Nicko Cruises is adding an exclusive wine program to its Douro cruise aboard the Douro Queen this fall.

Certified sommelier Jörg Bornmann will join the eight-day river cruise from Porto from October 29 to November 5, 2026, acquainting guests with Portuguese grape varieties, wine growing regions and wine traditions

As part of two exclusive tastings during the cruise, Bornmann will take guests on a wine journey through Portugal for a fee and invite them to get to know the wine world along the Douro River, Nicko said in a press release.

The starting point of the trip is Porto, where guests will be staying overnight at the beginning and end of the cruise. A city tour with port wine tasting in a traditional bodega offers first insights into the regional wine culture.

After a walk through Pinhão, guests will visit a traditional Quinta with a typical lunch and learn about the life of a winemaking family. In the afternoon, they visit the Mateus Palace near Vila Real and the medieval Castelo Rodrigo.

From Barca d’Alva, an excursion to the Spanish university city of Salamanca is on the program, followed by multi-course menu, accompanied by a flamenco performance.

After visiting Lamego, guests go back to Porto, where they can choose between a trip to Guimarães, known as the “cradle of the nation of Portugal,” and the historic city of Braga.