VAN ZELLERS PORT (Tawny, Ruby),Poland Van Zellers Porto price supplier

Van Zellers & Co.

Van Zellers & Co. was officially established as a Port Wine shipper in 1780, by the first generation of Portuguese van Zellers. One of the earliest larger shippers, it was sold to other wine merchants in the middle of the 19th century. It was reacquired by the van Zeller family in the 1930s, when it was incorporated by Quinta do Noval – Quinta do Noval was then owned by Luís de Vasconcellos Porto, whose only daughter and heiress, Rita de Vasconcellos Porto, had married Cristiano van Zeller, descendant of the founder through the eldest male line. Van Zellers & Co. was again sold by the van Zeller family along with Quinta do Noval in 1993, entering a stage of dormancy, with no stocks or commercial activity. The company and its brands were finally reacquired by Cristiano van Zeller in 2006. That same year Cristiano van Zeller started producing the “VZ” and “Van Zellers” Douro DOC wines, and in 2009 the Van Zeller Ports, thus opening a new chapter in this more than two-hundred-year-old company.

Van Zellers and VZ Ports

Portuguese law that regulates the Port business demands that new producers must have a minimum stock of 150.000 litres before they are allowed to buy Grapes to produce Port or bulk stocks on the market. In the case of producers that own their own vineyards, they are only allowed to produce and sell Ports from their own vineyards until that minimum stock is reached. Van Zellers & Co. is attached to Cristiano van Zeller’s own Quinta Vale D. Maria and its now 40 hectares of vineyards. Until it reaches the minimum stock of 150.000 litres of Port some years have to go by.

A natural joint cooperation was then created between Van Zellers & Co. and Cristiano van Zeller’s cousins Fernando and Álvaro van Zellers’ own “Barão de Vilar” Port company, agreeing that Van Zellers & Co. would source its Ports from “Barão de Vilar” stocks until Van Zellers & Co. own stocks of these wines are completed, in the future. The blends of all these wines are jointly made and decided by Cristiano van Zeller and his enology team, together with Álvaro van Zeller.

Tasting Notes

The wines in the blend for this Ruby Port, issued from a long list of different grape varieties and locations along the Douro valley, patiently matured for an average of three years in seasoned oak casks, acquiring a softened mellow texture with an intense complex nose which complements the appealing raisiny fruit. Bright ruby and clear, it is ready to drink once bottled. Van Zellers Ruby Port makes a delicious dessert wine and is the perfect finish to any meal. Serve lightly chilled in warmer weather.

Like all young Ports, Van Zellers Ruby Port can be enjoyed for some weeks after opening, if kept in good storage conditions. Mince pies, cakes, milk chocolates, walnuts, nuts, crème brûlée, Roquefort and as a digestive, are some of the perfect “friends” for this Port.