It's time to celebrate the magnificence of Port wine

For 10 days, from 1 to 10 September, the Port and Douro Wines Institute (IVDP) celebrate the 261 years of the Demarcated Douro Region.

The wine producing Douro region is the third oldest protected wine region in the world established in 1756, after Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary, and Chianti established in 1730 and in 1716, respectively.

The programme includes restaurants and bars' routes with the challenge of harmonising a gourmet dish or promoting a Port wine cocktail, a masterclass themed "A Flight of the Sixties" and a train trip in the historic train "The Presidential".

The last day of the celebrations, 10 September, offers a Rabelo Boat Regatta, between 3.30 pm and 5.30 pm as well as an open party to the public in Jardim das Oliveiras, nearby Clérigos, in Porto (between 5 pm and 10 pm). 

Later that evening, a wine dinner is scheduled, in which a special menu is fit with Port wine and presented by an oenologist. This event will be attended by international guests that will depart for a weekend in Douro Valley vineyards and experience first-hand the ambiance and the memories of traditional producing houses, as announced by IVDP.

Festivities and events transcend national borders and extend to the United States of America, namely New York, where a wine tasting will be held, among other activities.

Port wine is a growth market in the USA, according to the Port Wine Institute. In 2016, the value of Port wine bottles shipped to the US was virtually 34 million euros.

Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley region, in the north of Portugal. 

Under European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only the product from Portugal can be labelled as port or Porto. In the United States, the names "Oporto", "Porto", and "Vinho do Porto" have been recognised as Port wines originating in Portugal.