A Guide to WOW’s Museums
Produced in Collaboration with WOW, The New Cultural Center
When WOW debuted in August 2020, the vision was to bring heritage and cultural awareness to the region through its seven interactive museums, all situated in former port warehouses that peer out over Porto. Visitors to the district will learn in great detail about the Portuguese industries that have thrived in the region, like port, wine, cork, and fashion, over the decades and centuries. Here are some of the museums to consider, and for a complete list of exhibits, click here.
The Bridge Collection
A nice drinking vessel goes hand in hand with enjoying wine, each shape delivering a distinct sensorial experience. Visitors to The Bridge Collection will trace back in time, more than 9,000 years to be exact, by viewing a growing number of cups, amphoras, and the like—the current roster registers at 1,800—and learn the mode of how civilizations like Ancient Greece, Rome, Chinese dynasties, and the Aztecs consumed their spirits. The museum is the personal collection of Adrian Bridge, WOW’s CEO, who has a penchant for collecting and has rendered one of the most extensive private collections existing today.
Planet Cork
After a visit to Planet Cork, you’ll never look at the humble cork, placed ever so snuggly inside a wine bottle, the same. This interactive installation walks you through the fascinating world of Portugal’s thriving cork industry, which produces 50% of the world’s material. This natural, versatile, and sustainable medium is harvested by a skilled group of farmers, who carefully remove the bark from this revered tree. An interesting fact is that it’s illegal in Portugal to cut down a cork tree, even on private property, without written permission from the government. Visitors to the museum will travel through all the entire process until the final shape takes place—think yoga blocks, surf boards, shoes, furniture, and more.
Above Sheets of cork on display at Planet Cork; Below A towering reproduction of a cork tree allows visitors to touch and feel this unique species.
Above The serene interiors of the fashion museum, housed in an 18th century building.
PORTO FASHION & FABRIC Museum
Portugal’s rich history is steeped in many industries including textiles and fashion. The eye-opening Porto Fashion & Fabric Museum depicts the process of where our clothing comes from including the raw materials they are spawned from, like linen and silk, how they are spun into yarn, and then woven on a loom—it also enlightens with notes on sustainable practices. The second floor showcases a collection of Portuguese designers, past and present, in addition to a rotating roster of temporary exhibitions.
Left A variety of textile materials, both in their raw and finished forms on display; Right Portuguese fashion designers front and center; Below Restored frescoes decorate a wall in the small chapel that is adjoined to the museum, which was built by Nicolau Nasoni.
The Pink palace
The Pink Palace is a place for devout rosé lovers the world over who want to brush up on their knowledge about this blush-hued elixir. This multi-sensory, playful experience pays homage to the grapes and the regions that give this wine its distinct flavor profiles. Each of the eleven rooms are paired with either photo ops—care to jump into a hot pink ball pit, be transported to a shaded pergola Provence, or stand atop a wine bottle—or tastings from five different producers.
Below A tree comprised of wine bottles in a room that depicts the production process of rosé.
The Chocolate Story
Step into the nuanced world of cocoa at The Chocolate Story experience. The museum covers in detail the history of cacao dating back to the Olmecs, Aztecs, and Mayans; the fundamentals of how it’s grown, harvested, fermented, and processed, to how it ultimately lands in the hands of consumers. This endeavor sheds light on fair trade cocoa, in addition to how to better decipher the flavors in each bar. At the end of the self-guided tour, visitors can savor a range of chocolate from WOW’s chocolate line Vinte Vinte, which was coined after the cacao belt that is located 20 degrees north and south of the equator where it flourishes. Guests can also witness the craft of chocolate making in action by peering in the windows of the chocolate factory
Left Vinte Vinte labels, WOW’s signature chocolate brand, clad the walls in the museum; Right The sunny facade of The Chocolate Story.
The Wine Experience
Drinking and experiencing wine can be intimidating to some, how do I choose the best for what I am eating, or, what am I tasting exactly, can be a few questions someone might raise. The Wine Experience was created to help decode those very questions in a straightforward and engaging manner, in addition to helping those with some knowledge, expand upon that base. Here you’ll unearth the fundamentals of terroir, profiles of Portuguese wines, the aging process, and how to taste wine, which will set you up for a new experience next time you pour a glass.
Below An anatomy of a grape, as depicted in this large scale model at The Wine Experience.
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