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Oxidative and Reductive
There are many different styles of Port Wine, both white and red. But what sets them apart?
First, the type of grape used plays a key role. Each variety contributes its own colour, aromas and flavours. In the Douro Valley, dozens of red and white grape varieties are cultivated, each adding a unique character to the wine.
Second, the moment at which grape spirit is added during fermentation is crucial, as it defines the final style.
If fermentation is allowed to continue for longer, the yeasts consume more sugar, resulting in a drier wine.
If it is stopped earlier, more natural sugar is preserved, producing a sweeter style.
Finally, the style of Port also depends on how the wine is aged.
Depending on its contact with oxygen, ageing can be either reductive or oxidative.
In reductive ageing, the wine matures in large casks – such as vats – or in bottle. In these conditions, exposure to oxygen is very limited. This method is typical of young White Ports and Ruby Ports, which retain their fresh fruit character and deep colour.
In oxidative ageing, the wine is aged in smaller wooden casks, often for longer periods. Here, greater contact with oxygen gradually transforms the wine, giving rise to Tawny Ports.
Tawny Ports with an age indication – such as 10, 20, 30 or 40 years – are matured in oak casks, and the age on the label reflects the style and character developed through this ageing process.
Among Tawny Ports, you will also find Colheitas. These are high-quality wines from a single harvest, selected for its exceptional character. Unlike blends, they are aged in casks for at least seven years before being bottled.
The character of a wine house is not created overnight. It is shaped over time, generation after generation.
At Burmester, that character is far more than a statement. It is the reflection of a long and remarkable history. A tribute to the entrepreneurial spirit of those who began this journey across different cities of Europe, and who found in the voyage of Port wine – from the Douro Valley to the coast – a way of understanding viticulture, trade and wine itself.
In essence, a way of understanding life.
This selection of promotional material stands as a testament to that bold character, whose journey began nearly three centuries ago.
Port wine has played a transformative role in shaping the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
The women and men who made its production possible witnessed the profound changes this craft and its trade brought about – connecting Portugal to every corner of the world.
This is our small tribute to those who came before us, and who showed us a distinctive and enduring way of living and understanding wine.
At Burmester, a wide range of Port wines is produced – White, Ruby and Tawny – each designed to suit different moments and experiences.
White Ports stand out for their elegance and balance. Over time, their colour evolves from pale hues to deeper golden tones.
On the nose, fresh citrus and floral aromas are most prominent, gradually developing into richer honeyed notes and subtle toasted nuances with ageing.
The result is a delicate and versatile wine, perfect both as an aperitif and alongside a dessert or even a light meal.
We now present the three White Ports from Burmester:
• Burmester Helmsman Reserve
• Burmester Extra Dry White
• Burmester White
Burmester Ruby Ports stand out for their deep colour and vibrant, fruity profile.
This style preserves its aromas and flavours through reductive ageing, a process that limits oxidation and maintains its original freshness.
On the nose, you’ll find intense aromas of ripe red fruits – cherry, plum and blackberry – complemented by delicate floral notes and subtle hints of spice.
The result is a lively and expressive Port, ideal for those seeking intensity and perfect for a variety of moments and occasions.
Here is a selection of Burmester Ruby Ports:
Burmester Tawny Ports are characterised by their smooth texture and layered complexity.
Through oxidative ageing in oak casks, typically holding between 550 and 600 litres, the wine develops a distinctive personality, marked by toasted notes and gentle spice. Over time, its colour evolves into rich amber and deep golden tones, reflecting its extended maturation in wood.
On the nose, aromas of dried fruit, caramel, coffee and candied fruit emerge, harmoniously layered with notes of ripe fruit.
The result is an elegant, structured and velvety wine – beautifully balanced and ideal either as a dessert in its own right or paired with cheeses and sweet delicacies.
