Sandeman

Few Port houses have branding as instantly recognisable as Sandeman. The black cape and wide-brimmed hat figure known as The Don has appeared on bottles for generations and somehow remains one of the few genuinely iconic pieces of wine marketing that still works.

Founded in 1790, the house became one of the major names in both Port and Sherry production. The range stretches from approachable Ruby and Tawny Ports through to aged Tawnies and Vintage releases, all built around the traditional grape varieties of the Douro Valley.

The younger Ports show dark berry fruit, plum and spice, while the aged Tawnies move towards walnut, dried fig, caramel and orange peel. Time spent in oak gradually transforms the wines from fruit-driven to deeply savoury and complex.

Sandeman also produces Sherry from Jerez, maintaining historical links between two of the Iberian Peninsula’s great fortified wine traditions.

There is a reason the brand remains so widely recognised. Beneath the famous logo sits a long history of making reliably well-balanced fortified wines that continue introducing people to both Port and Sherry.