Port has it’s origins in the Douro regions in Portugal. The British and Portuguese governments came to an agreement in 1654 granting British traders special trade status. In 1678 two English traders, while on holiday along the Douro River, discovered an interesting wine, name Pinhâo. After finding that the wine had been fortified with brandy, they decided to buy the stock and add more brandy before shipping it to England. The English adored this new wine and in the middle of the eighteenth century Port was born … 

South African Ports have a history dating back to the early nineteenth century when production was started on the country’s own Port-style wines. Because of the English love for Port, sales showed a dramatic increase during the first half of the twentieth century. Sales declined during the late 1960's and 70's, and although attempts were made to improve the standards of local Ports by planting cultivars such as Tinta Barocca, Souzâo and Cinsaut, unfortunately these were still made in a very sweet style.  

During the late 1980's and early 90's more producers began to concentrate on the production of quality Port. Today Port is gaining popularity and a wide spectrum of Ports is still made in South Africa, which lately are becoming less sweet – although Ports are never quite dry. This swing to the drier style indicates the commitment of the South African Port Producers’ Association to the improvement of local Ports. Good Ports are much sought after and at recent wine auctions, including the Nederburg Auction, Port fetched more than double that of other fortified wines.