Stretching across nearly 80 hectares in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, in the Upper Douro, Barão de Vilar was established in January 1996 when Fernando Luis van Zeller bought wine for his sons Fernando and Álvaro, however its roots are centuries older. The van Zeller family, and its roots in Portuguese wine, date back to the 17th century, when they migrated from Belgium. The company’s institutional name recovers a noble title granted by the Queen of Portugal D. Maria II to Cristiano Nicolau Kopke, the 1st Baron of Vilar, back in 1836, which remains, by legacy, in the family’s rightful heir possession. Before Barão de Vilar was built, the van Zellers were owners of Quinta do Noval, one of the most iconic and renowned estates of the Port Wine business sector. It was also at Quinta do Noval that the current winemaker of Barão de Vilar, Álvaro van Zeller, started his career in the wine industry.