wrote, “All this wine is made scrupulously and to perfection… this Quinta was made as if for princes…”
Vesúvio has a total area of 326 hectares (806 acres), of which 133 hectares (329 acres) are planted with vines. The rest, almost two-thirds, has been conserved in its natural, wild state.
The transformation of Vesúvio into the Douro’s showpiece vineyard began with António Bernardo Ferreira who bought the Quinta in 1823 with a vision and determination to build a vineyard on a scale never seen before in the Douro.
In addition to building hundreds of terraces and planting thousands of grape vines, an adega (winery) was built. It took thirteen years to complete and within a few years Quinta do Vesúvio became widely regarded as the Douro’s finest property, producing just one Vintage Port every year. Vesúvio is now owned by the Symington Family, the Royal Family of the Port world, now into their 13th Generation of producing and selling Port wine, so it’s safe to say in Vesúvio is in capable hands.”
