Quinta do Vesuvio is one of the Douro’s great estates. It is situated far upriver in the Douro Superior, 120 kilometers from the Atlantic coast and just 45 kilometres from Spain. The Quinta’s reputation for producing outstanding wines dates 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'. Since acquiring Quinta do Vesuvio in 1989, the Symington family has developed its legendary reputation. The family preserved the age-old method of treading grapes in the granite lagares that date from 1827. Teams of up to 40 men and women tread the grapes each harvest night. Vesuvio is one of the last Douro properties to maintain this tradition and all the vineyard’s Ports are made in this way. The Vesuvio estate comprises 326 hectares, of which 133 hectares are under vine. Investments by the Symington family have turned the estate into one of the Douro’s finest vineyards. Alongside new plantings, many of the mature vineyards from the 1970s have been preserved together with older, mixed variety vineyards, which contribute to the complexity and structure of Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Ports.
