The Muscat variety is for Dirk Niepoort one of the great varieties of the world.

Portugal has a long tradition of producing Moscatel, especially in the regions

of Setubal and Douro – Favaios - where the variety is Moscatel Petit Grains.

At Niepoort the records show that the production of Moscatel began around the 1920s.

Although we had a long tradition of producing it, for bureaucratic

reasons it slowly disappeared.

In 2000, we decided to recover Moscatel. The Niepoort style is a full-bodied

wine with a good structure and high acidity level to balance the sugar content

and guaranty a fresh wine.

White Port is made from white grapes: Malvasia, Viosinho and Gouveio. The juice is fermented as a white wine until the fermentation is stopped by the addition of pure grape brandy. After spending one year in large wood vats the wine is transferred to Casks (550 liter oak barrels). It is then aged in wood until at least 3 years before bottling. Deep gold, with nuts and hints of fruit fresh aroma and half sweet taste. Serve chilled as an aperitif or with desserts or even by itself.

Niepoort Dry White is made in the tradicional style with long skin maceration. The final blend includes different wines aged in oak casks with an average of 3,5 years. Golden, with nuts and almonds aroma and a fresh concentrated finish. Great when served chilled as an aperitif or with tonic water, ice and a slice of lemon or lemon peel.

An individual and distinct White Port, made for the first time by Niepoort as a result of the exceptional quality of a few parcels of old White Ports. Presents a classic style due to the long oxidative ageing process and the extended skin maceration. Gold, with dry fruits (orange peel, dry figs and nuts) aroma. Fine and balanced mouth, with acidity balancing its sweet character.

Serve chilled as an aperitif, with dessert or even on its own at the end of a meal.

The artist Regina Pessoa, inspired by Lewis Carrol, is the arquitect of NiePOoRTland: the magical place where the identical twins “Ruby Dum” and “Tawny Dee” live with all different characters from Alice in Wonderland. The "White Rabbit" was always a very special character and in 2013 gains its own label with “Rabbit Dry White”. The storyboard is finally complete….

With time, Ruby Dum retains its youthful, strong character, dominated by red cherries and plums with great freshness from ageing in large wooden vats in the cool cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia. Deep red, with fresh and ripe fruity aroma, easy drinking. Great with chocolate desserts or soft cheese.

During the ageing process Tawny Dee acquires great wisdom and subtleness through ageing in small old oak casks, exhibiting discrete characters of dried stone fruits. Fantastisc with nuts based desserts, fruit pies or the portuguese "Leite Creme queimado".

Rabbit Dry White is made in the tradicional style with long skin maceration. The final blend includes different wines aged in oak casks with an average of 3,5 years. Gold, with nuts and almonds aroma and a fresh concentrated finish. Great when served chilled as an aperitif or with tonic water, ice and a slice of lemon or lemon peel.

Max and Moritz are two naughty boys from Wilhelm Busch stories. The two brothers are the perfect tool to explain the Niepoort world of Port Wine. Max, fresh and fruity and Moritz, smooth and elegant, are The Two Niepoort Fabulous Ports.

Moritz spends most of its time ageing in barrels. Through a slow oxidation process over 7 years, is an elegant Port with a subtle expression, light colour and a range of flavours and aromas that are based on red fruit tones. Moritz is one of the Tawnies in the Tawny range of Ports: Tawny, Tawny with Age Indication and Colheita. A good match with cheeses and chocolate based desserts. It can also be drunk as an aperitif.

Max ages an average of 3 years in large wooden barrels. Great with chocolate desserts (specially bitter chocolate) or Cheddar, Gouda and Brie cheese.

The imaginary world of Wilhelm Busch has long crossed our world of wines. We try to innovate, keeping the tradition and in this process all the details are important. The unlucky and gloomy crow from the fable “Hans Huckebein”, created by Wilhem Busch himself, illustrates the Fabelhaft Port Wines.

The Fabelhaft Ruby, a young, vigorous and fresh Port Wine, is distinguished by the red capsule, while the Fabelhaft Tawny, subtle, elegant and expressive, finds its identity in the orange capsule.

With Fabelhaft Ruby and Tawny the doors to the magical and wonderful world of Port Wines are opened. Discover it!

The Niepoort philosophy has been, for the last decades, to innovate, diversify, break taboos, maintaining tradition. Parallel to the redesign of The Senior Tawny, where we used the most traditional format of bottle and a moustache to emphasis the seniority, we redesigned the Junior Tinto based on the concept of a young, fresh and contemporary wine.

