Port Personalities In Focus is proud to introduce you to Daniel Niepoort. Port Personalities In Focus has become vital in our mission to introduce you to members of the Port and Portuguese wine trade. In Focus is included in every newsletter, intent on promoting people who are not typically in the media’s spotlight. In Focus brings you candid comments, personal perspectives, and an understanding of the people inside Portugal’s wine trade: from marketing professionals, master blenders, owners, importers, winemakers, and managing directors. You will meet individuals who work at small family-owned firms to the largest wine companies in Portugal. We hope you’ll enjoy reading about the people who grace these pages.

 

1. Please share some information about your life and how you wound up working in the Port trade, and at what age?

I was born in the vintage of 1992, in Porto. I took part in an apprenticeship in viticulture and winemaking in Switzerland and learned many different things than I did from my father. I worked in a variety of vineyard areas within Switzerland; and it was a combination of practice and theory, and I greatly enjoyed both.

While involved in the wine world earlier on, I started working for my family’s company full time in 2020. While that was the official beginning of my career with Niepoort, obviously I got in contact with wine, and learning from my father, way before that. My father, (Dirk) never was one to push at all, it was really what I wanted to be interested in and learn. I started my viticulture/winemaking school in 2008. I remember that actually the very first wine I really loved was a Port, although I don’t remember exactly which it was. My father managed to show us the world of Port and wine in general, in a very passionate way and not in an assertive one, since I was a young boy.

I also considerably appreciated and took notice of how my grandfather enjoyed tasting and drinking Port, and have significant, wonderful memories of those times. My grandfather was gentle and stern at the same time, and he (Rolf) paid close attention to Port wine which he loved, and this was at mealtime at his home. I never worked with my grandfather, but he was around a lot and was very close to my father. My grandfather was a Port lover, but he also had many hobbies and collections, such as old corkscrews and devices, as well as antiques and antique cars.

 

2. What is your favorite style or category of Port to drink at home, and can you mention some of the most memorable Ports you have ever consumed, and why?

One Port I do like very much is our Niepoort Vintage Port from 1955, I also love 1945, a more famous year, but somehow, I have a huge love for the Vintage 1955.

Niepoort’s Garrafeira Porto 1948, I am so lucky that I have had this one quite a lot of times. But one of the most beautiful moments was in Singapore together after several amazing and very special wines and cigars … and at the very end … came the 1948. It was with my friend Jimmy who opened some very special wines, like a magnum of Dom Perignon 1966 and other great large formats of Burgundies, Scotch, and more. The dessert was fantastic, and I am a huge lover of the Colheita category.

Then also, one of the best is this 1927 Rolf edition Colheita, which has his handwritten long text on it. It is always a special moment when getting to drink this Port.

Some from others also stand out in my memory: Warre's Vintage Port 1970, and in general I love the Ferreira Vintage Port 1857 … no explanation, but truly amazing. And I should not forget the Niepoort Colheita 1900. It is difficult to name some of the Ports, because there were really a lot of amazing moments, so far in my life.

 

3. Besides those mentioned above, who are some Port producers that you most enjoy drinking, and please reveal a few emerging Port firms which have impressed you?

From the well-established admirable Port companies, I’d have to include Warre’s and Dow’s Vintage Ports, Dalva’s White Colheitas, Churchill’s Tawny Ports, and Andresen’s Colheitas.
Some of the newer producers, Vieira de Sousa, especially their White Ports, the Quevedo Colheitas, also Wine & Soul, are all worth mentioning. I’m probably forgetting a few others.

 

4. What brings you the most joy in what you do within the Port & Douro wine trade?

Just opening an old bottle of Port instantly makes me happy. To be a part of something that can last so long and is so good, makes me very proud. I do love the blending part of Port very much, even though I realize that I still have so much to learn. It’s quite interesting that a Vintage Port can be so brutal on one side yet can also be so delicate on the other side. Even minor modifications to the blend can show a big difference, even the specific ratios when creating the blend.

The next point is less directly apparent to others, but for me it is crucial. I especially like to work together with the grape growers in Douro, (and other regions where Niepoort has properties). Because when I look at our history and the great old Ports that I drink, they were often made from “simple grape growers“ and then our job was to do the blending … and, and, and … but these people have/had a fantastic knowledge and understanding of viticulture and I think this is one of biggest reasons for the extraordinary quality of Port wine. Respect the people in the vineyards and the growers and show that we sincerely care about them. We spend both time working alongside and teaching them, but we also listen and learn from their vast experience, so it is a win/win for all of us! And the result of this is a much higher quality of grapes overall, because the Duriense growers have been well treated, as they deserve. Some of the finest grapes we use for our wines and Ports are purchased from grape growers. This cannot be over emphasized.

