Region of production: Douro
Winery Location: Cima Corgo
Year Established: 1981

Vineyard Holdings

  • Quinta da Gricha (19 ha): Grade A vineyard at 250-meter elevation on the south bank of the Duoro in Cima Corgo. Average vine age is 50 years. Purchased in 1999.

Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages

  • Quinta da Gricha: Aged entirely in new French oak for 12 months. Approximately 250 cases produced. Inaugural vintage 1999.
  • Vintage Ruby: Treated as a field blend and aged in oak vats for six months, then left to age in stainless steel until it is ready for bottling. Inaugural vintage 1982.
  • White Port Aperitif: Made from a field blend of multiple grapes, including Malvasia Fina, Rabigato, Cadega, and Viosinho and aged for 10 years. Inaugural vintage 1983.

Summary

Churchill is one of the youngest British Port houses and the first to be established in nearly a half century. The winery was founded by John Graham (whose family owned Graham’s Port until it was sold in 1970), previously of Cockburn, and his wife Caroline, whose maiden name is Churchill. Initially, Churchill sourced fruit from Quinta do Agua Alta and Quinta do Fojo. Churchill acquired the Quinta da Gricha estate in 1999 and now sources fruit entirely from that vineyard. The house launched a table wine portfolio in 2004, and its White Port is considered a benchmark among smaller, less-recognized producers.

Style & Vinification Techniques

Grapes are crushed by foot in granite lagares. The Vintage Port is a field blend from multiple sites with a primary base of Quinta da Gricha; it’s fresh, with an overall drier style. Churchill is known for a classic, structured style built for aging.

Producer Website: Churchill’s Port