Taste history with Kopke, the oldest Port Wine House. Established in 1638 by Nicolau Kopke and his son Cristiano, who came to Portugal as representatives of the Hanseatic League, Kopke has been run through the generations by several representatives of the Kopke family, obtaining an excellent reputation for its wines.
The first bottles of wine from Kopke are shipped to the North of Europe in 1638. In 1781, they bought a farm in the Douro, making the transition from shipper to major producer and gradually making Port Wine their main business focus.
In 1828, C. N. Kopkë, great-great-grandson of Nicolau, sided the company with the Liberal Party during Portugal’s civil war. Following the war, he was awarded the title of Baron of Vilar and a decade later his nephew the title Baron of Massarelos.
In 1841, the company’s name was changed to C. N. Kopke and remains as such to this day.
Almost a century later, in 1940, the House was awarded official recognition as the oldest in the world. Kopke have an excellent reputation backed by many gold medals, particularly for their Tawny (barrel-aged) Ports. Befitting their status as the oldest Port House, their bottles are easily recognisable by their traditional and hand-stencilled style.
