For anyone who would like to taste the best 160 wines from Portugal’s Douro Valley in a focussed & concentrated manner, to get an idea of current developments at the estates, the quality of the latest vintages and the wines’ ultimate potential – not only of the reds, but also of the newly exciting whites (and let’s not forget the Ports!) – Douro Primeira Prova presents the perfect opportunity. Originally scheduled to take place right now, the dates have been re-set for 19–21 October. Places can be booked as of today!
The wine experts arrive from around the world, convening in the picturesque Douro Valley. An intense silence dominates the room, reflecting their deep, unbroken concentration. All minds are focused on the new vintage of red, white and Port wines being debuted ahead of their official release onto the market. Behind the scenes, things are bustling. Bottles stand ready from 23 of the region’s top producers, to be served under ideal tasting conditions and with clockwork timing. Welcome to the Douro Primeira Prova. The first Douro Primeira Prova was held in May 2019. Precisely 167 wines were poured, a unique opportunity that drew over 90 experts from 18 different countries, including Sweden, Italy, Canada, Russia and Japan. For three days, all eyes were on wines from the breathtakingly beautiful Douro Valley. The outstanding feedback from that debut event in 2019 more than justified an encore. 2020 will once again bring 23 producers from the region together to present their young wines: white and rosé wines from 2019 as well as red and Port wines from 2018. Industry professionals can thus book one of the six available time slots (see below) to taste the entire collection at one location. Gone is the hassle of the long, winding path from estate to estate through the scorching Douro Valley — allowing the taster to concentrate less on organization and more on sensory wonder.
The terraces of the Douro reflect more than 2000 years of viticulture. The rich history of the region together with the expertise of the winemakers and cellar masters are what makes grand wines in all categories possible. Inspired by a vision of conveying the valley's grandeur to the larger world, a group of top producers have joined together under the name The New Douro.
Douro Primeira Prova is a silent tasting. Journalists, sommeliers and buyers are afforded the opportunity to taste the wines in their own order and at their own pace. From Monday through Wednesday, there is one morning and one afternoon slot. (19-21 October in Museu do Douro, R. do Marquês de Pombal, 5050-282 Peso da Régua, Portugal) As an added bonus: the winemakers will be personally on hand. Whether during the daytime sessions or at night, any questions about specific production methods or philosophies can be addressed directly to the person best able to provide the answer. Led by the winemakers themselves, a seminar exploring various aspects of wine production in the region will follow every afternoon tasting. The producers invite you to join them in celebrating another successful day with a dinner party featuring a number of special wines (on Monday and Tuesday).
Space is limited and demand is high for the Douro Primeira Prova. Our tip: register early!
When choosing your slots, please keep in mind that it will take time to concentrate and evaluate 160 wines.
Please include your name, company/employer, email address, mobile telephone number and preferred tasting slot in your email. Also, please don’t wait to book your accommodations, as space is limited, and the region is a popular tourist destination during autumn.
Museu do Douro Rua Marquês de Pombal 5050-282 Peso da Régua, Portugal www.museudodouro.pt
Arriving at Porto Airport you can travel comfortably by train from Porto Campanha to Regua (travel time of approx. 2.5 hours) or hire a car directly at the airport (travel time of approx. 1.5 hours).
Make sure you book your accommodation as soon as possible – the Douro is an extremely popular travel destination in autumn! Find accommodation options here.
Casa Ferreirinha (Sogrape Vinhos) / Duas Quintas (Ramos Pinto) / Duorum Vinhos/ Lavradores de Feitoria / Poeira / Niepoort / Poças / Quinta da Gaivosa (Alves de Sousa) / Quinta de São José / Quinta de la Rosa / Quinta do Crasto + Roquette&Cazes / Quinta do Noval / Quinta da Romaneira / Quinta do Vallado / Quinta dos Murças/ Quinta Nova / Quinta Vale D. Maria / Quinta do Vale Meão / Real Companhia Velha / Symington /Prats & Symington / Vertice / Wine&Soul
To explain the history of THE NEW DOURO, one must first take a look backward into the story of ‘The Old Douro’. Port wine has been produced for more than 300 years, but the production of still wines by comparison has only been a major factor since the end of World War II. A group of wine producers, working under the title THE NEW DOURO, came together in 2004 under Paul Symington, Dirk Niepoort, and Cristiano Van Zeller, with the goal of promoting still wines from Douro.
