The Symington family are the only major British Port company to be entirely owned and managed by one family, an unparalleled tradition in the Port trade.

Today, seven members of the family actively work in the company, reflecting a continued passion and commitment that dates back over four generations to 1882. However, the family line can actually be traced back to 1652, and the very birth of the Port trade, through their Great Grandmother, Beatrice Leitão de Carvalhosa Atkinson. Symington Family Estates are by far the world’s leading producers of premium quality Port, with combined sales that now account for 33% of all the premium Port sold throughout the world. The family owns some of the finest vineyards in the Douro valley - a UNESCO world heritage site – with 27 Quintas covering 2,118 hectares, 1,035 of which are under vine.

The foremost producers of premium quality Port, accounting for 33% of all premium Port sold throughout the world.

The family’s vineyards are managed under a ‘minimum intervention’ policy that preserves the natural environment and 114 hectares are organically farmed, making them largest area of certified organic vineyard in Portugal. The family are also leaders in the field of innovation, viticulture and winemaking, with experimental vineyards at Quinta da Cavadinha and Quinta do Atiade in the Vilariça valley, where they have planted a vineyard with 53 different grape varieties.  Many of these are extremely rare and are part of a long term programme to preserve the regions indigenous species. They also introduced the first modern treading ‘lagar’ in 1998 and these modern lagares are now used in the family’s premium wineries.
Symington Family Estates have won more awards than any other Port producer at the world’s most highly respected blind tastings. Since 1999 they have also been producing high quality Douro table wines.
In addition to their state-of-the-art winery at Quinta do Sol which produces Altano, they have invested in Quinta do Atiade where they make two estate wines. Further east, in the Douro Superiore, Quinta do Vesuvio produces two wines, while Prats and Symington – a joint venture between the Symington’s and Bruno Prats - produces a further 3 wines, including the highly awarded Chryseia.