Warre’s releases last bottles of 1960 vintage

To mark its 350th anniversary, the oldest British-owned Port house, Warre’s, is releasing its last bottles of 1960 vintage wines, 350 of them.

The bottles will be available through select retailers and cost £320 each.

In addition, two of the house’s most popular wines, the Warre’s Warrior and Late Bottled Vintage will also bear a special commemorative label.

Founded in 1670, Warre’s was the first true British Port company established in Portugal and is generally held to be the oldest surviving British-owned company in mainland Europe.

The company built its lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia (one of the first to do so in fact) in the early 1700s and in 1750 established its ‘Warre’s Warrior’ label, the oldest Port trademark that still exists.

Members of the family fought with the Anglo-Portuguese army during the Peninsular War of the early 1800s and in the 1890s George Warre was one of the first Port merchants to start making vineyard purchases in the Douro Valley, including two quintas which are still owned by Warre’s today.

Andrew James Symington, from an equally old British family of Port shippers, became a partner in Warre’s in 1905 and the Warre family sold their remaining shares to the Symingtons in the 1960s.

Today Warre’s sits alongside other redoubtable Port names such as Graham’s, Cockburn’s and Dow’s in the Symington Family Estates portfolio.

Johnny Symington – chairman of Symington Family Estates, commented: “We are extremely proud to be celebrating Warre’s 350th anniversary: three generations of my family worked alongside the Warres until the mid-1960s when they decided to return to the UK.

“We have continued a great tradition that dates back to 1670. This incredible milestone is a moment for us to reflect on our heritage and our uniqueness as a family business. We also celebrate the alliance between Portugal and England, the oldest in history, which has been such an important part of the history of Port.”