Posted on 07/19/2021
Leading Portuguese wine company entrusts the exclusive distribution of its brand Sandeman to the historic Sicilian company
After Mateus and Offley, leading Portuguese wine company Sogrape has further strengthened and complemented its partnership with the Duca di Salaparuta Group by entrusting the Sicilian winemaker with one of its most famous and iconic brands — SANDEMAN — and signing an exclusive distribution agreement for the Italian market starting in July 2021.
Founded in 1790 by George Sandeman, a young and ambitious Scotsman, in 2002 the Company became part of the Group Sogrape, Portugal’s leading wine company with strong international presence in over 120 markets and around 1.600 hectares of vineyards spread out through Portugal, Spain, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile. The history of this Port Wine house, with its wines distributed in over 75 markets, has its roots in London and in the passion of XVIII century wine merchants for the Douro, an astonishing wine region located east of Porto known for its micro-climates, diversity of grape varieties and schist soils that give origin to high-quality and complex still and Port Wines. These last, the celebrated fortified wines from such emblematic region, are still produced with the utmost care, combining tradition and innovation to reach the most authentic result.
The brand Sandeman is known all over the world fort its Port, Sherry and Madeira wines, and the unmistakable black silhouette of The Don: commissioned to the artist George Massiot Brown in 1928 by George Sandeman, this mysterious and fascinating caped figure was actually the first logo created for a wine and remains one of the most iconic images in the international winemaking world. The excellence in quality and known expertise in the famous art of blending – from which Sandeman Aged Tawnies are the finest evidence – also strongly contribute to the brand and its Ports reputation in the sector.
We are therefore happy to announce that the award-winning Port Wine brand Sandeman is joining the Duca di Salaparuta Group network. In 2013 Duca di Salaparuta launched a distribution project dedicated to wine Companies, the result of careful observation of the changes that have taken place in the market and the desire to offer its customers an increasingly rich portfolio, which in addition to Sogrape includes the refined French champagne house Lanson and two historic Italian wine Companies, Caparzo and Barone di Valforte.
About Sogrape
Since it was founded in Portugal more than 75 years ago, Sogrape has always demonstrated a gift for anticipating the future. Back in 1942, in the middle of the World War II, the vision of its founder, Fernando Van Zeller Guedes, was to demonstrate the quality of Portuguese wines to the world and conquer consumers with a light and refreshing rosé. From a single winery in the Douro Valley, focused on the production of Mateus Rose, the company has become global, doing business in more than 120 markets and owning c.1,600 hectares of vineyards in Portugal, Spain, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand. To offer top quality wines and great brands is a common belief shared by all group companies now spread throughout 10 countries. Today, it is the combination of a family spirit with a peak performing team culture that keeps taking the company forward, with Fernando da Cunha Guedes, President and 3rd generation of the founding family, firmly at the helm.