Toursandwine.com

18/08/2026

DOURO SUMMER DAY
Pinhao — Our stalwart group of 40 from Ficklin Vineyards in Madera CA and our own Bacchus W**e & Travel Society are no strangers to summer heat. Still yesterday was a scorcher in Pinhao, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

We did the town walking tour in the morning, before it got really hot. At 11:45am it was on to historic Croft Estate to have vineyard walk, an explanation of the estate’s five century history and current century old grapevines. Then relief from the heat — a delicious Portuguese country lunch, comfortably air-conditioned.

27/06/2026

COGNAC CAPER — June 17th, 2026
Last year I added an extra day & night to our Bordeaux pre-cruise tour, a full day excursion to the town of Cognac. I’d never been to Cognac, which is both a town and w**e appellation about 90 minutes drive north of Bordeaux city.

People have been cooking h***h (distilling alcohol) for well over 1,000 years. You likely know all the usual distilled sprits: wh***ey (Scotch, Irish & Bourbon), Vodka, Gin, Rum, Tequila and Schnapps, and these are just the best known spirits.

Cognac is the product of crushing, cooking and distilling white w**e grapes, then aging the “eau de vie” (literally translated “water of life”) in both neutral French Oak barrels and charred barrels over a period of 4 to 10+ years. The latter gives Cognac its brown color.

Our little band of 11 thoroughly enjoyed two private tours and tastings; the first with major “trading house” Baron Otard, then a special experience with a small but longtime, high quality family Cognac producer Michel Forgeron. We sampled the 1989 Very Old Forgeron cognac straight out of the barrel — age 37 years and the color of root b**r. 😎

27/03/2026

27/03/2026

Reminiscing this morning about our amazing 2019 safari in Tanzania, I came across this video, my one and only attempt to be an "Influencer". This was a short video submitted as an entry to an annual W**e Spectator Magazine contest.

I didn't even place! Looking back, just like Donnie Bone Spurs, I was "unfairly treated". 😎

05/12/2025

On August 12, 2026, there will be a total solar eclipse, as the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, completely obscuring the Sun. The eclipse will pass over the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, AND northern Spain.

To witness and enjoy this extraordinary celestial event, Expanding Horizons offers you an inclusive 12-night holiday tour and river cruise, consisting of:

5-nights in Spain, visiting Madrid, Valladolid and Salamanca; a
private rooftop event for optimum eclipse viewing at Bodegas Dominio de Cair, a lovely Spanish w**ery with a rich history, then a
7-night Douro River cruise from the Spanish border to Porto, aboard the luxury river ship AmaVida.

JOIN US!
For complete information click the link below:
https://toursandw**e.com/eclipse26

17/11/2024

A DAY IN ARLES FRANCE
Another voyage up the Rhone River, this time in the company of 50 wonderful folks from the Finger Lakes area of upstate New York and the historic Dr. Konstantin Frank W**ery.

This is my favorite European river cruise. Its packed full of history, art, diverse scenery changes, beautiful towns and villages along the way, and arguably the world’s best food and w**e.

Having this much fun should be criminal! 😳

09/08/2024

A DINNER IN MADRID
Leaving Porto, I flew to Spain’s capital city to review some hotels and attractions in our post-Douro River tour program. No changes required here. Dinner at El Rincon de Esteban is nothing short of extraordinary. 😎

28/07/2024

LISBON
Day 2 is a wrap! I’m back in Portugal’s capital on another adventure with the good folks and fans from Napa Valley’s Chateau Montelena. There’s 50 of us from across the USA enjoying the summer sun and the Portuguese National Monuments. Later we had a splendid dinner at Degust’AR.

04/07/2024

Happy Independence Day!
🇺🇸
From all of us in Surf City USA
😎

12/04/2024

CYCLING ALONG THE RHONE — VIVIERS
One of the many enjoyable activities on a European river cruise is a guided bicycle ride. AmaWaterways ships carry 20 high quality, sturdy 3-speed bikes, which are offloaded and waiting in each port.

Led by a local guide, you’ll typically cycle 6-16 miles over 2 to 3 hours. In the Rhone Valley port of Vivier we did an 8 mile ride, along the banks of the swiftly flowing Rhone, then a short ascent to this beautiful, medieval hilltop town.