Paul Symington and his love of Port history
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 8:20 pm
I have come across an interesting book written by Oswald John Frederick Crawfurd (1834-1909).
He was British Consul in Oporto from 1867 to 1891.
He was also a writer of some repute and he married Meta Ford, daughter of Richard Ford, famous author of ‘Hand Book for Traveller’s in Spain’ published in 1854 and which is very highly regarded. There has been a biography recently published about Richard Ford.
In Oswald Crawfurd’s book ‘Portugal, Old and New’, published in 1880 he has some very interesting passages on Port, amongst them is the following:
‘The wine district is one huge vineyard: beyond its limits little good wine is made, within them little that is not good. There is therefore no need for classification of wines by the names of their vineyards as in France. Some few port wine vineyards especially favoured in soil and aspect are known to fame. Vesuvio, Roeda, Roriz, Noval, and a very few others have reputations beyond Portugal.’
This was a man with a profound knowledge of Portugal and of Port. He writes extensively about the right level of fortification, about vines diseases, adulteration of port, about Forrester’s radical ideas (many of which he does not agree with), so his comments on the Douro Quintas can be taken as reflecting the general opinion of the 19th century.
It is worth noting that our family now has two of what were considered the four great Port and Douro Quintas of that time.
Paul
He was British Consul in Oporto from 1867 to 1891.
He was also a writer of some repute and he married Meta Ford, daughter of Richard Ford, famous author of ‘Hand Book for Traveller’s in Spain’ published in 1854 and which is very highly regarded. There has been a biography recently published about Richard Ford.
In Oswald Crawfurd’s book ‘Portugal, Old and New’, published in 1880 he has some very interesting passages on Port, amongst them is the following:
‘The wine district is one huge vineyard: beyond its limits little good wine is made, within them little that is not good. There is therefore no need for classification of wines by the names of their vineyards as in France. Some few port wine vineyards especially favoured in soil and aspect are known to fame. Vesuvio, Roeda, Roriz, Noval, and a very few others have reputations beyond Portugal.’
This was a man with a profound knowledge of Portugal and of Port. He writes extensively about the right level of fortification, about vines diseases, adulteration of port, about Forrester’s radical ideas (many of which he does not agree with), so his comments on the Douro Quintas can be taken as reflecting the general opinion of the 19th century.
It is worth noting that our family now has two of what were considered the four great Port and Douro Quintas of that time.
Paul
