Port Wine Cellars – Graham’s 1890 Lodge

Graham’s 1890 Lodge was born that very same year in the idyllic setting of Vila Nova de Gaia, slightly distant from the other cellars, with a view over Porto and the beautiful city bridges. Open to the public for more than 20 years now, it was renovated in 2013, setting a new way of looking at Wine Tourism and the art of hospitality.

By being bought by the Symington family in 1970 the company has been developing with respect for its past, as we can see in the museum room, where no detail was left to chance, since centenary batch books, photographs, thank you letters from the Queen of England or President Obama, a famous Patek Philippe watch, that once belonged to Queen Maria Pia and was bought by the Symington family, historic bottles and a small tribute to the artisans that still work at Graham’s nowadays (it’s the only Port Wine company still having a team of coopers) and in particular to Master Emílio Oliveira, that accounts for all the cooper’s workshop of the family.

A level below, and in a completely different environment – darker and fresher, live and rest the most precious assets of Graham’s, its wines, with more than 3200 wine barrels and balseiros (large oak vats), be undeceived those who think they’re standing in front of a museum, there passed and still do all the wines of the house, it is a cellar in full work and constantly changing, and you can easily pass by a Six Grapes oak vat, a future Colheita, or to those more alert the barrels that give origin to the famous and luxurious 1882 Ne Oublie.

At the cellar the recovery and reconstruction works were extremely tasteful, and didn’t change the original design, highlight to the lighting game that helps us travel through time given the amount of history that lives in that place. Speaking of history, nothing like walking through some more internal rooms of the cellar, where the main vintages of the brand are ageing, like sleeping beauties, with bottles from 1868 to the most recent ones. What a dream and what a wish to taste some of those nectars.

Entering the Tasting room, everything changes, to an environment with plenty natural light, white walls and decorated with wood and the best Graham’s has to offer, the wines. The tickets for visiting the Cellars correspond to different tasting options, and can go from 5€ (3 simple Ports) to 50€. From 20€ you have access to another tasting room, the Vintage Room, with a typical British decoration and an intimate environment, where the books and sofas from the family’s estate create the perfect set for tasting some of the best wines of the brand.

Ending the visit and with the usual science of the museums organization we ended at the Shop, where, with the help of a well-educated team it is possible to buy the most adequate Symington products for every personal taste, from a simple Prazo de Roriz wine, to Azeite, and of course a big variety of Port Wines.

The space of 1980 Lodge does not end here, we still have the Restaurant Vinum, a partnership between Symington and the Spanish Sagardi, which brought to Gaia a cuisine with Portuguese roots based on good quality product and the mastery of confection. I remember the most distracted that it was elected as Revelation Restaurant in the Flavors & Senses – The Best for 2014 awards. Highlight to the Atrium room with direct view over Douro and the city.

Graham’s – 1890 Lodge
Rua do Agro, 141 (Grahams Port Lodge) Vila Nova de Gaia
220 930 417

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