Cockburn's Port House
Encyclopedia
Cockburn’s Port is a port
producer in Portugal
.
It started as a family-owned business and went through 48 years of ownership by various large corporations before returning to private family ownership in 2010 as part of Symington Family Estates
.
after first visiting the country as a soldier fighting under Wellington
in the Napoleonic Wars
. It became a major brand of port in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Cockburn’s is the leading brand of port in the UK, which is the world’s largest premium port market.
In 1962, the company ceased to be a family-owned business when it was sold to Harvey’s of Bristol, which itself then became part of Allied Domecq
until 2005, when Allied Domecq was taken over by Pernod Ricard
, which sold Cockburn's and some other brands to the Fortune Brands
holding company (the parent company of Beam Global). In 2010 Cockburn's was sold to Symington Family Estates, a family-owned business that owns over 2,300 acres of vineyards in the Douro
valley (by far the largest vineyard holding in this wine region).
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
producer in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
It started as a family-owned business and went through 48 years of ownership by various large corporations before returning to private family ownership in 2010 as part of Symington Family Estates
Symington Family Estates
Symington Family Estates is a wine company and Port wine house in Portugal, which owns and operates several vineyards and wineries and owns several brands of Port, Madeira wine and Douro DOC wines, including some of the oldest and most well-known Port and Madeira brands...
.
History
Cockburn’s was set up by Scotsman Robert Cockburn in 1815, who returned to PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
after first visiting the country as a soldier fighting under Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. It became a major brand of port in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Cockburn’s is the leading brand of port in the UK, which is the world’s largest premium port market.
In 1962, the company ceased to be a family-owned business when it was sold to Harvey’s of Bristol, which itself then became part of Allied Domecq
Allied Domecq
Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, UK that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard.-History:...
until 2005, when Allied Domecq was taken over by Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard...
, which sold Cockburn's and some other brands to the Fortune Brands
Fortune Brands
Fortune Brands was a holding company founded in 1969 as American Brands and later renamed in 1997 and split apart in 2011. The corporate headquarters was in Deerfield, Illinois in the United States. The company historically had a significant diversity of product offerings...
holding company (the parent company of Beam Global). In 2010 Cockburn's was sold to Symington Family Estates, a family-owned business that owns over 2,300 acres of vineyards in the Douro
Douro
The Douro or Duero is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province across northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto...
valley (by far the largest vineyard holding in this wine region).