Exploring The World of Wine in Porto, Portugal

When I was in Porto for in June this year, I spent one day at the wine museum Worl of Wine, also known as WOW. Together with a friend we went to Vila Nova de Gaia, located across the river Douro. The plan was to taste port wine. Most of the port houses are located here. As we approached Grahams (port wine), we discovered WOW and desided to to check it out first. This amazing complex showcases the history and culture of wine through various exhibitions. We experience this museum as an intertaining way of learning about wine. The complex contains several museums, but it was impossible to have time for all of them. We had to make som choices. Several restaurants will make sure you won't go hungring during the visit.

We studied the map outside and simply walked in. Then we bought a day pass for €32. This day pass grants access to all seven museums and exhibitions, as well as wine tastings. Each one of the museums are designed to create an engaging experience that truly awakens the senses. We had read beforehand that WOW is considered one of the best wine museums in the world. After the visit we can see why. We were impressed!

We started with a visit to the Pink Palace Museum. It's all about rosé wine! We were handed a glass and then we started on a walk trough different rooms with exhibitions, information and tastings. The first was about the rosé wine from Provence, France – the birthplace of rosé.

The next room was about the Portuguese wine Mateus, which I should think is well-known.

Before even reading anything on the walls, we knew we were in California! Palmtrees and a pink Cadilac. Rosé made from the Zinfandel grape.

We ended up in the saloon where we could taste a rosé port wine before we left the exhibition.

Visiting WOW, you can choose between 7 museums, temporary exhibitions, 9 restaurants, cafes and shops. I have read that the complex also includes a wine school. We manged to visit 3 of the exhibitions. I should have liked to visit the Planet Cork, but we didn't have time enough.

On the way to the next museum, The Wine Experience, we passed the entrance to Planet Cork. It was one of the museums we decided to skip otherwise we would run out of time. However, I think it would have been interesting, given that it covers the history of cork. As far as I know, Portugal is the world's leading producer of cork. On the way to the next museum, a short rest was needed – on a sofa made of cork. Even the toilet has decorative doors with appropriate theme!

Just like the Pink Palace, The Wine Experience is a great experience. In a nice and informative way, we joined a very sensory journey. Here we could learn about the many regions, grape varieties, soils, climate and production methods. It was an informative and playful way to acquire knowledge about wine. At the end there was the opportunity to taste wine.

It was on July 31, 2020 that The World of Wine Museum opened. The whole place covers an area of 40.000 sq.meters, where you can immense yourself in the history of winemaking. It is located in the same district as the port wine cellars. Because they are placed above the river Douro, you will get a panoramic view of both the river and the city of Porto. The entire construction project was completed over a period of 5 years and without any intervention in the urban landscape of this district. Existing buildings were used. Some were old, historic buildings, that were restored and converted in order to house the museums, shops and restaurants.

The Art of Drinking

The last exhibion was The Art of Drinking. Our day ticket included a one-hour guided tour of a exhibition that houses CEO Adrian Bridges’ personal collection of drinking vessels. Here, we explored 9,000 years of the evolution of vessels used for alcoholic beverages; I believe the earliest one originates from China. The tour concluded with the Riedel glasses.

A day well spend in a world of wine. Our only regret, was that we hadn't planned for a two day pass.