So, I believe as a relatively young person, it is really important to respect the old wisdom in viticulture and Port making. Of course, with the respect also to the future … not everything that is old is good. We have to find the balance between tradition and adapting to new developments.

 

5. Would you please share one piece of unique trivia or historical information about your current company that would be new to FTLOP readers?

To be honest, I think that you probably know more about our history than I do. There is a strong connection between two families that almost goes back to the earliest days of our family’s company. The Nogueira family has worked with my ancestors since approximately 1863 and along with the Niepoort’s, they have worked with us as the master blenders for five of our six generations. We look at their family today as the new generation of Niepoort continues to learn with the older generations of Nogueira family members. We work side-by-side together, and the generations overlap and always have. This longstanding trust and consideration between families is the same as if they are part of our family!

 

6. Which individual has been your greatest mentor and how have they inspired you?

Foremost, I’d have to say my father. But also, the Nogueira family that is working together with us. Outside of our Niepoort company, another very influential person who inspires and teaches me, is David Guimaraens over the years.

It is important to say that without my father as my mentor, I would not be the man I am today, and both the good and the bad were things he has taught me throughout my life. How they inspired me it would probably take way too long. My father just being himself, and Zeze Nogueira (4th gen and his son Rodrigo, the 5th and current gen.) have taught me the importance of respect of time and how Port ages, and to understand things like we are producing Port products that in some cases, won’t be consumed until our grandchildren are around. Time is money, but the respect for the wine goes beyond commercial interests and can only be understood by those who are around to watch it age. In this way, respect of time comes from the wisdom of individuals and what they have learned over many decades, and share with us.

As mentioned, David Guimaraens has shared a lot of his time and wisdom with me, and his dedication to quality of aguardente and Vintage Port is renowned. He never looks at whether people or firms are British, Portuguese, Dutch or whatever, it is that we are all together in the Port trade and deal with the same issues. He also made it a priority that the younger generations who get into the trade, be more united than those of the older generations. At least this is the message that he tried to instill in me, and others!

7. What is the greatest challenge facing the Port trade today? What about the Douro wine trade?

I am not sure. But I believe it is so important to have the table wine trade, in recent decades. It has helped us producers enormously. Niepoort produces more Port than ever in our history, yet it only makes up approximately 30-40% of our annual production, and the rest is table wine from all the regions we work in.

Members of the wine industry at large can also be part of the problem because we should be prouder about Port wine, and Portugal, in general. As a region, we make authentic wines of high quality in Douro and possess really amazing vineyards. We just need to continue to show them to the rest of the world, proud, but not arrogant. Yes, we are currently in some difficult times (due to many different dynamics) but from Portugal we have some optimism, because our non-fortified wines have grown up to be world class. That has only been achieved over the past several decades. Many other wine-producing nations have taken centuries to refine theirs. So, while we are proud and other countries are finally discovering that Portuguese produce wonderful wines, from mostly our own indigenous grape types. Even with economic cycles currently in a downward moment, this too shall rebound, as it has throughout the centuries. I remain optimistic!

As we have amazing grapes growers from whom we buy grapes in Douro, we still have our own vineyards and continue to improve them. And there, we are currently changing a lot. For example, with adapting to climate change we are using sustainable practices, bringing back animals for nurturing and fertilizing the soils, and instead of working against nature, we are doing our best to work in harmony with it. This is a fundamental belief of Niepoort.

 

8. What can the industry do to improve the promotion and education of Port wine and grow market share in the ever-evolving global beverage marketplace?

Large format Ports would be something great for more restaurants to promote Port and have visible for customers. The Symingtons do an excellent job with their Tawny Ports in large format bottles. The temperature of Port should be explained to not only restaurants, but also more broadly to consumers, so that they will drink Port wine at the optimum temperature. If it is served too cold, all you need to do is wait a couple of minutes.

For the Port trade, it is important to not only pay attention to the less expensive volume driven Port categories, but to provide a quality product that focuses on the mid-range instead of just the entry level. For example, LBV or even a 10-year-old Tawny Port … if explained to consumers, is always something that people enjoy trying, and buying.

 

9. What non-wine activities do you enjoy?

I love to surf and also go snowboarding in my spare time and really enjoy the occasional game of chess. Moreover, I have a great appreciation for traveling and especially spending time with my wife and son, and the rest of our family!