Casa Ferreirinha

Casa Ferreirinha is a wine producer best known for making one of Portugal's most esteemed wines – the rare and iconic Barca Velha. It is located in the Douro, and was founded by Bernardo Ferreira in the 18th century.

Only 18 vintages of Barca Velha have been released since the inaugural vintage in 1952. It is made from a blend of native grape varieties, including Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão, that are selected from vineyards at varying altitudes in the Douro Valley. The grapes come from the estate's 160 hectares (395 acres) of vineyard land.

Barca Velha is matured for 16 months in new French oak barrels. The finished wine is then blended from a selection of the best barrels, then bottled and aged for at least five years before release. In years when Barca Velha is not produced, Casa Ferreirinha produces Reserva Especial instead. This wine is produced with the same vinification methods and maturation time as Barca Velha – the decision on what to label the final red blend is not made until the wine has bottle matured its full five years. Only 16 vintages of Reserva Especial have been produced since 1960.

In the late 1970s Casa Ferreirinha purchased Quinta da Leda, located in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, along with its vineyards, which have become the main source of fruit for Barca Velha and Reserva Especial, as well as Casa Ferreirinha's premium wines including Quinta da Leda and Callabriga. Since 1987, the estate has been owned by Sogrape Vinhos, a family-owned wine company with a portfolio of around 16 Portuguese wine brands.