On Sunday we made our way over to see the Newman Wine Vaults, another Provincial Historic Site, located on Water St West. The wine vaults are where Newman and Company aged their port from the early 1800s until 1893, or 1914. Bringing port all the way to Newfoundland to age seems unusual, but it is slightly less unusual when you learn the history behind it.
Inside the Newman Wine Vaults
From the label of Newman's Newfoundland-matured Port:
[in 1679] a vessel laden with port wine sailed from Oporto to London and was set upon by a French privateer. The Newman's ship successfully shook off the attacker, but lost her course and eventually crossed the Atlantic to find shelter at Newman's 'Plantation' in Newfoundland.
After a winter at St. John's she returned to London where, upon arrival, it was found that the wine had acquired a new, finer smoother flavour. It was evident that the voyage and the laying up in St. John's were responsible for the remarkable change.
There are a couple of theories about why aging the port in Newfoundland gave it a special quality; the constant rocking of the sea throughout the voyage across the Atlantic, and the cool, damp, maritime climate are two such explanations.
The Newman family, from Dartmouth, England, had been involved in the trade of Newfoundland cod fish since the mid 1500s. They were part of a trade network involving transporting British fishing supplies to Newfoundland, Newfoundland cod to Portugal, and Portuguese wine back to the UK.
Initially, Newman's port that was matured in Newfoundland was kept in caves on the South Side Hills of St. John's, as well as in the Newman's Harbour Breton fishing premises; this port was aged for four years before being shipped to England. The origin of the Newman Wine Vaults that we visited are unconfirmed, but are rumoured to be British military magazines. During an archaeological dig, tobacco pipes were found that date back to the 1780s, making this one of the oldest buildings still standing in St. John's (as the 'Great Fire of 1892' destroyed most of the downtown area).
Initially, Newman's port that was matured in Newfoundland was kept in caves on the South Side Hills of St. John's, as well as in the Newman's Harbour Breton fishing premises; this port was aged for four years before being shipped to England. The origin of the Newman Wine Vaults that we visited are unconfirmed, but are rumoured to be British military magazines. During an archaeological dig, tobacco pipes were found that date back to the 1780s, making this one of the oldest buildings still standing in St. John's (as the 'Great Fire of 1892' destroyed most of the downtown area).
When the port arrived in Newfoundland, the barrels were gauged by a customs officer to determine the volume. People wanted to make sure that no wine went missing, and before the creation of income taxes, customs fees on items like liquor were a source of government revenue.
The exhibit itself is located in the vaults and showcases an interesting part of Newfoundland history. We enjoyed our visit, and the site is not too large, so it can easily be seen in half an hour.
Here are a few more pictures from our Something Sunday!
Here are a few more pictures from our Something Sunday!
