The Essence of Wine at Palácio da Bolsa till 25 February

The 15th edition of "Essência do Vinho - Porto" [Essence of Wine -Porto] opened to the public today at Palácio da Bolsa [Stock Exchange Palace].

The event, which is regarded as the biggest and most prestigious wine competition in Portugal, will run till Sunday, 25 March, featuring three thousand wines and free tastings, from 400 national and international producers, and a wide-ranging programme of activities.

For Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, "the wine fair spotlights the city, and the country as well. This is Porto, we have here tradition which is the Palácio da Bolsa, entrepreneurship, which are the organisers who have launched this event in an unlikely way fifteen years ago, we have here the wine, we have here our taste for life and we have here the people. We have all the ingredients that suits the city".

"The event marks the country's belief in a Bacchic culture and has done a remarkable work in promoting its wines, in establishing the quality of Portuguese wines, acknowledged today all across the globe by the most renowned critics", Rui Moreira affirmed.

A wide range of wine related professionals participates in this fair, including journalists, opinion makers, sommeliers, and importers from 13 nationalities, among which are Brazil, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland, Canada, United States of America, China, Russia, Portugal, Italy and Finland.

After 15 editions, the internationalization of this event is one of the main successes, says Nuno Botelho, President of the Porto Trade Association. "The "Essência do Vinho" is highlighted in the main European Wine Tours. The fair is clearly the most prestigious wine event in Portugal", he concluded.

Before the fair was opened to the public, the "TOP 10 Portuguese Wine" competition took place at the Salão Árabe.

The event's programme features wine pairing, Michelin Chefs with excellent mouth-watering dishes and another 50 parallel activities.

This event was launched in 2004 and it is organised by EV-Essência do Vinho, jointly with Porto Trade Association. In 2017 the fair welcomed over 20 thousand visitors, 30% of which foreign attendees.

The "Essência do Vinho" runs till Sunday, at the Palácio da Bolsa. Entrance for one day costs 25 euros and it includes an official tasting glass.

See here for more information.