Unlike mega-tour operators that lack flexibility, their itinerary for the upcoming Port Harvest Tour won�ft be finalized until after they�fve had a chance to personally communicate with each interested party. First they determine the potential clients�f level of interest in Port wine. Once the dynamics of the group are clear, Mario and Roy personalize the tour, focusing on the specifics that their guests desire. This bespoke trip planning perspective along with an extensive network of Port industry contacts make for consistently excellent guest experiences.

They stay focused and don�ft offer wine tours all over the globe and their vast expertise in Port and Madeira is unrivaled in the tour business. The high quality of wines their guests will encounter and the trade personalities that guests get to meet along the way simply cannot be matched by any other tour company, period. Ferreira and Hersh are at your service at all times and with no more than ten guests, you are assured of the utmost attention to your every need from the moment you arrive in Oporto to your departure.

Most importantly, they design these excursions as if they were planning their own great wine and fine dining vacation. This is what Mario and Roy call their �gspecialized fortification process�h and their guests really seem to love it. Mario and Roy look forward to providing each guest with the most extraordinary and unique wine trip they�fll ever take!

Tour hosts Roy Hersh and Mario Ferreira are renowned for their expertise in Port, Douro wine and Madeira. Mario spent much of his career at the Port Wine Institute as the �gAmbassador to the USA�h organizing elaborate, educational seminars and tastings throughout the USA for the wine and hospitality trade, as well as for consumers. Roy has been involved with Port for over 25 years and was inducted into the Port Wine Institute�fs �gConfraria (Brotherhood) and took an oath which led him to develop For The Love Of Port in 2004. In 2005 these two friends joined forces and started taking small groups to visit Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia and the Upper Douro River Valley during harvest time and a year later added a 2nd itinerary including the island of Madeira, which they visit every May during their well-known �gFortification Tour.�h

Together they will ensure that the 2009 Port Harvest Tour offers a fun filled and all-inclusive trip which provides unique, unsurpassed personalized experiences and first class accommodations. We�fll take part in �gbehind-the-scenes�h tastings at some of the Douro's rising stars and legendary Port producers in the lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia and at their Quintas and homes in the Douro region.

Surrounded by the overwhelming natural beauty and serenity of the Douro River Valley, you will savor the authentic regional cuisine which naturally is an integral part of our impassioned explorations. The diverse dining venues and menus are painstakingly selected by Roy, who began his career as a chef and worked in all facets of the restaurant industry; before later dedicating his life to family and For The Love Of Port.

You�fll experience the vast terrain of the Douro, walk through vineyards with key viticulturists, enjoy young and ancient cask samples, take part in horizontal and vertical tastings of Port and be immersed in everything from cask samples of the upcoming Vintage Ports to extraordinarily rare White Colheitas and everything in-between. After one week with Mario and Roy, you�fre assured of having gained a significantly improved understanding of all the specialized categories of Port from in-depth personal tasting experiences.

Guests on our tours truly enjoy the distinct opportunity to meet some of the most influential members of the Port trade, early and often during the course of the trip. Weather permitting we have a ton of fun foot treading just-picked-grapes and this is an experience you�fll never forget. It is yet another reason why we�fve enjoyed getting to know so many of our guests who�fve come back for a second, third and even fourth vinous vacation with us. Come join us this October and follow the grapes from the vine to the bottle, while creating memories that will last a lifetime!