Ferreira was founded in 1751, five years before the demarcation of the Douro Valley. Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira was an example in the nineteenth-century of good business, social engagement for the weak and keeper of a high quality port wine production.

Ferreira was from the start a Portuguese company and is it still today.

Outside the cellars

A series of tanks for the freshly pressed wine before it is distributed out in fats and casks.

Some of the big fats used for Ruby production.

Casks and fats in long rows, notice the wooden floor made to minimize damage to casks when being rolled around.

A display of empty vintage port wines, the real treasure of company vintage wines was not on display to the public.

Porto Cálem was founded in 1859 by António Alves Cálem. In 1859 Cálem was dedicated to export wine to Brazil and importing exotic wood from Brazil using its own fleet. Porto Cálem stayed a family business for four generations before it became a part of Sogevinus in 1998, a group of port wine producers, Kopke, Barros, Burmester and Cálem.

Cálem is located just across the street from the Douro river in Vila de Nova Gaia.

The big vats used for ruby and the smaller casks for tawnys.

Vats containing Colheita wines, in front a year 2009.

Casa Ramos Pinto was founded in 1880 by Adriano Ramos Pinto. Ramos Pinto had their biggest market in Brazil and was in the 20th century responsible for half of the wine export to South America. Ramos Pinto have since 1990 been a part of the Roederer Group. 

A few vintage bottles on display in the lobby.

The lobby room where the wine tasting also takes place.

Behind the customer counter of the old offices that are still standing with the original interior.

A for the time modern lift was used instead of rolling the casks up and down to the cellar.

A cask with the Ramos Pinto logo

A small selection of their vintage collection, this is mostly bottles from the 80’s and is a part of a corking experiment where different types of corks and methods are tested over a long period.

A view down along the casks full of port wine.