Meet the rebels, our fiercely independent, ethical wine producers
At Port O’ Bristol we collaborate with artisans who use regenerative practices to sustainably produce incredible wines in small batches. They invest their skill and passion into producing wines packed full of personality, combining historic methods and modern, environmentally friendly practices.
The wine producers here are part of the Port O’ Bristol story and are more than suppliers, they’re personal friends. We visit each vineyard personally, tasting, experiencing and enjoying every vintage, selecting only the best to set sail to the UK.
Before you select your wine, take some time to meet the people and learn the story behind every bottle.
Casa de Darei
Carlos Ruivo – or our good friend Mani, as we call him – works at his family home, an XV11 historic estate that has been in the family since 1997. His wish was to restore the beautiful house and its vineyards on the shores of the river Dao to produce food, meat and wine for his family and his friends.
Mani’s vineyards use organic and regenerative methods and exclude chemicals. Instead, Mani use his winemaking skill and knowledge of the terroir to produce elegant Dao wines.
Mani has also constructed barrels for the Port O’ Bristol project and has visited Bristol several times. We even got him bottling one of his barrels at Underfall Yard a couple of years ago.
Adega Cooperativa de Mesão Frio
The oldest co-operative in the Douro Valley, Adega de Mesão Frio, was set up in 1950 by the local farmers to ensure they got a fair price for their grapes.
They exclusively use native grapes, and they pride themselves on producing outstanding quality wines using traditional methods.
The co-operative may have grown and modernised since 1950, but it still proudly reflects the environmental standards and ethical beliefs of those who started it.
Joao Tavares de Pina
Joao is a force of nature. A winemaker in tune with nature and never against it, he produces some of Portugal’s most outstanding sustainable wines. His vineyards in Dao have granitic and clay shale soil that gives each grape a unique flavour. To avoid using pesticides, he cultivates 500m of ground with lavender, a natural insect repellent. All grapes are hand-picked and fermented using ambient yeast.
Joao, Luisa and their daughters are all champions of everything that’s excellent about sympathetic winemaking, working in harmony with nature to create some of the most delicious wines we have ever tasted.
Mateus Nicolau de Almeida
We met Mateus at the very beginning of this voyage. He and Anton had an immediate connection – crazy plans were made and then realised. It’s true that the Port O’ Bristol project is the wine baby of these two unorthodox creative minds.
Mateus is a fifth-generation winemaker comes from a very prestigious wine family in Portugal. His grandfather Fernando created Barca Velha, and his father Joao produced Ramos Pintos’ first Douro wine. Mateus was crowned the Reengage Winemaker 2016 and Young Winemaker of the Year 2014.
Mateus and his wife, Teresa Ameztoy – an internationally renowned winemaker – use biodynamic and organic farming methods to produce wines that reflect the terroir of the Douro valley. The wines they create reflect the soil, climate and different vinification techniques. It’s the personality and uniqueness of Portugal in a glass.
Their partnership is truly mind-blowing, and their skill is evident when you taste the wines.
Mateus and his Teresa work in the vineyards and their purpose-built underground winery. The stone Lagares, where the hand-picked fruit is foot-trodden, is directly above the fermentation vessel, which eliminates the need for pumping.
As well as wine, Mateus and Anton made the first Port O’ Bristol barrel together, which was well received after a return journey to the Caribbean.
Quinta Da Serradina
Antonio Marques da Cruz is a gentle, fun and warm-hearted man, characteristics that also define his delicate wines. Antonio is a fifth-generation winemaker. The vineyards were planted in 1957 on clay-limestone soils on a south-facing slope with an Atlantic climate. His father chose to use organic practices in 1994 before they were considered normal in Portugal. This is why the bottles have a little ladybird on the corks, indicating and celebrating their chemical-free farming and production methods.
Antonio won the Portuguese Revolutionary Wine Producer award in 2017, but he’s not a man who chases accolades. Antonio only releases vintages from years he considers to be outstanding. His wines are wonderful, as is the man himself.
