Port Wine Day: looking to the future of Porto and Douro wines

14 Sep 2015

The work that brought together international marketing and communication experts alongside producers and wineries from Porto was followed by tasting sessions.

A symposium on the role of Port wine and Douro wines in the local economy extended the discussions to 11 September.

On this occasion, the OIV Director General, Jean-Marie Aurand, spoke up about the place of science and innovation in the wine sector and the role of the OIV in this context.

With nearly 24,000 producers, the Porto region makes the most renowned liqueur wines in the word, shaping the countryside with the characteristic terraces that were recognised on the World Heritage of Humanity list by UNESCO in 2001 as evolving, living cultural landscapes.

The Douro region is spread across 250,000 ha of schist soils, with 44,000 ha of vines producing the Port and Douro designations of origin.

Douro is the oldest delimited and regulated wine region in the world, dating back to 1756. Port wine may be tasted in around 120 countries on all 5 continents. It represents a significant part of the Portuguese vitivinicultural economy.