Website of the Month – Madeira Wine Guide
The Madeira Wine Guide is an excellent reference site, the result of collaboration between two Madeira loving brothers in Germany and Seattle.
Southern Hospitality: The Port of Atlanta
Roy Hersh visits Atlanta and a group of Port Lovers for a tasting of Vintage Ports, including four Fonseca Vintage Ports.
A Diamond in the Douro’s Rough: Quinta do Silval
Roy Hersh reports back from a visit to Quinta do Silval in the Vale de Mendiz near Pinhão, which offers accomodate, food and wonderful Port and Douro DOC wines.
Why Bottling Date Should Be On Port Labels
I humbly bring this suggestion to you, the Port leaders and maestros, from discussions that have appeared on the FORUM of the FTLOP website. Collectively, we would very much like to see you adopt the practice of putting the date of bottling on the label of every single bottle that leaves your cellars. As Port [...]
Discovering Madeira
Roy Hersh's first visit to Madeira, which naturally included some sensational wine tastings. Read his account, tasting notes, and discussion of some of the challenges of making Madeira wine.
Website of the Month – Rare Wine Co.
The Rare Wine Company - shop, website and newsletter - is a must-see for Madeira lovers.
Website of the Month – Catavino
Roy's website of the month is Catavino, which is dedicated to the wines, gastronomy and travel experience of the Iberian peninsula.
Tour of Duty: The Dynamic Douro – Part III
Earlier in the year, Mario R. Ferreira and I had talked about a collaboration to bring small groups of enthusiasts to Portugal to discover the Port experience. As much as I get pleasure from visiting Oporto and Vila Nova de Gaia, I couldn’t wait for the extraordinary experience to introduce this savvy group of Port [...]
Decanting Vintage Port: The “Hersh Method”
Decanting Vintage Port can be simple: Roy describes the traditional methods for decanting and offers his own simple and reliable (if possibly less romantic) procedure, and also discusses both traditional advice and his own views and experience on decanting times.
Leading Our Way to Oporto, Gaia & The Douro
Two years later, I finally returned to the “place of my roots” and two weeks in Portugal was exactly the tonic my spirit needed. Unlike past trips to the wine lands of Port, this would be very different. It was my first opportunity to guide a small group, along with my friend and travel business [...]