The Essentials is a 16-part online video series providing a detailed exploration into the world of Port and the Douro, developed by premium Port producer Symington Family Estates.
The course, hosted by experienced port educator Isabel Monteiro, is divided into five key chapters – History, Douro Terroir, Production, Ageing, and Storing, Serving & Pairing.
Each episode is around 3 to 5 minutes in length. Monteiro teaches viewers about the fundamentals of port in an informal way at different locations. Participants who have viewed all episodes are invited to take a short online test to assess their port knowledge, and are issued a School of Port certificate and rewarded with a bonus episode upon successful completion.
School of Port was first launched by the company in response to the coronavirus lockdown. It was conceived as a way of continuing port training sessions which had previously taken place offline.
“When we first launched School of Port our goal was to provide engaging online workshops primarily for trade professionals, with the Instagram account being the channel that was accessible to consumers,” said Rob Symington, fifth generation Port producer,
“Over the last year, however, we had many requests from wine lovers for further port training to take in their own time – and we developed The Essentials online course in response. We are excited to be broadening the School of Port’s educational offering and showing both wine professionals and consumers around the world the versatility of port and its relevance today.”
Since launching, over 1,300 people have taken the workshop. The Essentials video course was developed in response to the large volume of requests for online training.
School of Port most recently launched a how-to Portorials series via Instagram and Youtube. The series includes tips on how to read a Port label, making a port and tonic, decanting Vintage Port, and finding vegan Ports to try.
Symington Family Estates is a key member of International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), endeavouring to reduce carbon emissions in the wine world and fight the climate crisis. Read more on the IWCA’s latest news here.
