SCHOOL OF PORT: The Art of Wood Ageing: Tawny Port Masterclass

What can time really do to a wine?

The myth is simple: make the wine, put it in a wooden barrel, wait a few decades and you have fine wine!

The reality is far more fascinating. Time, oxygen, wood, patience and skill work together to transform Tawny Port, creating layers of dried fruit, nuts, spice, caramel, citrus and remarkable elegance.

But what actually happens inside those barrels? What does wood do to wine? And how does a Tawny evolve from Reserve to 10, 20, 30 and 50 years old?

Join Adam from School of Port for an evening exploring the art and science of wood ageing, tasting six remarkable Tawnies spanning decades of maturation.

Discover the craft of the coopers, the patience of the cellar masters and the extraordinary skill of the master blenders — and see how time doesn’t simply add age - it transforms character.

A fascinating comparative tasting for Port lovers, wine enthusiasts and WSET Diploma students preparing for D5.

Six wines. Decades of ageing. One journey through the art of Tawny Port.

School of Port is an educational initiative for wine professionals and wine lovers, created in 2020 by the port-mad people at Symington Family Estates to share the wonders of port and the Douro. They are the first port (sorry, pun intended) of call for anyone who wants to learn essential port knowledge and navigate more confidently around this complex wine category with relevant knowledge straight from the source: a family that is involved in making and selling port wine for 5 generations. Thousands of people have already enjoyed the short videos, interviews, expert Q&A’s, video courses and exams, all available on their website for free: https://schoolofport.com

Adam Odor is a London-based certified port wine educator, who got his WSET Levels 2 and 3 from WLWS under the tutelage of Jimmy. He worked with Davy’s and Majestic in the past and he runs tastings and masterclasses as the Ambassador and Chief #Portgeek for School of Port in the UK.