Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

For the month of June, the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World has selected a new photograph from the collection of Domingos Alvão, currently on display in the seventh section of our permanent exhibition. This photographer from Porto produced significant work documenting every aspect of wine production in the Alto Douro Wine Region, ranging from the various production stages to winemaking processes in local factories and wineries, while also highlighting the importance of the region's warehouses and cellars used for the Port wine aging process.

The photograph in question captures the façade of the “Casa da Companhia” (Company House) in Régua, the building that today houses the Douro Museum. Designed in the second half of the 18th century in the Pombaline style, this was one of the company's most important properties; it served multiple functions - including administration, production, and winemaking - it also housed a court and provided temporary accommodation.

Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

This bottle, currently on display in the final exhibition area of ​​our museum, contains a (sweet) Port wine; it was selected for this month because of its highly distinctive label. The label was created for a special batch celebrating the end of state intervention in Real Companhia Velha and the return of the Silva Reis family to the company's management.

Following the events of April 25 th 1974, the State removed the Board of Directors from the management of Real Companhia Velha. It wasn’t until October 2 nd 1978 that Manuel da Silva Reis resumed his role as Chairman of the Board, when the government ended its intervention and returned the company to its shareholders.

Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

For April, the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World has selected as "Object of the Month" the register in which the Company recorded and listed - in alphabetical order - the demarcations carried out in the Alto Douro wine region. In accordance with its objectives and statutes, the Company’s primary duty was to ensure the total and absolute separation of Alto Douro wines destined for export from wines originating elsewhere that lacked the quality required for international markets, and which, consequently, were to be used solely for local consumption.

Fittingly, this volume is displayed in the exhibition section dedicated to the public works undertaken by the “Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro” during its initial period of operation as a royal chartered company. This section highlights the work carried out by the Company in demarcating the Alto Douro wine region, as well as its pivotal role in elevating Port wine to the status of national symbol.

Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

Real Companhia Velha plays a significant role in the export of Port and Douro wines; consequently, the company maintained various facilities both in the outskirts of Vila Nova de Gaia and within the city of Porto itself. This building is one such example, originally a company warehouse/cellar, it now houses the Consulate of Estonia in Porto.

In March, the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World is highlighting a photograph from the Domingos Alvão collection, displayed in the seventh section of our permanent exhibition, located at the end of the visit area. This photo offers a view of the interior of a former Real Companhia Velha cellar/warehouse in Miragaia (Porto), while also showcasing the versatility and scope of the work produced during the extensive photographic campaign commissioned by the Company in the 20th century.

Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

The Museum of the Oldest Appellation’s collection of stencil masks comprises a total of 93 items, including the piece we have selected for the month of February. This collection forms part of the sixth section of the museum's permanent exhibition, which showcases the commercial reach of the Real Companhia Velha brand across various international markets where it is - or has historically been - represented.

Stencil masks were molds used by Real Companhia Velha to mark the wooden boxes and casks used to transport the company’s wines to various domestic and international destinations. These objects served to identify destinations, brands, and types of wine being shipped. In this case, the selected item was also used to identify specific wine categories or classifications. This particular stencil was used to mark shipments of wines produced with a “superior” quality standard.

Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

In the year in which Real Companhia celebrates its 270th anniversary, we selected an object with symbolism that represents the first phase of the company, as a chartered company. This gilded cartouche is contemporary with the founding of Real Companhia Velha, in the 18th century. As the Company was founded by royal charter by King D. José I, several items from its initial period bear the royal arms, a symbol of its majestic past. This piece comes from the old Casa da Companhia, located on Rua das Flores, in Porto, where the company’s first headquarters was located until 1961.

The cartouche is on display in the third area of the exhibition route at the Museum of Oldest Appellation in the World. An area that highlights, through its narrative, assets and interactive supports, the privileges, obligations and statutes of Real Companhia Velha, which is the oldest Portuguese company with uninterrupted activity in the country. Comprising a period between its foundation in 1756 and 1834 (the year that it lost its privileges, with the arrival of liberalism in Portugal).

Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

The corking machine, as the name implies, was an instrument used to cork bottles. The presence of this device from the beginning of the 20th century, demonstrates that the company was already betting on the mechanization of its manufacturing process. This instrument also bears the mark of the manufacturer A. Flach Wiesbaden, thus being a German model.

This object comes from the Real Companhia Velha cellars, located in Vila Nova de Gaia. As such, it is part of the collection of industrial wine heritage on display in the lobby of the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World. The set of which it is part of emphasizes precisely the industrialization and development of the company’s wine production.

Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

As we mentioned before, in the accounting field, Real Companhia Velha was considered a pioneer company in Portugal. Having been one of the first companies in the North of Portugal implementing the innovative “double entry” technique in its accounting records, during the 18th century.

The set of documents in which it is presented, emphasize the economic and financial path of the Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro over the two centuries of History.

Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

This matrix was used for printing the CADP brand, one of the identify elements of Real Companhia Velha. This object is on display as part of a wide range of print matrices and other graphic elements that shows the evolution of the company’s graphic identity.

The CADP brand was present in all Company shipments, the design of this brand offers a number of interpretations, which correspond to the different designations by which the firm was known, based on three key elements: Companhia, Alto Douro and Porto. The superimposed letters V and A, below, translate the Company’s commercial object: vinhos (wines), aguardentes (brandies) and vinagres (vinegars). Companhia, Alto Douro e Porto. As letras sobrepostas V e A, em baixo, traduzem o objeto comercial da Companhia: vinhos, aguardentes e vinagres.

Every month the Museum of the Oldest Appellation in the World highlights one of the many objects that are part of the collection shown in our permanent exhibition. Come and discover the object of the month and find out more about our history.

According to its designation, the transfer pump was used to transfer wine between the different vats. This procedure was intended to separate the deposit formed in the containers, and it was also used to let the wine breath.

This 20th century instrument comes from the cellars of Real Companhia Velha, in Vila Nova de Gaia. Therefore, it is part of the collection of industrial wine heritage present in the reception area of the Museu & Enoteca 17.56. This displayed highlights the industrialization and the development of wine production, in line with the Museum’s first exhibition section focus on the ethnographic range, giving continuity to our exhibition display.