Krohn is a historic Port house founded in 1865 by two Norwegians, Theodor Wiese and Dankert Krohn, and is renowned for its long‑aged colheitas and tawnies.

The company sources grapes from the Douro Valley, where hot, dry summers and poor schist soils produce low yields and highly concentrated fruit ideal for Port production.

Krohn has been especially associated with high‑quality single‑harvest tawnies, sometimes held for many decades in cask, leading some commentators to dub them “kings of Colheita”.

In addition to Colheita Ports from many vintages, the range includes 10‑, 20‑ and older year‑old tawny Ports, ruby and reserve Ports, Late Bottled Vintage, and Vintage Port, all based on the classic Douro varieties.

The house was acquired by Fladgate Partnership (owners of Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft), helping to secure its stocks of aged tawny and modernise distribution while maintaining its traditional style.

The Douro Valley, located in northern Portugal, is one of the world’s oldest and most strikingly beautiful wine regions. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the historic heartland of Port production and increasingly known for high-quality still wines.

The region is defined by the Douro River and its steep, terraced vineyards carved into rugged schist hillsides. The climate is hot and dry in summer, with cold winters and low annual rainfall—particularly in the eastern Douro Superior. These harsh conditions, combined with poor, rocky soils, result in low yields but highly concentrated, characterful grapes.

The Douro is divided into three sub-regions: Baixo Corgo, with a cooler, wetter climate and lighter wines; Cima Corgo, the traditional core of premium Port production; and Douro Superior, the driest and most remote, now producing increasingly sought-after wines.

Port is typically made from a blend of indigenous grape varieties, each contributing distinct qualities. The most important include Touriga Nacional (structure and aromatics), Touriga Franca (elegance), Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo – backbone), Tinta Barroca, and Tinto Cão. Grapes are often foot-trodden in traditional lagares before fortification.

Touriga Nacional is widely regarded as Portugal’s finest red grape variety, known for its deep colour, intense aromatics, and powerful structure. Indigenous to the Dão region, it is now most famously associated with the Douro Valley, where it plays a leading role in both Port and dry red wine production. The variety has also found success in other regions, including Alentejo, Bairrada, and even internationally in countries like South Africa and Australia.

Aromatically, Touriga Nacional offers a rich bouquet of dark fruits such as blackberry, blackcurrant, and plum, alongside floral notes of violet and rose. It often shows spicy, herbal undertones and, with age, can develop complex hints of liquorice, leather, and cedar. On the palate, it delivers bold tannins, vibrant acidity, and excellent ageing potential.

Despite its high quality, Touriga Nacional poses several viticultural challenges. It is naturally low yielding and has small, thick-skinned berries, which contribute to its concentration but can reduce productivity. The vine is also vigorous and requires careful canopy management to ensure balanced fruit ripening and optimal exposure.

Thanks to its resilience, depth, and distinctive character, Touriga Nacional remains a cornerstone of Portuguese winemaking and a benchmark for quality in both blended and varietal wines.

Touriga Francesa is one of the key red grape varieties of Portugal, particularly in the Douro Valley, and is widely used in Port wine production.

Despite its name, it is distinct from Touriga Nacional but often complements it in blends. Touriga Francesa is valued for its aromatic intensity, finesse and elegance, providing floral, violet and red berry notes that soften the structure of more robust grapes.

It typically produces wines with moderate tannins, bright acidity and medium body, making it ideal for blending in both Vintage and Late Bottled Vintage Ports. Its early ripening and adaptability to steep, schist soils make it reliable in challenging vineyards.

In Port blends, it contributes aroma, lift and freshness, balancing the deep colour, tannins and concentrated fruit of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, and enhancing the wine’s ageing potential and complexity. Its versatility also allows occasional use in still red wines in the Douro region.

Tinta Barroca is a traditional red grape variety widely planted in Portugal’s Douro Valley, primarily used in Port wine production.

It is valued for its early ripening, which allows it to thrive on steep, schistous slopes where other varieties may struggle, and for its ability to retain acidity in hot climates, contributing balance to fortified blends.

Tinta Barroca produces soft, fruity wines with moderate tannins, juicy red and black berry flavours, and subtle spice, making it an ideal complement to more tannic varieties such as Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesa.

In Ports, it adds roundness, approachability, and colour, especially useful in Late Bottled Vintage and Ruby Ports. While it is less aromatic and complex than some other Douro grapes, its reliability, consistency, and contribution to blend structure and freshness make it a staple of Port wine production, particularly in warmer sub-regions of the valley.

Touriga Nacional is widely regarded as Portugal’s finest red grape variety, known for its deep colour, intense aromatics, and powerful structure. Indigenous to the Dão region, it is now most famously associated with the Douro Valley, where it plays a leading role in both Port and dry red wine production. The variety has also found success in other regions, including Alentejo, Bairrada, and even internationally in countries like South Africa and Australia.

