DOURO SOMM CAMP RETURNS:

SCHOOL OF PORT'S IMMERSIVE EDUCATIONAL BOOTCAMP IS BACK FOR A SECOND YEAR!

Launched by Symington Family Estates in 2020, School of Port has been teaching wine professionals and enthusiasts about the category, dispelling misconceptions, tantalising tastebuds, and raising port’s profile both inside and outside the industry ever since.

Last year saw the first ever Douro Somm Camp – an educational bootcamp based in the Douro Valley – and it is set to return this year between 3 – 6 July. Along with a new programme of events, tastings and activities, this year’s edition will also welcome American and Asian sommeliers, in addition to those from across Europe.

Participating sommeliers will have the opportunity to visit several historic Douro properties, attend tastings and masterclasses, get to know the people behind the wine including winemakers, viticulturists, and salespeople, and be able to have behind-thescenes access to the winemaking process in the Douro.

Although many specific details of the programme are being kept secret, we’ve been told that the bootcamp will include a masterclass on climate change in the region, a dinner at the historic Factory House in Porto, and a visit to the iconic Quinta do Vesúvio in the Douro Superior – one of the last remaining Vintage Port estates to still tread grapes by foot.

Fifth-generation port producer, Rob Symington, said,

“We're excited to be welcoming another group of promising young sommeliers from across the world to Porto and the Douro. By sharing our love for this region and the wines it produces, we hope to give them a rich learning experience that they can take back home and share with others.”