Vintage Wine & Port Blog

Historic Tasting at the Cockburn Lodge

Posted 21 February 2024

by Vintage Wine and Port

Our MD Tony arranged a tasting of legendary vintages of Cockburn Vintage Port at the Cockburn Lodge In Villa Nova de Gaia. Present were members of the Symington Family (owners of Cockburn) and friends from the Port Forum. The vintages covered were 1912, 1927, 1935, 1947, 1945,1948, 1955, 1960, 1963, 1967 and 1970.

Colheita or Single Harvest Tawny Port. What’s the difference?

Posted 17 October 2023

by Vintage Wine and Port: Ben Read

The world of wine is full of terms that can be confusing if you are not familiar with them. Colheita is one such term – one we are often asked about. So what is a colheita Port? The literal translation of the Portuguese term ‘colheita’ is ‘harvest’. The Portuguese have traditionally used the term ‘colheita’ to describe a Port, aged in wooden barrels for 7+ years, that is solely from a single harvest year – all of the grapes used to make the specific wine were harvested in one single year. Hence the more anglicised term ‘single harvest tawny’ that is also sometimes used to describe certain Port wines.

Learn About Italian Wines

Posted 25 September 2023

by Vintage Wine and Port

Italy is a country that has a formidable tradition and history of winemaking. Indeed, it is known that vines used for Italian wine production have been growing in this region for over 4000 years. The constant influx of conquerors and travellers over the centuries constantly added to the existing base of knowledge and allowed Italian wine growing to develop into the highly regarded craft that it is today. The Ancient Greeks referred to southern Italy as Enotria, meaning “land of the vine”, and with the tremendous quality and variety of Italian wines on call today, Italy remains one of the most exciting wine regions of the world.

2019 Vintage Port Declaration

Posted 3 June 2021

by Dia Grigoriou

2019 harvest at Sogevinus vineyards in the Douro

Although 2019 was a good vintage in the Douro, not all shippers declared a classic vintage. Those whose vineyards are situated in favourable aspect sites opted for a classic declaration whilst others focused their potential releases on ports from terroir driven plots. With no general vintage declaration, several major producers have announced single quinta vintage releases instead.