Aromatically, Touriga Nacional offers a rich bouquet of dark fruits such as blackberry, blackcurrant, and plum, alongside floral notes of violet and rose. It often shows spicy, herbal undertones and, with age, can develop complex hints of liquorice, leather, and cedar. On the palate, it delivers bold tannins, vibrant acidity, and excellent ageing potential.

Despite its high quality, Touriga Nacional poses several viticultural challenges. It is naturally low yielding and has small, thick-skinned berries, which contribute to its concentration but can reduce productivity. The vine is also vigorous and requires careful canopy management to ensure balanced fruit ripening and optimal exposure.

Thanks to its resilience, depth, and distinctive character, Touriga Nacional remains a cornerstone of Portuguese winemaking and a benchmark for quality in both blended and varietal wines.

Touriga Francesa is one of the key red grape varieties of Portugal, particularly in the Douro Valley, and is widely used in Port wine production.

Despite its name, it is distinct from Touriga Nacional but often complements it in blends. Touriga Francesa is valued for its aromatic intensity, finesse and elegance, providing floral, violet and red berry notes that soften the structure of more robust grapes.

It typically produces wines with moderate tannins, bright acidity and medium body, making it ideal for blending in both Vintage and Late Bottled Vintage Ports. Its early ripening and adaptability to steep, schist soils make it reliable in challenging vineyards.

In Port blends, it contributes aroma, lift and freshness, balancing the deep colour, tannins and concentrated fruit of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, and enhancing the wine’s ageing potential and complexity. Its versatility also allows occasional use in still red wines in the Douro region.

Tinta Barroca is a traditional red grape variety widely planted in Portugal’s Douro Valley, primarily used in Port wine production.

It is valued for its early ripening, which allows it to thrive on steep, schistous slopes where other varieties may struggle, and for its ability to retain acidity in hot climates, contributing balance to fortified blends.

Tinta Barroca produces soft, fruity wines with moderate tannins, juicy red and black berry flavours, and subtle spice, making it an ideal complement to more tannic varieties such as Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesa.

In Ports, it adds roundness, approachability, and colour, especially useful in Late Bottled Vintage and Ruby Ports. While it is less aromatic and complex than some other Douro grapes, its reliability, consistency, and contribution to blend structure and freshness make it a staple of Port wine production, particularly in warmer sub-regions of the valley.

Touriga Nacional is widely regarded as Portugal’s finest red grape variety, known for its deep colour, intense aromatics, and powerful structure. Indigenous to the Dão region, it is now most famously associated with the Douro Valley, where it plays a leading role in both Port and dry red wine production. The variety has also found success in other regions, including Alentejo, Bairrada, and even internationally in countries like South Africa and Australia.

Aromatically, Touriga Nacional offers a rich bouquet of dark fruits such as blackberry, blackcurrant, and plum, alongside floral notes of violet and rose. It often shows spicy, herbal undertones and, with age, can develop complex hints of liquorice, leather, and cedar. On the palate, it delivers bold tannins, vibrant acidity, and excellent ageing potential.

Despite its high quality, Touriga Nacional poses several viticultural challenges. It is naturally low yielding and has small, thick-skinned berries, which contribute to its concentration but can reduce productivity. The vine is also vigorous and requires careful canopy management to ensure balanced fruit ripening and optimal exposure.

Thanks to its resilience, depth, and distinctive character, Touriga Nacional remains a cornerstone of Portuguese winemaking and a benchmark for quality in both blended and varietal wines.

Touriga Francesa is one of the key red grape varieties of Portugal, particularly in the Douro Valley, and is widely used in Port wine production.

Despite its name, it is distinct from Touriga Nacional but often complements it in blends. Touriga Francesa is valued for its aromatic intensity, finesse and elegance, providing floral, violet and red berry notes that soften the structure of more robust grapes.

It typically produces wines with moderate tannins, bright acidity and medium body, making it ideal for blending in both Vintage and Late Bottled Vintage Ports. Its early ripening and adaptability to steep, schist soils make it reliable in challenging vineyards.

In Port blends, it contributes aroma, lift and freshness, balancing the deep colour, tannins and concentrated fruit of Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, and enhancing the wine’s ageing potential and complexity. Its versatility also allows occasional use in still red wines in the Douro region.

Tinta Barroca is a traditional red grape variety widely planted in Portugal’s Douro Valley, primarily used in Port wine production.

It is valued for its early ripening, which allows it to thrive on steep, schistous slopes where other varieties may struggle, and for its ability to retain acidity in hot climates, contributing balance to fortified blends.

Tinta Barroca produces soft, fruity wines with moderate tannins, juicy red and black berry flavours, and subtle spice, making it an ideal complement to more tannic varieties such as Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesa.

In Ports, it adds roundness, approachability, and colour, especially useful in Late Bottled Vintage and Ruby Ports. While it is less aromatic and complex than some other Douro grapes, its reliability, consistency, and contribution to blend structure and freshness make it a staple of Port wine production, particularly in warmer sub-regions of the valley.