Fonseca's Quinta do Panascal

Fonseca belongs in the first league of Vintage Port Houses. Few Port producers have maintained such a consistency of quality and style from vintage to vintage. From the legendary 1840, Fonseca's first Vintage Port release, to the superb vintages of the last decade, the house has produced a succession of highly acclaimed wines even in the most adverse moments of history.  

This consistency derives not only from continuity of family involvement, and the knowledge and skill passed down from one generation to the next, but also a close link with the vineyard. Fonseca's respect for the vineyard and the unique environment of the Douro Valley expresses itself in the firm's leadership in the field of sustainable and organic viticulture.  It was the first house to offer a Port made entirely from organically produced grapes.

While for the collector or connoisseur, Fonseca may be synonymous with Vintage Port, to many wine lovers around the world it is best known as the producer of Bin No.27, one of the most popular Ports ever made.

Fonseca’s three quintas are at the heart of the house’s distinctive style. Quinta do Panascal is Fonseca's flagship estate. Located on the steep right bank of the Távora River, Panascal is one of the most highly reputed vineyards in the Douro Valley. In the words of a local saying, 'From Roncão and Panascal come the finest wines of Portugal'.

As well as being an important contributor to the blends of the classic Fonseca Vintage Ports, for over thirty years Quinta do Panascal has also produced distinctive single estate Vintage Ports made exclusively from the best produce of the property.  

Visitors are welcome at Panascal throughout the year for a tour of its vineyards. An educational audio-tour allows guests to wander independently through vineyards dramatically situated atop rolling hills overlooking Távora River and the "lagares" (traditional granite tanks). 

During the grape-harvesting season, visitors can enjoy the unique experience of watching grape treading in the lagares, where Fonseca Port wine is still produced in the traditional way.