The House of Sandeman was founded in London in 1790 by George Sandeman, a young Scot from Perth who decided to invest £300 borrowed from his father in creating a business marketing wines from Porto (Portugal) and Jerez (Spain ). The innovation revealed from the outset, would eventually carry Sandeman to a notable position in the wine and spirit sector, and the company is today undoubtedly one of the most recognized brands in the world. Always a pioneer, Sandeman was the first company to brand its name on a cask with a hot iron. In 1805, the GSC (George Sandeman Co.) signature was a guarantee of quality for the wine it sold. It was also one of the first companies to label and advertise its wines, which in the early nineteenth century were already being exported to several countries in Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia. The ”Sandeman Don” is one of the world’s first ever brand images and the first major icon in the wine world. It was painted in 1928 by George Massiot Brown and, with its Coimbra (Portuguese) student’s black cape and the typical Jerez (Spanish) ”sombrero”, it still retains all its mystique and attractiveness, to represent the seduction and mystery of the Sandeman brand. Sandeman’s international success was underlined in 1990 with the launch of a more modern portfolio and a new advertising campaign that emphasised a less traditional, younger and more innovative ”Don”. In 2002, Sogrape Vinhos incorporated Sandeman into its business, reinforcing its status as a major international operator in the wine sector with one more truly global brand in its portfolio. For over two centuries, Sandeman has based its success on a rare capacity for innovation and expertise handed down from generation to generation. Currently, Sandeman clearly stands out as ”the” worldwide Port Wine and Sherry brand and proudly signs: ”Sandeman, Famous for Pleasure.”
