The Evolution of Port, Visiting Porto & 2000+ Year-Old Glassware with Adrian Bridge, CEO of Taylor Fladgate

In this episode of The Vint Wine Podcast, we welcome Adrian Bridge, CEO of the Fladgate Partnership, the historic company behind Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca, and Croft. With over 300 years of winemaking legacy, Adrian offers a fascinating look at the past, present, and future of Port—one of the world’s most iconic and ageworthy wine styles.

You’ll hear about:
• The evolution of Taylor Fladgate and the birth of Port as a global category
• How vintage declarations work and why 1992, 1994, and 2011 were standout years
• The development of white and rosé Port, including the Croft Pink revolution
• Scion: the extraordinary 1855 Port discovered in a forgotten cellar
• Adrian’s personal collection of 9,000-year-old drinking vessels
• The story behind the Yeatman Hotel and World of Wine museum in Porto
• How the Porto Protocol is uniting the global wine industry around climate action

Whether you're new to Port or a seasoned collector, this is an essential listen that connects centuries of tradition with today’s innovations.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Vint Wine Podcast
00:53 Hosts' Weekend Wine Adventures
02:46 Wine Tasting Experiences in Healdsburg
11:14 News in the Wine World
13:36 Interview with Adrian Bridge: CEO of the Flag Gate Partnership
29:24 Exploring Porto and the Douro Valley
29:52 The Yeatman Hotel and Tourism Efforts
31:01 Porto's Historical and Cultural Richness
32:57 The World of Wine Museum
33:43 Personal Collections and Drinking Vessels
38:02 The Beauty and Tradition of the Douro Valley
39:11 Innovations in Port Production
40:31 The Story of Rose Port
43:13 The Scion Bottling and Historical Ports
47:06 Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port
50:06 Vintage Port and Standout Years
55:58 The Rise of Portuguese Table Wines
57:50 The Porto Protocol and Climate Change
01:02:01 Conclusion and Future Episodes

Explore wines from Taylor Fladgate and more at vintmarketplace.com

The Vint Wine Podcast is hosted and produced by Billy Galanko. For more content follow Billy on Instagram @BillyGalanko_wine_nerd and for partnerships and collaborations please email billy@sommeliermedia.com.

Cheers!