Sandeman

Sandeman, port and sherry house with one of the most famous logos in the wine trade, the black-cloaked Sandeman Don created in 1928. It was founded in London by a Scotsman, George Sandeman, who in 1790 established his shipping business with a £300 loan from his father. He began by shipping sherry and moved swiftly on to port. After being taken over by the North American multinational corporation Seagram in 1980 for £17 million, Sandeman saw an increasing emphasis on quantity rather than quality. In 1990, George Sandeman (representing the seventh generation of the family to make port) moved to oporto to manage the company, becoming the first Sandeman to live in Portugal since 1868. In 2001, Sandeman’s port and (less important) sherry interests were acquired by sogrape. Sandeman sherries have been made by Garvey since 2004.