The Junior Ruby undergoes an early filling, and spends the rest of its time in the bottle, where it is protected against outside influences. Through this process, its youthfulness, dark colour, freshness and dark fruit aromas and flavours are optimally maintained. Goes well with cheese, all kinds of chocolate and is perfect with pepper steak.

Regarding the Senior Tawny wine, it spends most of its time ageing in small barrels in the Niepoort lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia. The small barrels enable a soft and light contact with air through the pores of the wood, which results in a slow oxidation process over the years. Ideal with dry fruits, apple pie, the portuguese "Leite Creme" or patê.

At Niepoort we believe that the colour of the Port should be inspired by the "ruby stone". Ruby ages an average of 3 years. The grapes come from old vineyards in Cima Corgo region of Douro Valley. The wine ages in large wooden casks at Niepoort cellars, in Vila Nova de Gaia. Niepoort Ruby is fresh, young and fruity. An expressive Port with great character. Ruby keeps well for several years, although the wine will not improve with age. No decanting is necessary since the wine contains no sediment. Serve after a meal, by itself or with soft cheese.

Niepoort Ruby Reserve aims to be an accessible and easy drinking wine, while at the same time, retaining a high level of quality. A modern youthful style, resulting from a careful selection of very special wines aged for 3 to 4 years. Bright red in colour, exhibiting a very attractive aroma, with notes of ripe red fruit. Goes well with chocolate based desserts, soft cheese or by itself.

Late Bottled Vintage Port is from a single year. The wine ages 4-6 years in old oak casks (opposed to Vintage that ages 2-3). LBV fills the gap between the Rubies and the Vintage Ports since a Ruby Port should be drunk quite young and a great Vintage Port may need 15 to 20 years to really open up and show its splendour. This led to the idea in the 1960s to age the wine 4 to 6 years in large casks before bottling it, thereby producing a wine with the style of a Vintage Port with its deep colour and concentration of fruit, but with a more mature character caused by the longer ageing in wood. Late Bottled Vintage is the perfect Port to accompany chocolate desserts, specially bitter chocolate or a pepper steak.

This Crusted Port very much complements the well renowned Vintage and Late Bottled Vintage in the Niepoort range. Traditionally, Crusted Port is selected from wines of Vintage quality, from two or three harvests, which undergo no fining or filtration prior to bottling and are only released three years after bottling.

As the name suggests, Crusted Port, with time, will throw a natural deposit in bottle, and that’s why it is important to decant before serving. Niepoort Crusted is most appealing in its youth but will also benefit from several years ageing in bottle, for which the wines should be stored lying down.

This Bioma Crusted Port (Bottled 2014) is a further step up (if that’s even possible!) from the Niepoort Crusted Port. Traditionally, Crusted Port is selected from wines of Vintage quality, from two or three harvests, undergoes no fining or filtration, and is released three years after bottling. The origins of the Bioma Crusted (Bottled 2014) place this Port in a different league – the grapes stem from the exceptional Vinha da Pisca vineyard, most of whose vines exceed the age of 80, and which, in a Vintage year, provides the backbone of Niepoort Vintage Ports.

As the name suggests, Crusted Port will throw a natural deposit in the bottle with time, therefore it is important to decant it before serving. The Niepoort Bioma Crusted Port (Bottled 2014) is most appealing in its youth, but will also benefit from several years of bottle ageing, during which it should be stored lying down.

To produce a Port Wine with a fine and balanced flavour, Niepoort Tawny ages in oak casks for 3,5 years. Freshness, lightness and balance are the key elements of this wine. A Port easy to drink on any occasion. It contains no sediment and does not neet to be decanted. Tawny has a shiny bright colour and soft and sweet tannins. Great with chocolate desserts, cheese like Cheddar, Gouda and Brie, and red meat dishes.

Tawnies with an age indication such as "20 years" are blended from different wines averaging 20 years. Niepoort produces 10, 20 and 30 years old Tawny. The skilful ageing and blending of the different Tawny Ports is the art of Master Blender José Nogueira.

The prolonged ageing in small wooden casks confers the characteristic Tawny colour. The main features of an aged Tawny are the complexity of aromas, the freshness and a persistent bouquet and refinement. After dinner, old Tawny is a good match with cheeses and especially chocolate based desserts. It can also be drunk as an aperitif, served at room temperature or lightly chilled.