We now present a selection of Burmester Tawny Ports:
• Burmester Tawny
• Burmester Jockey Club Reserve Tawny
Aged Tawny Ports:
• 10 Year-Old Tawny
• 20 Year-Old Tawny
• 30 Year-Old Tawny
• 40 Year-Old Tawny
And Colheita Ports
Winemaking Process: From Vine to Bottle
Although Port is a unique wine, its production begins in much the same way as other wines.
The grapes are grown in the Douro Valley, and around mid-August – when they reach optimal ripeness – the harvest begins. Port is made from a wide variety of grape varieties, each contributing its own character.
The grapes are picked by hand and selected according to the style of wine to be produced. After harvest, they are taken to the winery, where fermentation may take place either by individual parcel or in larger batches, depending on the desired style.
At the winery, the grapes are carefully assessed by the winemaking team before being directed to fermentation tanks or traditional lagares.
Fermentation typically lasts three to four days, until the desired balance is reached. As it progresses, the grape skins rise to the surface, forming a dense layer.
At this point, a crucial step takes place – known as benefício. Grape spirit is added to the must, halting fermentation by stopping the action of the yeasts. This preserves the wine’s natural sugars and results in a sweet wine with a higher alcohol content, usually between 19 and 22 percent.
The moment at which this addition occurs determines the final level of sweetness.
Before being transported to the ageing cellars, the wine is evaluated to define its future style. After spending the winter in the Douro Valley, most wines are then taken, between January and February, to Vila Nova de Gaia to continue their ageing.
Here, the maritime climate – with its high humidity, mild temperatures and limited sun exposure – provides ideal conditions for maturation.
The wine may be aged in wooden vessels, stainless steel or glass, depending on the style, allowing it to evolve and develop its aromas and flavours over time.
Some wines come from a single harvest – often considered more distinctive – while others are blends, combining wines from different years to achieve a consistent and carefully balanced profile.
This blending process is a true art, in which the cellar master combines different wines to achieve harmony in character and flavour.
Finally, each wine is bottled according to its maturation, under the supervision of the winemaker and in accordance with strict regulations.
The result is a remarkable diversity of Port Wines, shaped by both ageing and blending – each with its own unique identity.
Ageing Techniques: Oxidative and Reductive
There are many different styles of Port Wine, both white and red. But what sets them apart?
First, the type of grape used plays a key role. Each variety contributes its own colour, aromas and flavours. In the Douro Valley, dozens of red and white grape varieties are cultivated, each adding a unique character to the wine.
Second, the moment at which grape spirit is added during fermentation is crucial, as it defines the final style.
If fermentation is allowed to continue for longer, the yeasts consume more sugar, resulting in a drier wine.
If it is stopped earlier, more natural sugar is preserved, producing a sweeter style.
Finally, the style of Port also depends on how the wine is aged.
Depending on its contact with oxygen, ageing can be either reductive or oxidative.
In reductive ageing, the wine matures in large casks – such as vats – or in bottle. In these conditions, exposure to oxygen is very limited. This method is typical of young White Ports and Ruby Ports, which retain their fresh fruit character and deep colour.
In oxidative ageing, the wine is aged in smaller wooden casks, often for longer periods. Here, greater contact with oxygen gradually transforms the wine, giving rise to Tawny Ports.
Tawny Ports with an age indication – such as 10, 20, 30 or 40 years – are matured in oak casks, and the age on the label reflects the style and character developed through this ageing process.
Among Tawny Ports, you will also find Colheitas. These are high-quality wines from a single harvest, selected for its exceptional character. Unlike blends, they are aged in casks for at least seven years before being bottled.
Port Wine has a unique quality that sets it apart in the world of wine… it is, by nature, a travelling wine.
The grapes from which it is made are grown many kilometres from here. And yet, they all make the same journey – arriving, in time, at Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto.
Every cask, every vat, every bottle follows this path. In the past, they travelled down the Douro River in the elegant rabelo boats. Today, the journey continues by road, following the river’s course to the cellars along this bank. It is here, in this privileged setting, that the wine rests and matures – a place where time reveals the full depth of its aromas and colours.
