Coming up – our annual Winemaker For A Day Experience 🍷

Last month I wrote about our annual Harvest Experience, and that each year the experience varies as does the actual grape harvest.

Each Winemaker for a Day is also different each year – as Vincent and the mix of participants and their objectives sets the tone. Here Vincent puts on his “professor hat” for the day.

Winemaker for a Day “Professor” Vincent Bouchard

Excellent and attentive students

A little of his background is helpful here. Number 5 child out of 8, in one of the many branches of Bouchard Père et Fils family from Burgundy, France (dating back to 1731), his older brother’s career was at  the winery. With a degree in enology, Vincent had to find another occupation and, with the invitation by Robert Mondavi to do a harvest in California’s Napa Valley in 1978, Vincent did just that, and more! He was at the right place at the right time, and found a growing market for French oak barrels, that grew into quite a big business and that fueled the initial investment in 1992 to purchase our Quinta do Tedo.

So, wine and wood are very significant components in Vincent’s life, just as Porto aged for differing amounts of years is the driving force to making an excellent Tawny. We are well known at Quinta do Tedo for our Tawny Ports!

Angelo's overview of Quinta do Tedo's viticultural philosophy

Angelo's short course of leaf and grape identification

The grape juice, aka future Porto!

Come and join us for a day, and dive into Tawny blending. 12 September is the special day this year. Grape picking and foot treading are behind us, but leaf identification and an overview of our vineyard and Quinta do Tedo philosophy are worthy substitutes.

Adelaide's pataniscas are the best, one begs for another

A walk through the vineyard, a traditional “snack” of hot soup and bacalhau pataniscas at the canteen used by our 30+ workers, followed by a tour and tasting, and then an al fresco lunch on Kay and Vincent’s terrace overlooking Douro river leads up to Professor Vincent’s course in Tawny blending!

Wood and Porto go hand in hand in Tawny crafting

Tasting, blending, and tasting again, to get as close to our Quinta do Tedo blended Tawny Port style as possible

Held in our 55 m-deep barrel aging “túnel”, Vincent teaches a crash course in the intricacies to make a Tawny, our Quinta do Tedo Tawny style and the legal implications to make a Tawny.

Another beautiful day to backdrop our lunch overlooking Douro River

Seated at a table surrounded by barrels, aging vessels and our beautiful art installation made from 100 years-old gnarled grape vines, each participant tastes alongside winemaker Vincent and his assistant to reproduce the same Tawny that Vincent blends, using 5 – 8 Portos from specific years. Personalized labels are made by each participant, following the legal guidelines for labels.

As you can imagine, scientific AND animated conversations overlap during this academic session with Professor Vincent. At the end everyone leaves with his/her own personalised labeled bottle, and the grand finale is the spitting competition outside of the túnel.

Our annual Winemaker For A Day Experience is scheduled this year for Saturday, September 12, 2026 from 9:30/10:00 through 15:30/16:00, and our group size is limited to 20 persons at 130 euros per person.

Reach out to me, Kay Bouchard, Owner and Winemaker For a Day Experience co-Leader with my husband Vincent Bouchard, via info@quintadotedo.com to book your spot — a couple are still open!

Bom proveito, enjoy, santé & Genießen Sie sie! ~ Odile & Kay Bouchard