This beautifully almost apothecary’s bottle along with its appealing name – "Drink Me" – matches perfectly with the subtle, mellow and refined content. Tawnies with an age indication such as "10 years" are blended from different wines, with an average of 10 years. The prolonged ageing in small wooden casks confers the characteristic Tawny colour. The main features of an aged Tawny are the complexity of aromas, the freshness and refined persistent "bouquet". After dinner, this Tawny is a good match with cheese and chocolate based desserts. It can also be drunk as an aperitif, served at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Colheitas are dated Tawnies aged in small casks. The minimum age requirement is 7 years, but the tradition at Niepoort is to age several more years before bottling. The wine takes on a Tawny hue. Wood and nutty tones are evident on the palate due to the wine’s slow ageing in old casks. Colheita goes well with dry fruits desserts and the portuguese "Leite Creme queimado". As a starter, the combination with foie gras is impressive.

Vintage Port maintains Niepoort's tradition of making balanced Ports with great concentration, being at the same time fine and delicate. We strongly believe we can make a Vintage Port with potencial to last for decades. Vintage Port must be bottled within two or three years of the harvest date.

The magic of Vintage Port is different in every phase: as a young wine it captures the youthful fruit characters. Then, after 20 years or more, the effects of the slow bottle age integration are revealed and finally, after many decades, the spirit dominates the wine. Vintage Port is amazing in all the three phases. Half sweet taste, combining with its strong structure. Firm and long tannins, but balanced as a whole. Please, note that Vintage Port needs to be decanted. Perfect with "Queijo da Serra", Stilton or other blue cheeses and with egg desserts, like the portuguese "Pão de Ló".

With Bioma, we have broken the mold, and made an ultra-traditional style of Vintage Port. Inspired by the old Vintage Ports from 1970 and before, which were shipped in lodge pipes (550 liters) to England, before being bottled after nearly three years, we wanted to get as close as possible to this historic model. Deep colour, with dry fruits hints and silky taste. Perfect with "Queijo da Serra", Stilton or other blue cheeses and egg desserts, like the portuguese "Pão de Ló".

The Pisca vineyard has for many years formed part of the Niepoort Vintage Lot; in 2007 one very small parcel of Pisca was set aside and contrary to the current practice of ageing in large wooden vats it was aged in barrels, thus replicating the legendary Niepoort 1970 Vintage which was all aged in barrels. Furthermore, the handling of the wine prior to bottling in a less reductive way attempts to return to the days when Vintage ports were shipped in barrels to northern Europe and then bottled at the end of the second year or even in the third year following the harvest, in contrast to the current practice of bottling after a year and a half. Once again, at Niepoort, we believe that in a world of uniformity we have managed to produce a Vintage Port with a difference, with a return to some of the small technical details from a bygone era. Deep colour, black fruits and bitter chocolate aroma, with silky taste. Perfect with "Queijo da Serra", Stilton or other blue cheeses and egg desserts, like the portuguese "Pão de Ló".

Niepoort created a second style of Vintage Port: “Secundum Vintage”. The Secundum’s intention is the creation of an approachable Vintage that offers immediate satisfaction yet keeping the balance to age for decades. If we compare the Niepoort's Vintage Port with classic music, then Secundum would be like Mozart, young, charming, creative and tangible and the Vintage like Bach: intense, profound, complex and less accessible. Secundum 1999 was the first production of this Vintage, that shows the tannin of the great years, with presence and maturity, which grants longevity, but at the same time, because of its youth, allows an early enjoyment. According to Dirk Niepoort, Secundum 1999 "is quite impressive, it shows the tannins, but also the rich concentrated fruit. It's a powerful Vintage with a great ageing potential." Perfect with “Queijo da Serra”, a Stilton, other blue cheeses or soft cheese. Egg based desserts with “Pão de Ló” (Portuguese sponge based cake).

The second generation of the Niepoort family, in the late 19th century, had the fortunate idea of buying from a german glass factory in Oldenburg about 4000 glass balloons (in the form of old apothecaries’ bottles) of dark-green glass with varying capacities from 8 to 11 litres. Eduard Karel Jacob van der Niepoort died early and it was his son, Eduard Marius van der Niepoort, Dirk’s grandfather, who gave purpose to the demijohns by bottling the best wines of the 1931 harvest, thus creating the type “Garrafeira Niepoort”. Since the distant year of 1931 to this day the maturation in the demijohns, sealed with a cork, has been closely watched, it is almost a “sacred” ritual for both the Niepoort and the Nogueira families. Garrafeira is not just a wine; it means by itself quality far above the traditional canons. On the taste reveals a great mixture of sensations, aromas and flavours with a perfect balance between youth and experience, between the novelty of the fruit and the “good old age” that only long years of ageing can achieve.

