The Harris family was one of the oldest established of the English community in Porto and the company that bears their name was founded in 1680, making it one of the first to start shipping Port. The company enjoyed great success and a century after its foundation, when it was known as Harris, Stafford & Co., it had become the second largest exporter of Port. Into the 19th century, through family relationship with other well-known Port families, the Murats and the Nobles, the firm became connected with, and was eventually absorbed by the firm of Warre & Co. In the early 1920s, Quarles Harris was given a new lease of life when Andrew James Symington, then Warre’s principal shareholder, reconstituted Quarles Harris in partnership with Reginald Quarles Harris, his wife’s cousin. To this day, Quarles Harris is owned by the Symington family.

In a discussion of the typical styles of each of the family brands Charles Symington, head winemaker, said that without the tie to a specific quinta and terroir-driven style, Quarles Harris is an opportunity to “just have some fun making interesting, satisfying wines” from the grapes supplied to us by small producers.  Quarles Harris’s flavour profile is a firm and slightly dry style.

From its earliest days, Quarles Harris established good ties with Douro farmers to ensure the supply of high quality Ports for its shipments to the UK and Ireland. It built up strong links with growers in the Rio Torto Valley, in the heart of the Douro region and therefore its Vintage Ports have traditionally been sourced from the area which is well-known as a source of very high quality wines that are important components of many fine Vintage Ports.