Established in 1820, W & J Graham is one of the most famous names in the Port trade and has long been synonymous with the greatest Vintage Ports. The Symington family acquired the company from the Graham family in 1970, so today Graham’s remains a wholly family-owned firm. Bucelas was the first wine The Society ever sold! This tiny DOC is one of the closest to Lisbon. It produces breezy dry whites which are popular locally. Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port – Aged for 4-6 years, these ports have lots of character but are lighter than traditional vintages. Best with soft cheeses. The Symington family is the dominant force in the Port trade. They own 2,400 hectares of land in the Douro Valley across 26 individual Quintas (Estates) where over 1,000 hectares are planted with vines. They own several well-known brands of Port, and since 1999 have been producing table wines from the Douro. As of 2017 they are also owners of an estate in the Portalegre sub-region to the north east of the Alentejo - their first outside the Douro - with the first wines released in 2019. Between the mountains and the coast, on fertile clay soils, is Bairrada (barro is Portuguese for clay). Better known for red wines, this is one of the only wine regions in Portugal to be dominated by a single grape variety,the tannic, high-acid baga, making wines that can be tough and astringent in their youth but which soften with age, becoming beguilingly perfumed. These days many blend baga with non-indigenous grapes to make a friendlier style, but the greatest are pure baga. The area also benefits from late-afternoon breezes which favour the production of fresh, food-friendly whites and increasingly popular sparkling wines.

Like regular Port, White Port is fortified wine just made from green grapes, including Sercial and Malvasia Fina. The production processes are similar, although in White Port making there is little or no maceration period. Lisboa is a large, coastal region that runs north from Lisbon. Atlantic breezes help cool the vineyards and maintain the fresh acidity and aromatics in the mostly white wines. North of Bucelas, on the Atlantic west coast lies the strip of rolling countryside that contains nine separate DOCs under the umbrella name of Lisboa. This is Portugal's largest wine producing region in volume terms. Tejo was formerly known as Ribatejo is known for good, everyday drinking wines in a range of styles from a wide range of permitted grapes. This region lies on either side of the River Tagus Vintage Port – Made from the best grapes of a single year, the “vintage” refers to an outstanding harvest. After being aged for around two years, vintage ports are further aged in bottles. The best ones can be aged for decades and are both powerful and elegant. They go well with dark chocolate, blue cheeses or on their own. Due to Graham’s Blend No5’s micro-production (less than 6000 bottles), and the popularity of premium Port in the UK, Blend No5 is only currently available to the UK market.Port wines also make great cooking wines. So wear your chef’s hat and whip up recipes like orange and Port red cabbage or a tatin of shallots with Port to please a crowd. Summer is finally here meaning longer lighter evenings, with the hope of clear skies. The perfect drink to accompany an evening like this is White Port which the Portuguese have savoured for centuries. Served chilled neat or as a long drink, it makes for a pleasant night. Graham’s, one of the most outstanding producers of vintage port, owns five separate mountainous vineyards, located in different parts of the Douro region – each with the maximum ‘A’ grade classification. They have left as much of the original wild plant life undisturbed as possible, preserving biodiversity to contribute to unique and powerfully expressive wines reflective of the terroir. Graham's wines are renowned for remarkable richness, concentration and firm tannic structure which combine to give brilliant longevity. The House style is known by its intense floral notes, opulent berry fruit flavours and flair. Like its neighbour Spain, Portugal has been undergoing something of a quiet revolution over the last twenty years or so. A reluctance to follow trends and plant international grapes is now paying dividends and the new breed of full-blooded, fruit-filled wines are more than able to compete on the world stage. The unique flavours that are the hallmark of Portugal's indigenous grape varieties have become its trump card.

If you’re a fan of red wine, we’ve also got Shiraz, Merlot and Pinot Noir to add to your collection. Shiraz is sweeter in nature whilst others are semi-sweet. Sherry The Graham brothers William and John located their company in Porto where they traded textiles until 1820. They then accepted 27 barrels of Port to pay a debt. The two decided to produce the drink themselves, forming Graham’s Port house. In 1970 the Symington family took over ownership of Graham’s. The story of Graham’s is that of two families, across three centuries. Founded in 1820 by two brothers, William and John Graham, the company was one of the first to invest in its own vineyards in the Douro Valley, and remains a pioneer innovating new techniques in winemaking to this day. Today, since their acquisition by Symington Family Estates, five Symington cousins share responsibility for the company. The Symington family has also been involved with Port for generations. Nearly a century after their ancestor AJ Symington left the employ of Graham’s to strike out on his own, the family came full circle to return to the company.Tawny Port – After being aged in oak barrels, tawny ports are further aged in bottles for periods such as ten, 20, 40 years, etc. The name comes from the tawny colour they develop over time and they tend to be very smooth and mellow, with flavours of fruit and nuts. They go well with cheeses and some puddings. A neutral grape spirit is introduced, and its high volume of alcohol of about 77% kills off the yeast stopping the fermentation process. This leaves a sweet drink high in alcohol and sugar. The family has been present in the Douro for five generations, having been founded in 1882 when Andrew James Symington, a Scot who arrived in Oporto, started working for Graham’s before becoming a partner of Warre & Co and Dow’s Port. Over 70% of the Port wine sold by Symington brands is produced from grapes grown on their own properties. Often White Port is only aged for 18 months with some up to three years but never more. Just like fine Wine and Brandy producers like to age their White Port with some companies having 40 years old vintages.

It might be old fashioned, but I enjoyed the white Port with a splash of lemonade and a slice of lemon. A classic for a reason, simple yet tasty. How you decided to drink the Blend No 5, I am positive you will enjoy it as much as me. Graham’s Blend Number 5 White Port – Where and how? Their Douro wines include the Altano range, Quinta do Ataíde in the Vilariça valley in the upper Douro, and flagship Chryseia, which along with Post Scriptum and Prazo de Roriz, are produced at Quinta de Roriz in a joint venture with Bruno Prats, ex of Château Cos d'Estournel in Bordeaux. Crusted Port – A blend of outstanding young ports from two or three harvests, these are left to mature in the bottle, forming a “crust” (natural sediment) as they age. White Port – Briefly aged before bottling, these are meant to be drunk young, and range from crisp dry wines, best served with tonic, ice and lemon, to sweeter versions, which go well with puddings. There are some aged white ports, too.Single Quinta Vintage Port – These ports are produced from a port house’s best vineyards in a great year, but may not be quite good enough for a declared Vintage Port. Great with cheese.