Congratulations to Niepoort on its 170th anniversary!

To celebrate this occasion, we decided to bottle 999 bottles of the "new" old VV, in which we tried to combine the concentration and richness of the original VV with the refinement and purity that increasingly characterises Niepoort wines. The base for this blend is a very fine Port from 1863, of the highest quality, exquisitely aged in casks until 1972, and then "bottled" in demijohns.

The ancient and rare wines that are part of this batch, along with their aging in demijohns, make this Port unique and with a huge potential for ageing in bottle.

VV was created by Dirk Niepoort’s grandfather (Eduard Marius van der Niepoort) at the beginning of the 20th century. Eduard Marius had a great passion and commitment to quality, and as such had the dream to make the world's best Tawny and simply call it VV – Vinho Velho (Old Wine). It turned out to be a legendary wine, considered by many to be the best Tawny ever made. The original batch, like the new one, was based in pre-phylloxera wines, very concentrated and with "unlimited longevity." The new VV tries to be all this and even more, precise, balanced and long. This wine was made ​​with future generations in mind, and with the aim of demonstrating the timelessness of the Great Port Wine. In Porto Veritas.

Note by Rolf Niepoort:

"This VV has nothing to do with the VV of the 1950s, which was wine aged in the Douro Region. The new VV is a Port wine 100% aged in Vila Nova de Gaia, a real treasure, unique for its rarity and quality."

An oldtimer is back: Niepoort Aguardente Vínica Velha. For some time now, nearly 20 years, this brandy was much appreciated and respected, but no longer marketed. Recently, the brandy was a little refreshed with a 10-year-old brandy to return to the arena. Dark topaz-coloured, with shades of yellow. Very fine and vinous, hints of old wood, finely balanced. Very concentrated flavour after long ageing in oak barrels, very intense with a long, spirited finish.

With Bioma, we have broken the mold, and made an ultra-traditional style of Vintage Port. Inspired by the old Vintage Ports from 1970 and before, which were shipped in lodge pipes (550 liters) to England, before being bottled after nearly three years, we wanted to get as close as possible to this historic model. Deep colour, with dry fruits hints and silky taste. Perfect with "Queijo da Serra", Stilton or other blue cheeses and egg desserts, like the portuguese "Pão de Ló".

White Port is made from white grapes: Malvasia, Viosinho and Gouveio. The juice is fermented as a white wine until the fermentation is stopped by the addition of pure grape brandy. After spending one year in large wood vats the wine is transferred to Casks (550 liter oak barrels). It is then aged in wood until at least 3 years before bottling. Deep gold, with nuts and hints of fruit fresh aroma and half sweet taste. Serve chilled as an aperitif or with desserts or even by itself.

Fabelhaft Niepoort Dry White is made in the tradicional style with long skin maceration. The final blend includes different wines aged in oak casks with an average of 3,5 years. Golden, with nuts and almonds aroma and a fresh concentrated finish. Great when served chilled as an aperitif or with tonic water, ice and a slice of lemon or lemon peel.

To produce a Port Wine with a fine and balanced flavour, Niepoort Tawny ages in oak casks for 3,5 years. Freshness, lightness and balance are the key elements of this wine. A Port easy to drink on any occasion. Tawny has a shiny bright colour and soft and sweet tannins. Tawny Port keeps well for several years, although the wine will not improve with age. It contains no sediment and does not neet to be decanted.

Regarding the Fabelhaft Tawny Reserve wine, it spends most of its time ageing in small barrels in the Niepoort lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia. The small barrels enable a soft and light contact with air through the pores of the wood, which results in a slow oxidation process over the years. Ideal with dry fruits, apple pie, the portuguese "Leite Creme" or patê.

Late Bottled Vintage Port is from a single year. The wine ages 4-6 years in old oak casks (opposed to Vintage that ages 2-3). LBV fills the gap between the Rubies and the Vintage Ports since a Ruby Port should be drunk quite young and a great Vintage Port may need 15 to 20 years to really open up and show its splendour. This led to the idea in the 1960s to age the wine 4 to 6 years in large casks before bottling it, thereby producing a wine with the style of a Vintage Port with its deep colour and concentration of fruit, but with a more mature character caused by the longer ageing in wood. Late Bottled Vintage is the perfect Port to accompany chocolate desserts, specially bitter chocolate or a pepper steak.

