Real Companhia Velha is one of the historically most important institutions in the Portuguese wine sector. It was founded on 10 September 1756 by Royal Charter of King D. Jose I as the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro. Its history is closely linked to the regulation and early geographical demarcation of the Douro region. Since 1960 the company has been managed by the Silva Reis family. Today it produces Port and Douro DOC wines and owns Quinta das Carvalhas, Quinta de Cidro, Quinta dos Aciprestes, Quinta do Casal da Granja and Quinta do Sibio, together accounting for 557 hectares of estate vineyards.
| Feature | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Real Companhia Velha |
| Historical name | Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro |
| Founded | 10 September 1756 |
| Management | Silva Reis family, since 1960 |
| Headquarters | Vila Nova de Gaia |
| Region | Douro, Portugal |
| Estates | Quinta das Carvalhas; Quinta de Cidro; Quinta dos Aciprestes; Quinta do Casal da Granja; Quinta do Sibio |
| Estate vineyards | 557 ha |
| Production | Port wine and Douro DOC |
| Website | https://realcompanhiavelha.pt/ |
The company was created against the background of a crisis in the Douro wine trade. Adulteration and inconsistent quality had weakened confidence in the wines. On 10 September 1756 the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro was established and became a central instrument of the Pombaline reforms. During the nineteenth century it gradually lost its original privileges but continued as a wine business. In 1953 Manuel da Silva Reis acquired Miguel de Souza Guedes & Irmaos and with it Quinta das Carvalhas. In 1960 he acquired a majority stake in Real Companhia Velha. A period of modernisation and expansion followed. During the 1990s viticulture and the wine range were further developed, and the Fine Wine Division was launched in 1996. In 2016 the company celebrated its 260th anniversary and released Carvalhas Memories 1867. The Enoteca & Museu 17.56 opened in 2018.
Real Companhia Velha owns five estates with a total of 557 hectares of vineyards. Quinta das Carvalhas is the most important property. Its earliest written references date to 1759. In 1881 it passed to Miguel de Souza Guedes, who undertook vineyard reconstruction following phylloxera damage. It has been part of the Silva Reis family's holdings since 1953. Old plots and traditional mixed plantings provide fruit for premium wines and Ports. Quinta de Cidro, Quinta dos Aciprestes, Quinta do Casal da Granja and Quinta do Sibio complete the estate portfolio. White Ports are sourced particularly from Quinta do Casal da Granja, while red Ports are produced from parcels at Carvalhas, Aciprestes and Sibio.
The Port portfolio includes Real Companhia Velha, Royal Oporto, Quinta das Carvalhas, Delaforce and Silva Reis. The range extends from Ruby, Tawny, White and Lagrima to Vintage and Colheita. Old vines at Quinta das Carvalhas are associated with premium Ports. The company therefore covers youthful fruit-driven Ports as well as oxidative-aged and vintage-specific styles.
Real Companhia Velha combines corporate and institutional history. Its role in the eighteenth-century regulation of the Douro makes it an important part of the history of controlled wine origin in Portugal. Since 1960 the Silva Reis family has combined this heritage with modernisation, estate ownership and Douro DOC production. The Museu da 1ª Demarcação preserves documents, registers, photographs and objects connected with this history.