Serôdio Borges Family – 1836 Port

Celebrating imperfection with a completely handmade bottle for an 1836 Port, each beautiful in its own way.

We were invited to create the image for a Very Old Port from 1836, crafted by the Serôdio Borges Family for more than a century.

Port is recognized worldwide for its historic and cultural heritage, a legacy that has been handed down over generations.

Our goal was that when someone holds one of these bottles, they will immediately perceive the age and rare value that lies within it.

To understand the evolution of Port wine packaging over the years, we embarked on in-depth research, with support from the Porto Wine Council, and discovered bottles that were over 100 years old. This gave us the inspiration to recreate a completely handmade bottle.

To renew the traditional Port wine bottle, we first designed the model and developed a plaster mould. We also produced iron tools to shape the bottleneck using a handcrafted process, and the glass was ordered from Italy. The bottle was then shaped by hand using ancient glass-blowing methods.

The result was absolutely stunning. No two bottles are alike, and each has its own story to tell.

Imperfection creates a character and charm that mass production cannot replicate.

The overall image is designed to be clean, simple and sleek, leaving room to appreciate the full beauty of the bottle and let its imperfections shine through.