Niepoort (Vinhos) S.A.

Niepoort’s mission is to preserve the niche player position and continue to create great Port and Douro wines bringing together secular tradition and innovation.

NIEPOORT Team is spread out at several locations. The headquarters, in the center of Porto, centralises administration, logistics and communication.

This is where Dirk Niepoort brings home ground-breaking ideas and plans, when returning from the many tastings and business trips. Elisabete Oliveira, in the company since 1973, worked with 3 Niepoort generations (Edu, Rolf and Dirk) and handles together with Nininha, Alexandra and Vitor the day to day work.

In 2005 José Teles integrated the Niepoort team as General Manager and Verena Niepoort joined as executive partner. The complementary experience of both José Teles (since 1988 in the port wine sector) and Verena Niepoort (project management and information technologies since 1991) are valuable to enhance structure and processes, keeping up the good teamwork and mainting flexibility, uniqueness and the healthy balance of secular tradition versus innovation.

The Niepoort Cellars are located in Rua Serpa Pinto, Vila Nova Gaia. Surrounded by different other port wine cellars, this is the magical space where the old Niepoort wines age in old casks, bottles or demijons... Masterblender José Nogueira joined his father also named José Nogueira at the age of 14 and in September 2006 José Rodrigo Nogueira (his son) integrated the Niepoort team maintaining this very special tradition of Nogueira family generation side by by side with Niepoort generations.

Niepoort Wine Cellars (Photo by Rita Burmester)

José Nogueira (Photo by Ola E. Hofshagen)

Nicholas Delaforce joined the team in 2003 helping in the Wine Cellars and also coordinating the harvest and vinification of port wines in the Douro (Vale Mendiz). His background, Delaforce is a traditional English port wine family, and his experience in the port wine trade since 1992 were important to invest in a dedicated vinification center for port wine in DOURO.

Sequence of Nicholas Delaforce in the cellars (Photos by Ola E. Hofshagen)

Niepoort Wine Cellars (Photo by Rita Burmester)

About 15 people are employed in these cellars for the ageing, bottling, labelling and packaging of the Niepoort wines.

Dirk Niepoort & Masterblender José Nogueira (Photo by Manfred Klimek)

Demijons bottles in Niepoort Wine Cellars(Photo by Rita Burmester)

demijons bottles (Photo by Manfred Klimek)

Office Tools in Gaia Cellars (Photo by Manfred Klimek)

QUINTA DE NÁPOLES was purchased by Niepoort in 1987. The Quinta includes nearly 30 ha of vineyard. The vines are at an altitude of 180-250m and the age varies between 18 and more than 70 years. Located at the left margin of the Têdo river, this is were Niepoort makes their red, white and rosé wines. Since 1987 Maria José and Sr. Manuel live at the Quinta. Maria José is the cook for the many occasional visitors and for the team. Wines and vineyards of Niepoort and all Douro operations is in charge of Luís Seabra, with the help of Maria Gil in Laboratory, António Fonseca in the Winery and Gabriela Santos in the office.