Martinez Gassiot

Sebastiaan Gonzalez Martinez founded the company that bears his name in 1790. Initially, sherry, port and cigars were traded. In 1822, the Englishman John Peter Gassiot joined the company. At the time, Martinez was based in London and bought wines from various forwarding companies. In 1834 the company itself got a lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia, which was soon to be run by John F. Delaforce, the father of George Henry Delaforce, who would later start his own company. Sebastian Martinez did not retire until 1849, when management was taken over by Gassiot and his two sons, John and Charles.

The company became a state-owned company in 1902. It seems that when Jonnie Teague, senior partner of Cockburn Smithes, heard about this, we were urged to establish a cooperative between the two companies in London. He decided not to go, because he was busy repairing Cockburn lodge. Ironically, the two companies ended up under the umbrella of Harveys of Bristol sixty years later.

Since Cockburn is the larger of the two, Martinez is often sold as its own brand. When considered separately, Martinez wines are great value for money as the brand is less well known.

Martinez mainly comes from the same vineyards as Cockburn, but they also have Quinta da Eira Velha. This Quinta is owned by the Newmans, a trading family from the West of England, and is run by Cockburn and Martinez. The wine is sold under the name Martinez. Eira Velha is one of the oldest Quintaas in the area and has a richly documented history.

The wine is sold as Single-Quintavintage. Martinez's vintage port is sometimes sold, especially in the United States, to Harvey.