Barão de Vilar Cheaper DOCs

[JacobH]

I apologise in advance if I get the corporate structure wrong, but I think I am right in saying that Barão de Vilar is owned by a combination of the Barros and Van Zeller families who have bought various brands, including Feuerheerd. Although I am not quite clear if they also own the Barros and Van Zeller brands, themselves.

On a couple of occasions recently I’ve tried some of their table wines. A few weeks ago, I bought a bottle of their Feuerheerd’s Anchor Wine Tinto from Sainsbury’s. Last night I had a glass of the “Smiling Donkey” Tinto in a pub. Whilst both of these wines have the appearance of being at the novelty end of the spectrum--the Anchor Wine comes wrapped in paper; whilst the Smiling Donkey has a silly name (albeit apparently a small donation is made to a donkey charity for each bottle sold)--I was really rather impressed with the quality of both of them. Not overly complex but balanced and drinkable without an excess of tannin or acid. I think they retail at about £9 (which I guess means they’d be about €6-7 in Portugal?) which is quite a tricky price range from most Douro reds in the UK.

I have to confess to mostly avoiding Barão de Vilar Ports at the moment, since i think they can be a bit under powered but on the basis of these two, I’d see it as a reassuring mark on a cheaper Douro DOC.

[MigSU]

Although I am not quite clear if they also own the Barros and Van Zeller brands, themselves.

Barros is owned by Sogevinus, and Cristiano van Zeller (not of Barão de Vilar) owns the Van Zeller brand (along with his daughter, I think).

As for the wines you mention, I've actually never tried either of them, but I'll keep an eye out.

[JacobH]

Barros is owned by Sogevinus, and Cristiano van Zeller (not of Barão de Vilar) owns the Van Zeller brand (along with his daughter, I think).

Thanks. I thought it was something complex like that. Although I guess the fact that the Van Zeller brand is actually owned by someone with “van Zeller” in their name makes it quite straight-forward by Port Shipper naming standards!!

[Alex Bridgeman]

The Van Zeller ownership is confusing.

Cristiano Van Zeller is the winemaker for the Van Zeller brand, but the brand is owned by his cousins after Cristiano and his daughter merged the Van Zeller business into the cousin’s bigger but non Douro based wine business.

But Barão de Vilar’s holding company is owned by Fernando van Zeller (who is the present Barāo de Vilar). His brother Alvaro Van Zeller is the winemaker and might be a part owner of the company. Vinko Wines owns four Port brands that I can remember and a few I can’t. The one I remember are Barão de Vilar, Palmer, Maynard and Feuerheerd.