Learn about the Douro Soul Wines project

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Learn about this collective of Douro producers...

What ‘s the Douro Soul Wines Project?

Soul Wines is an umbrella brand concept which brings together many producers, almost all coming from traditional Douro families. The project is co-financed by the Portugal 2020 and promoted by NERVIR – Associação Empresarial – a Douro Valley business association, which over the years has developed activities in several foreign markets to promote the Douro and Port wines.

Who are the Douro Soul Wines producers?

All the Soul Wines producers come from traditional Douro families that for generations produced the best grapes and wines of the region, which were sold to port wine exporting companies. Until 1986 they were not allowed to age and market Port Wine from the Douro Region.

From 1986, with the creation of the Bonded Area, or Entreposto of the Douro, this became possible and these producers began an entire process of production, ageing and bottling of Port and Douro wines, with their own brands; wines and brands that have already conquered their space in the national and international market, but to which the Soul Wines project intends to give more visibility.

The Soul Wines producers are men and women who work from sun to sun, vine to the cup, within their own quintas to show the best their vineyards have to give; they are the youngest generation of traditional Douro families, with new ideas and concepts about making wine, and as they know each other, they exchange experiences and knowledge, and they got together in the Soul Wines Project to promote their wines abroad.

The Soul Wines in the UK market

The UK market is an important one. It’s a country that produces little wine, so it’s normal to buy wine from its traditional suppliers; and Portugal has been supplying wines to the English market since 1373, so for more than 600 years, and Port wine is particularly important as a reference wine in the English market.

Thus, from the first hour that Soul Wines producers, showed interest in promoting their wines in the UK market, and that’s why the producers have been in the UK last October to host different events, and a dedicated trade tasting, to introduce their wines to buyers as well as look to build partnerships and hopefully distribution in the UK market.

Soul Wines producers will be present in the London Wine Fair, Olympia, London, 20 – 22 May 2019.