Cooperage Symington

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Symington Family Estates is one of the world's leading producers of premium port, the leading vineyard owner in the Douro Valley and one of the top Portuguese wine producers.

In the Cockburn’s Lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia, on the other side of the river from Porto, time moves at a slow pace. While the wines rest peacefully, gradually evolving to their peak of maturity in oak barrels well seasoned with wine.

The Cockburn’s Lodge is the largest wooden Port cellar (called ‘caves’ in Portuguese) in the historical area of Vila Nova de Gaia. As you walk into the Lodge you’ll be surrounded by rows of barrels of all shapes and sizes. This is the largest collection of oak barrels and wooden vats of any Port cellar in Porto. This is where we age all our Ports and in particular this is the home of our Special Reserve Port.

The perfect balance and softness in this wine is achieved by ageing it for longer in the Lodge. So we need the extra living space. It’s the job of our dedicated team of coopers to take care of all the barrels and vats in the Lodge to make sure everything is just so. The Cockburn’s family includes our own team of coopers. We are the last Port company which still has its own working cooperage with a full team of seven skilled coopers because we know that their careful work is essential to making Ports of top quality.

They invited me to photograph two of their biggest wine port brands Dow's and Warre's.

In an ongoing project from the beginning of their history to the end of their taste experiences.

This set is about cooperage.