Fonseca Guimaraens

Fonseca was originally a very small Port shipper operating under the name of Fonseca, Monteiro & Co. in the early 19th century. In 1822, Portuguese businessman Manuel Pedro Guimaraens and his brother João Gonçalves Salgueiro acquired operating control of the business and renamed it Fonseca Guimaraens. During the Liberal Wars of 1828–1834, Guimaraens brothers was a supporters of the liberal reforms of King Pedro IV of Portugal. When the absolutist party of Portugal put Pedro's brother Miguel on the throne, Guimaraens found himself in danger due to his liberal support. He fled Portugal, hidden in an empty Port wine barrel and later settled in England where the Fonseca company was headquartered until 1927.

Guimaraens and his family greatly expanded Fonseca's commercial interest in the Port wine industry as well as its vineyard holdings in the Douro. In 1948, the large Port wine corporation of Taylor, Fladgate and Yeatman purchased the house but allowed Fonseca to remain its own separate entity. The Guimaraens family has been intimately involved in the winemaking production with nearly every single vintage label Port from 1896 being made by Frank Guimaraens, his great nephew Bruce Guimaraens and now Bruce's son David Guimaraens. One notable exception is the 1955 vintage which was made by Frank's daughter Dorothy after her father died and before Bruce was ready.