The Symington family has become a dominant force in wine and wine sustainability. Their ambitious ‘Mission 2025” plan for sustainability includes goals on a range of areas including reducing carbon emissions, increasing biodiversity and climate change adaptation.
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. The Port houses they control include Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s, Quinta do Vesuvio, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell, Quarles Harris and most recently since 2010, Cockburn.
History
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.
Wines
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. Quinta do Ataíde is also...
The Symington family has become a dominant force in wine and wine sustainability. Their ambitious ‘Mission 2025” plan for sustainability includes goals on a range of areas including reducing carbon emissions, increasing biodiversity and climate change adaptation.
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. The Port houses they control include Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s, Quinta do Vesuvio, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell, Quarles Harris and most recently since 2010, Cockburn.
History
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.
Wines
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. Quinta do Ataíde is also the site of a new winery, which is designed to reduce its impact on the environment. It will use renewable energy and the layout has been designed to maximise the amount of wine transfers that can be achieved through gravity.
Environmental sustainability
Members of the Primum Familiae Vini group of top family producers worldwide, they are one of the world's leading producers. They own the largest organically certified vineyard in Portugal and from 2019 are certified B-corporation members. Given Portugal’s significant water challenges, Symington have, since 2011, been working to reduce the amount of water needed in winery and bottling operations, and use a computer-controlled system of irrigation drips to minimise use of water in the vineyard. The company also manages more than 1,200 hectares of wildlife sanctuaries, which provide habitats for species including wild boar and birds of prey, and maintain 92 kilometres of stone terraces, which are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Social sustainability
The company’s commitment to its local community is equally impressive. Each year they buy grapes from over 1,100 farmers and work with those suppliers to ensure that their practices are aligned with Symington’s minimal intervention approach. The company also prioritises local providers of goods and services to support the local economy.
