About Cockburns
Cockburn's is one of the world's most distinguished port houses, founded in 1815 by Robert Cockburn, a Scottish soldier who served in Portugal during the Peninsular War. Originally wine merchants in Leith, Scotland, the founders established their port house with the ambitious objective of securing excellent wine directly at its source in Portugal's Douro Valley. Throughout its remarkable history, Cockburn's has been a pioneer in the port industry with a reputation for questioning established rules. The house was among the first to plant vineyards in the remote Douro Superior region and played an instrumental role in resurrecting the now-iconic Touriga Nacional grape variety from near extinction. In 1969, they revolutionised the port trade by inventing Special Reserve, creating an entirely new category that remains popular today. After changing hands in 1962 when sold to Harvey's of Bristol, Cockburn's returned to family ownership in 2010 when Symington Family Estates acquired the company. This return to family stewardship has focused on restoring the reputation Cockburn's once commanded as producer of some of the world's greatest ports - records from early 20th century London auction houses show their wines achieved the highest prices of any port. Today, Cockburn's continues to innovate whilst honouring its heritage. Their Fine White Port, aged for up to 18 months from high-altitude vineyard wines, has become the foundation for a new trend in aperitif drinking. Now available in convenient White Port & Tonic cans at UK supermarkets, Cockburn's is bringing the Douro tradition of white port aperitifs to a new generation of British consumers.