Tawnies with an age indication such as "10 years" are blended from different wines averaging 10 years. Niepoort produces 10, 20 and 30 years old Tawny. The skilful ageing and blending of the different Tawny Ports is the art of Master Blender José Nogueira.

The prolonged ageing in small wooden casks confers the characteristic Tawny colour. The main features of an aged Tawny are the complexity of aromas, the freshness and a persistent bouquet and refinement. After dinner, old Tawny is a good match with cheeses and especially chocolate based desserts. It can also be drunk as an aperitif, served at room temperature or lightly chilled.

At Niepoort we believe that the colour of the Port should be inspired by the "ruby stone". Ruby ages an average of 3 years. The grapes come from old vineyards in Cima Corgo region of Douro Valley. The wine ages in large wooden casks at Niepoort cellars, in Vila Nova de Gaia. Fabelhaft Ruby is fresh, young and fruity. An expressive Port with great character. Ruby keeps well for several years, although the wine will not improve with age. No decanting is necessary since the wine contains no sediment. Serve after a meal, by itself or with soft cheese.

Niepoort Fabelhaft Ruby Reserve aims to be an accessible and easy drinking wine, while at the same time, retaining a high level of quality. A modern youthful style, resulting from a careful selection of very special wines aged for 3 to 4 years. Bright red in colour, exhibiting a very attractive aroma, with notes of ripe red fruit. Goes well with chocolate based desserts, soft cheese or by itself.

Did you know?

The first Quinado by Niepoort was launched in the 1950’s. It was a wine made from Tawny Ports to which quinine was added and then sent overseas to be used as medicine against malaria.

It’s the return of an old classic: the Niepoort Aguardente Velhíssima.

In the past, Brandy as well as Aguardente velha (a type of spirit aged for long periods of time) were great classics at Niepoort, with the 25-year-old Aguardente considered as one of the best in Portugal. During the 1990s, Dirk Niepoort relaunched and refined the Aguardente by ageing it for a much longer period – around 40 years –, lowering the sweetness and intensifying the aromatics and finesse, with an elegance and purity rare for Portugal. The current new edition of the Aguardente is even older (with an average age of around 50 years), more expressive, purer and more elegant.

Nat Trudy Cool!

The true Ruby!

The Niepoort house has been involved in the production of Port wines since 1842 and is therefore deeply rooted in this tradition. In its 5th generation, under the leadership of Dirk Niepoort, the company decided to broaden its horizons to Germany where we are currently producing exceptional Rieslings with a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness.

In Portugal we also have grape varieties with the potential of creating outstanding wines with this fantastic acid/sugar balance. Being an outspoken defender of authentic Portuguese wines, Dirk Niepoort is teasing out all the potential that the Douro’s Moscatel grapes harbour for producing fortified white wines. With its unmistakable aroma, complexity, acidity and elegance, this wine underlines everything that characterises the Niepoort style.

The best grapes for the Moscatel 5 Anos stem from old vineyards growing in soils transitioning from schist to granite, at 400 - 500m above sea level.

The Niepoort house has been involved in the production of Port wines since 1842 and is therefore deeply rooted in this tradition. In its 5th generation, under the leadership of Dirk Niepoort, the company decided to broaden its horizons to Germany where we are currently producing exceptional Rieslings with a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness.

In Portugal we also have grape varieties with the potential of creating outstanding wines with this fantastic acid/sugar balance. Being an outspoken defender of authentic Portuguese wines, Dirk Niepoort is teasing out all the potential that the Douro’s Moscatel grapes harbour for producing fortified white wines. With its unmistakable aroma, complexity, acidity and elegance, this wine underlines everything that characterises the Niepoort style.

The best grapes for the Moscatel 20 Anos stem from old vineyards growing in soils transitioning from schist to granite, at 400 - 500m above sea level.

Made from the Sercial grape variety, this Madeira wine stems from vines growing at higher altitudes. To keep true to the Niepoort style, the grapes are harvested a little earlier. In collaboration with Ricardo Diogo, we created a wine which represents the personality of these two “Sirs” of Portuguese wine.

Blending together grape varieties continues to be a relatively rare practice when it comes to Madeira wine. Ricardo Diogo and Dirk Niepoort tasted the various batches used for this dry “Reserva Especial” directly out of the barrels in one of the “Vinhos Barbeito” winery’s cellars.