Quinta de Gomariz
The Quinta is situated in the heart of Vinho Verde and features approximately 17 hectares of loam soils with an Atlantic Ocean influence. These prime conditions, along with excellent sun exposure, enable celebrated winemaker Antonio Sousa to produce outstanding examples of single-varietal Vinho Verde wines.
These wines include the multi-award-winning Avesso, winner of the Best of The Best Vinho Verde 2020.
Quinta de Romeu
The Meneres family has been with us since the start of our Sail Cargo® journey. This family-run business is the essence of the rebel spirit, staying small, sustainable and independent.
The family have owned their Quinta in Tras-Os-Monte, Douro for five generations, caring for several thousand hectares of olive groves, cork trees and vineyards. Winemaker Mafalda Magalhaes produces wines from native grape varieties. The vineyard has been 100% organic since 1997.
The Westerlies range of Douro wines from Quinta de Romeu is made especially for the sea crossing, ensuring every bottle arrives in perfect condition.
We also sell olive oil from the family estate, which gained a score of 95/100 on the Flos Olei guide by Marco Oreggia – the most prestigious Extra Virgin Olive Oil guide in the world.
Quinta Do Ferro
Micaela Fonseca is known as the Sparkling Queen. She left her family-owned Quinta in the Douro Verde to train as an architect. Despite having a very successful career, her heart was in the winery. Micaela is passionate about creating superb sparkling wines.
The fruit enjoys a micro-climate similar to that of the Champagne region in France. All grapes are hand-harvested to preserve quality, and the wine is made using the traditional method. Quinta do Ferro Growers Espumantes (Portuguese for sparkling) are of exceptionally high quality. We are sure that once you try them, you, too, will call her the Sparkling Queen.
Quinta Val da Figueira
Joao Calem Hoelzer is the third generation to produce port wine from his family’s 16-hectare Quinta near Pinhao in the Douro Valley. He’s also a total rock star! His expertise in Port wine production is unquestionable.
The Tawny has a sublime complexity. The vintage is extraordinary with a unique freshness and his white Port with tonic will have you questioning G&T as your aperitif of choice. Joao’s daughter Marta will be taking the helm when she has finished her studies, continuing this magnificent port wine lineage for many years to come.
Tomaralmá
Tomaralmá may be a newer producer for us, but their commitment to reviving forgotten traditions makes them an essential part of our collection. Founded by Nadir and Sílvia in 2015, the project began with the planting of a small vineyard in Sílvia’s ancestral village of Moreiras Grandes, nestled between the Tejo and Lisboa regions.
Working in calcareous soils under a Mediterranean climate, they draw inspiration from old regional vineyards, planting a mix of native varieties and using traditional methods like grafting in the field. Their family winery, dormant for 40 years, has been brought back to life to produce wines that honor the history of the region.
From experimental wines like Caspitos—crafted without added sulfites—to heritage-inspired releases like Volt’aire, Tomaralmá’s range reflects the unique terroir of central Portugal. With each bottle, they breathe life into a historic wine region once tied to medieval Cistercian convents and Templar traditions.
Vale da Capucha
Pedro Marques and his family hold a special place in our hearts. The vineyard outside Lisbon is clay-limestone with a high-fossil content. Combined with an Atlantic climate, it’s the perfect place to create incredible wines.
Pedro uses organic practises, indigenous grapes, ambient yeast and minimal intervention to produce wines that are a pure expression of the terroir. Pedro’s wines are full of sea air, minerality and life.
Viúva Gomes
The Baeta family, owners of Viúva Gomes, have been with us since the very beginning of our Sail Cargo® journey. Based in the historic Colares Region, this father-and-son team, José and Diogo, are dedicated to preserving the unique terroirs of the area while producing wines that honor tradition and innovation.
Viúva Gomes works across six small, organically farmed vineyards by the sea, as well as collaborating with local winegrowers in Colares. Their wines, crafted from indigenous grape varieties like Ramisco and Malvasia de Colares, reflect the distinct characteristics of this sandy-soil region.
From their iconic Colares DOC wines to experimental small-batch “Pirata” releases, Viúva Gomes is a true steward of the region’s viticultural heritage. With a commitment to minimal intervention and respecting ancestral practices, their wines carry forward the legacy of one of Portugal’s most historic wine regions.
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