From here, Port Wine set out to the world. Burmester wines travelled extensively to the United Kingdom and to Germany, but also far beyond – reaching distant countries and continents. And always, the river remains at the heart of this story.
The Douro is both witness and guide – carrying the wine from the valley to the Atlantic, and opening the way for a unique part of Portugal to reach the world. And at the helm of this journey, a family – one that embraced the voyage, and left its mark on the history of this city, and of Port Wine itself.
Once the wine arrives in Vila Nova de Gaia, it begins its ageing process.
Depending on the style to be achieved, it is stored in different types of wooden vessels – large vats known as balseiros, or smaller casks, known as pipas.
The use of wood is one of the defining characteristics of Port Wine. However, unlike many other wines, these casks are not new. They have been used over many years, so that the wine does not take on strong wood flavours.
Instead, the wood allows for gentle micro-oxygenation, helping the wine to develop complexity while preserving its character.
These casks can be used for decades – sometimes for up to a hundred years. Traditionally, once they were no longer used for Port, they were sent to Scotland, where they would be reused to age whisky.
Before being used, the casks are carefully cleaned and first filled with everyday wines. This allows the wood to become saturated, reducing evaporation during ageing – a process often referred to as the “angel’s share”.
The craft of building, repairing and maintaining these casks and large vats is centuries old, and remains essential to preserving the cultural and winemaking heritage of Port Wine.
Climate
The Douro Valley is where all the production of Port wine takes place.
Its slate soil and its microclimate provide a unique environment for producing excellent quality wine
The Marão and Montemuro mountain ranges serve as natural barriers from the wet winds blowing in from the Atlantic, hence sheltering the valley between the high mountains and deep valleys.
The climate in the region is marked by strong contrasts.
– winters are cold and
– summers are usually extremely hot and dry.
Rainfall is distributed irregularly throughout the year and across the region. Rainfall tends to peak in December and January, while in the height of summer, the region sees very little rainfall.
These particular weather conditions have a direct influence on vine cultivation and on the unique character of Port wines.
Soil
The soil is almost entirely composed of slate. This type of soil allows the roots of the vines to go deep into the ground in search of water.
There are broadly two types of land in the region:
1. Landscapes shaped by more intense human activity, which is the prevailing type.
2. Areas where there has been minimal human intervention, allowing the landscape to maintain its original geographic features.
Varieties
The climate and geography of the Douro Valley have given rise to a diversity of grape varieties.
Since the introduction of winemaking to this region, these varieties have evolved over time, adapting to the landscape and climate in the valley.
Most of them are indigenous and they are cultivated in different ways, according to their specific characteristics, in order to produce the best grapes and, therefore, the best wine.
Some of the most common red grape varieties include:
Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinto Cão.
The most common white grape varieties are:
Malvasia Fina, Viosinho, Donzelinho, Gouveio, Sercial and Arinto.
The Douro Wine Region and Quinta do Arnozelo
To ensure the superior quality of the Port Wine being exported, the General Company for the Agriculture of the Alto Douro Vineyards was established in 1756.
This initiative, led by the Marquis of Pombal, was a key measure to prevent overproduction and the fraudulent practices that had become widespread in the preceding years.
The institution defined the boundaries of the region where grapes for Port Wine could be grown. It also regulated prices and production volumes, ensuring the consistent quality of the wine.
Within this region – now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – lies Quinta do Arnozelo.
It is here that the vineyards that give rise to Burmester wines are cultivated. Spread across a landscape rich in history, beauty and value, these vineyards stretch along the slopes of the Douro Superior, around 180 km from the Burmester Cellars, in Vila Nova de Gaia, where the wines age and develop the complexity that distinguishes them.
(Origin)
The Burmester Family
From its very beginnings, the Burmester family has been defined by a spirit of adventure.
With roots in a small town in northern Germany, this entrepreneurial family went on to leave a lasting mark on the history of Port Wine.
(1730)
The company’s story begins in London, in 1730.
It was there that John Nash and Henry Burmester founded a business dedicated to importing grain and other foodstuffs from Portugal.
