The Sommelier's Port

This is a Port wine tasting with a sommelier who has spent more than thirty years in the trade — consulting for leading houses, participating in Douro harvests, and eventually becoming a winemaker himself. He walks you through the history of Port, the fortification process that gives Port its character, and the three styles the region has developed: White, Ruby, and Tawny. You'll taste four Ports personally selected by Frédérick — around a hundred years of maturation across the four glasses — chosen to show how the style, the vineyard zone, and the ageing method shape what ends up in the glass. Along the way, Frédérick shares how to identify the defining characteristics of each style, how to pair Port with food, and how to buy, serve, and store a bottle at home. Frédérick's view is that Port is best understood through comparison — which is why the four glasses stay on the table together, side by side, throughout, during this immersive conversation.

Most Port tastings in Porto are hosted by a single Port house — as part of a scripted group tour showing you their own bottles, with the tasting compressed at the end, and little discussion of the specifics of the wine in the glass. This one is different. Drawing on a lifelong passion for collecting fine wines, Frédérick personally selects White, Ruby and Tawny Ports from producers that retain their individuality and craftsmanship. He works independently, which means the four Ports on the table come from across the Douro's producers, including smaller producers that don't have their name in lights over Vila Nova de Gaia. You get a view of the region rather than a single cellar's marketing story. The format is unscripted. Each session runs as an open conversation shaped by your questions — whether you're tasting Port for the first time or already collecting, you leave with insight to be choose a bottle of Port Wine that fits your own taste, not a house's suggestion.

Frédérick is Canadian by origin. His fascination with Port began early, and the interest that started then eventually brought him to Portugal. Over the past three decades, he has worked with major Port houses, participated in Douro harvests, consulted for producers, and become a winemaker himself — a rare arc that follows the wine from the vineyard through the cellar to the bottle. Passionate about making Port accessible to everyone, Frédérick combines deep expertise with an engaging, conversational style that welcomes both first-time tasters and seasoned enthusiasts. His goal is to help you understand, appreciate, and confidently enjoy one of Portugal’s greatest wines long after the experience ends.

No special preparation is required, and cameras are welcome.