It all started in 1790, when the brilliant Scotsman George Sandeman began trading in fortified wines from the Iberian Peninsula. Based in the Vila Nova de Gaia region, where his wine storage cellars were located, Sandeman quickly introduced the eponymous brand name to the barrels he traded. It soon became synonymous with quality and guaranteed origin. Even today, a beautiful building in Porto, next to the banks of the Douro River, plays the role of the main cellar.