(1750)
Twenty years later, in 1750, growing interest in Portuguese wines led the partners to expand their business.
They began importing a wine whose trade was flourishing at the time – a wine that would later become known as Port. This decision would shape the future of both the family and the company for generations to come.
(1806)
Although the original partnership was dissolved, the Burmester family chose to continue the venture. Henry Burmester Jr., together with his sons Henry, Frederick and Edward, founded a new company dedicated to the Port wine trade: H. Burmester & Sons.
(1822)
As the business grew and consolidated in Portugal, Frederick Burmester became a prominent figure both in Porto and in England.
He was a founding partner of Westminster Bank and served as Treasurer of the Feitoria Inglesa – the association of British merchants involved in the Port wine trade.
(1834)
It was at this point that the family’s German origins once again became significant. Johann Wilhelm Burmester, a distant relative from Hamburg, stepped in to take over the business in Porto.
(1880)
His arrival gave new momentum to the company, which became known as J. W. Burmester & Co. – a name that remains to this day. Johann settled in Porto with his family, where his sons went on to develop a range of business activities.
Among them, Gustav Adolf Burmester and Otto Burmester played a particularly important role, ensuring the consolidation of the Burmester Cellars and their continuity throughout the 20th century.
(2005)
At the beginning of the 21st century, the descendants of Johann Wilhelm Burmester still owned the company.
In time, however, they chose to sell it to Kopke Group, which integrated the brand into its structure while preserving its history, personality and essence.
Today, Burmester remains one of the oldest Port Wine houses still in existence – keeping alive a family legacy that continues to shape the story of wine.
Port is aged in wooden casks. As the wine rests in contact with the wood, it undergoes a slow process of oxidation, gradually developing its colour and complex aromas. The casks are stacked in rows, supported on stone or wooden beams to prevent contact with the damp ground.
Small wooden wedges are used to keep them stable and securely balanced.
But the story of Port begins many kilometres from Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
Following the course of the Douro River upstream, we arrive in the Douro Valley… a landscape unlike any other, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is here that Burmester cultivates the grapes used to produce its Port wines. In these steep valleys, each vine is carefully tended, ensuring fruit of the highest quality.
At the heart of this remarkable setting lies Quinta do Arnozelo. Located in the Upper Douro, the estate has been part of Burmester for over 20 years, providing the natural conditions that make these wines possible.
Wine is a living, seasonal and delicate product. It depends on the balance between nature and human care – from the vineyard to the harvest.
It is this combination of place, knowledge and time that allows Burmester to craft wines of true character, deeply rooted in history.
Welcome to the Burmester Cellars, one of the oldest and most prestigious Port Wine houses. Founded nearly 300 years ago by John Nash and Heinz “Henry” Burmester, the company has preserved a tradition of excellence and quality – without ever losing its distinctive character.
As you make your way through the Burmester Cellars, you will discover Port Wine through one of its most emblematic houses. You will explore its history and gain an understanding of how this remarkable wine is made.
Before we begin the visit, let us start with a fundamental question:
What is Port Wine?
Port is a fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley, around 120 kilometres from the city of Porto.
Its history dates back to the Middle Ages and the Age of Discovery, when it was used as a provision for ships sailing to the East. It was a naturally resilient wine, thanks to the quality of the grapes and the long process of foot treading.
The addition of grape spirit, which halts fermentation, improved its ageing potential and allowed it to be preserved for much longer.
From this practice, a new style of wine emerged – one that would, over time, become recognised throughout the world: Port Wine.
For its ageing, the city of Vila Nova de Gaia was chosen. Its proximity to the harbour facilitated trade, while its climate provided ideal conditions for the wine to mature.
Many of the stories told within these cellars, whose origins are lost in time, reflect the importance placed on heritage, family ties and a deep connection to the region.
This is the case of Burmester’s oldest cask, which, according to tradition, was offered by the father of Maria Henriqueta Leite Guedes to mark her marriage to Gustav Adolph Burmester.