Fonseca Guimaraens

[5] It is often confused with the similarly named, but completely unrelated, Portuguese wine producer José Maria da Fonseca, based in the Arrábida IPR on the Setúbal peninsula.

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.

[8][9] 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.

Fonseca's modern founder Manoel Pedro Guimaraens was a supporter of King Pedro IV's (pictured) liberal reforms, which led to his having to flee Portugal to England hidden away in an empty Port wine barrel.
Today Fonseca is part of the Taylor Fladgate family of Port shippers