{"id":3775,"date":"2026-03-06T22:21:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T21:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/?p=3775"},"modified":"2026-03-20T10:21:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T09:21:29","slug":"educating-the-palate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/?p=3775","title":{"rendered":"Educating the Palate: Inside the Wines of Portugal Academy\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Sofia Salvador joined ViniPortugal nearly 14 years ago, the world of Portuguese wine was already rich with tradition and diversity. Yet despite this, there was no consistent, structured approach to wine education. Today, as Head Educator of the Wines of Portugal Academy, Salvador is leading an ambitious global programme that is shaping how professionals and enthusiasts engage with Portuguese wine.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe always did some form of education,\u201d says Salvador. \u201cWe offered masterclasses during events, training sessions, and guided tastings in our rooms. But it wasn\u2019t structured in any formal way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That changed in 2017 with the launch of the Wines of Portugal Academy. The idea originated from growing interest among wine professionals and educators at international events. The first structured partnership came in South Korea, with a wine school eager to incorporate Portuguese wine into its curriculum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere was real demand,\u201d Salvador explains. \u201cWine schools wanted to include Portugal in their teaching. We realised we needed a proper educational programme to support that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially focused on professionals such as sommeliers, importers and retailers, the Academy was developed as a trade education tool. It soon expanded beyond South Korea to include partnerships in Canada, China and other key markets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the early days, Salvador personally trained instructors in each country. \u201cI would travel to the school and teach the local educator. They already had to know a bit about Portuguese wine, but I guided them through our structure and materials.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Academy gained recognition, the process became more streamlined. Today, wine schools from around the world approach ViniPortugal to express interest in becoming accredited providers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s often the schools who come to us now,\u201d says Salvador. \u201cWe have requests from Mexico, Estonia and beyond. There\u2019s a real appetite to teach Portuguese wine.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Academy\u2019s expansion coincides with the global rise in Portugal\u2019s popularity as a wine and travel destination. In 2023, Portugal welcomed over 30 million tourists, many of whom connected their visit with wine and gastronomy experiences. This, says Salvador, has had a knock-on effect in wine education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverywhere I go now, whether it\u2019s Canada, South Korea or elsewhere, people are telling me they\u2019ve just been to Portugal or are planning to go. There\u2019s a buzz about Portugal. People want to learn more.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wines of Portugal Academy offers two structured levels: Initiation and Intermediate. Each course is built around key learning pillars such as regions, grape varieties and Portugal\u2019s unique wine identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the Initiation level, we teach around ten of the main wine regions,\u201d Salvador explains.  

\u201cWe also cover ten native grape varieties that are central to Portugal\u2019s wine identity.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These include reds such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Trincadeira, Tinta Roriz, Baga and Castel\u00e3o, along with whites like Encruzado, Alvarinho, Arinto and Fern\u00e3o Pires. The selection of these grapes is the result of a sector-wide decision by ViniPortugal and its members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIn total, Portugal has more than 250 native grape varieties, all genetically catalogued,\u201d says Salvador. \u201cBut we focus on ten to make it manageable, especially when teaching in different languages.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Intermediate level introduces all 14 wine regions and explores additional aspects such as terroir, soils and microclimates in more detail. Fortified wines, including Port, Madeira and Moscatel, are also covered, along with iconic Portuguese producers and labels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s also a segment on food pairings,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt\u2019s general for now, but we hope to adapt it to local cuisines in future.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the pandemic, in-person training came to a halt. In response, the Academy launched a six-module online version open to anyone, anywhere in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Wines of Portugal Online Academy has been a great success,\u201d says Salvador. \u201cMore than 5,200 people have completed the full course and earned a diploma.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the online format lacks the tasting element of the in-person sessions, it remains a valuable tool for building foundational knowledge and reaching new audiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing engagement from people all over the world. Some are professionals, others are wine lovers who visited Portugal and want to deepen their understanding.\u201d 

In addition to classroom and online learning, the Academy offers what Salvador calls \u201cimmersion visits\u201d. These week-long trips bring sommeliers, importers and educators to Portugal to experience its wine regions first-hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe invite professionals from our strategic markets to visit vineyards, meet producers and taste wines in their native terroir,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most powerful ways to connect people to Portuguese wine.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These visits often start with a masterclass led by Salvador, followed by guided tours across multiple regions. Beyond education, these trips frequently spark business opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When Sofia Salvador joined ViniPortugal nearly 14 years ago, the world of Portuguese wine was already rich with tradition and diversity. Yet despite this, there was no consistent, structured approach to wine education. Today, as Head Educator of the Wines of Portugal Academy, Salvador is leading an ambitious global programme that is shaping how professionals […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[37],"class_list":["post-3775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3775"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3824,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3775\/revisions\/3824"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3775"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcoauthors&post=3775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}