EVENTS

Visit to Porto Wine Institute, Porto, Portugal

During my recent travels to Portugal, me and my wife Dr. Tamara Gour had the opportunity of visiting many institutions associated with the Port Wines.  One is “The famous Port Wine Institute” which  plays a pivotal role in maintaining the reputation of this world famous style of wines.
Mr. Paulo Russell Pinto, Communication & Marketing Manager of the Port Wine Institute took us around the Institute, its labs, tasting rooms detailing each of its functions in great detail.
The Port Wine Institute (The Instituto do Vinho do Porto (I.V.P. http://www.ivp.pt) is an Inter Professional Public Institute which monitors the activities between its public administration and private responsibilities.   It is located in the heart of the historic district of Porto, next to the Praça Infante D. Henrique gardens, between the Bolsa Palace and the Ferreira Borges market.
The main idea of this institute is to keep the image of international prestige for the Port and Douro Appellations of Origin (AO), and increase consumer awareness as to their value, by means of firmly differentiating the concepts of both the AO and the “terroir” of the products.
The present model of the Port and Douro Wine Institute (IVDP) is the result of the merger of the Douro Demarcated Region Inter professional Commission (CIRDD) and the former Port Wine Institute (IVP), and the transfer of new responsibilities once held by the Casa do Douro (CD). It is in the model of a public institute of an inter professional nature, which includes the certification of wines from the Douro Demarcated Region, as well as disciplinary and punitive functions and - as an inter professional body - the responsibility of the management and coordination of Douro viticulture.
This centre has been classified by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage since 1996.  It preserves a remarkable historic heritage, clearly visible in its medieval baroque, neoclassical and romantic monuments. 

Most important asset of the Port  Wine Institute is its Tasting Panel:

The creation of the tasting panel dates back to the foundation of the port Wine Institute 1933.  IVDP’s tasting panel has been a pioneer in implementing a accredited sensorial analysis process according to NP EN ISO/IEC 17025.  All wines are judged by a group of 7 tasters who evaluate a maximum of 20 samples per day.  Everyday, 10% of the tasting samples are repetitions, thus enabling a daily control of the tasters’ performance.  Every year more than 5000 wines are tasted. The wines are evaluated for clarity, color, aroma,   flavor, fault and age.   Each of the wines that come from Porto has to be certified by the IVDP.