A Tale of Two Quintas: Exploring the DOC wines and Vintage Ports of the Roriz and Vesuvio Estates

This event has concluded. You may view a recording of it here.

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Now accepting applications for A Tale of Two Quintas: Exploring the DOC wines and Vintage Ports of the Roriz and Vesuvio Estates.

Rupert Symington (CEO), and Charles Symington (Head Winemaker), both 4th generation Port producers, will host a comparative tasting of DOC wines and Ports from two of the Douro Valley’s oldest Estates: Quinta do Vesuvio and Quinta de Roriz. Join them to learn about the distinct local geography, soil, sun exposure and winemaking techniques that come together to create two very distinct house styles. This webinar is presented by Premium Port Wines, Inc (Symington Family Estates’ US Importer) and SommFoundation as a Virtual Expedition to the oldest demarcated and regulated wine region in the world

The event will take place Monday, June 28th, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM PDT. Twenty five people will be selected to receive six bottles of wine each for this webinar. Each participant will also receive one year’s access to SommFoundation’s SommGeo. Following the webinar, all twenty five participants will be granted access to an online competition covering information from the session. The top two scorers will be invited to attend an all-expenses paid Harvest Trip to the Douro, September 18-24, 2021.

*** If the trip is cancelled due to Covid, the invitation will stand for 2022.

Eligibility:

Open to US Residents only
Must be currently working in the wine industry profession
If you are selected as a participant, we prefer to ship the wine to you at a business address, if possible.
If you are one of the winners of the Harvest Trip, you must have a current, valid passport with an expiration date of December 31st, 2021 or later, as the trip will be booked within a few weeks of the event. You will also be responsible to comply with any international travel requirements by the US and Portugal regarding Covid measures (i.e. vaccinations if required, negative Covid tests, etc…). Harvest trip expenses (flights, hotels, meals) will be covered by the sponsor but you may be responsible for some incidental expenses and getting to/from your home airport

***If you wish to register for the webinar as a member of the general public (and do not wish to submit an application to be one of the 25 wine recipients), please complete the registration form HERE. Please note – the scholarship competition will be available only to the 25 participants, not to the general public.

About Symington Family Estates:

Symington Family Estates is one of the world’s leading producers of premium port and the leading vineyard owner in the Douro Valley. Since the family first arrived in Portugal in 1882, they have become one of the top producers of Portuguese wines with ten family members currently working across the company.

They own and run four of the leading port houses, Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s, and Cockburn’s, as well as a portfolio of Douro wines consisting of Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Ataíde, Altano, and Prats & Symington. They have recently launched a new project, Quinta da Fonte Souto, in the Alto Alentejo sub-region of Portalegre.

They are the leading vineyard owners in the Douro Valley with 26 Quintas covering a total of 5,572 acres of which 2,530 acres are under vine. All of their vineyards are managed under a strict minimum intervention policy and 275+ acres are organic, which make them the largest area of certified organic vineyard in northern Portugal.

Quinta do Vesuvio: historical records refer to the immense diversity of the estate as far back as 1565, but the property only took on the name of Quinta do Vesúvio in 1830. The estate is situated far upriver in the Douro Superior, 75 miles from Portugal’s Atlantic coast and 18 miles from Spanish border. They have preserved the centuries-old method of foot-treading the grapes in the granite lagares, which were built in 1827. Today Vesuvio is one of the last Douro Valley properties to maintain this tradition.

Quinta de Roriz, establish in 1764, is one of the oldest and finest vineyards in the Douro Valley. It has been known for its estate-bottled wines since the early 18th century and since becoming a partnership property between the Prats and Symington families in 2009, it has been the cornerstone of the Prats & Symington wines, home of Chryseia.

SFE thinks long-term. They know that their ability to keep producing wine for many years is dependent on a stable climate and a healthy ecosystem. They are proud to have become a certified B Corp in 2019 – joining a global movement of companies using business as a force for good. They are also proud to be applicants of the International Wineries for Climate Action: a collaborative group of wineries focused on a science-based approach to reducing carbon emissions.