Miguel Leal #123
Connected to the world of wine since his childhood
Miguel Leal’s link to the wine world dates back to his childhood on a small family wine estate run by his grandfather and father. The vineyards were located in the north of Portugal in the wine growing region of the Vinho Verde. As a child, Miguel has fond memories of visiting the winery during harvest and helping with things like bottling and labeling the wines.
After graduating from university in Porto with a degree in international relations, Miguel started his career working in the family businesses for many years. The wine world’s siren call grew too strong to resist and in 2011 he decided to pursue his passion for a career in the world of wine and combine it with his other passion, automobiles and driving by founding ML-Private Tours.
Discover the best of Portugal in wine and food
ML Private Tours specializes in creating unique travel experiences for clients that are seeking out the best of what Portugal has to offer, particularly in regards to the best wine and gastronomy.
While Miguel specializes in the north, mainly Porto, the Douro, Vinho Verde, Dão and Bairrada, when the opportunity arises we can arrange premium visits to many other neighboring wine regions in Portugal and Spain.
A bridge between customers and wine producers
Since our foundation in 2011, our objective has always been to be a link between our customers and wine producers, with Portuguese wines increasingly known and sought after, our work is very important, as we only recommend the best producers, so that our customers leave Portugal with the best memories when they return home and when they go to buy wines, buy Portuguese wines associated with the best memories of Portugal.
More than the quantity of tours, our focus is on their quality. In the year before the pandemic (2018), we had 2-3 tours per week from March to November, in terms of the number of people between 2 and 7 people. In 2019 (first year of the pandemic), we would have the best year ever, with a very large portfolio of reservations, but with the pandemic they were canceled. This year (2022) is a year of recovery, we already have some reservations and high expectations.
Reviews
Wonderful day in Douro Valley
We booked Miguel for a half-day trip to Douro Valley from Porto. I would highly recommend him! We were referred to Miguel when we booked a private sunset cruise (Rivus cruise – also recommended!), and he was extremely responsive from the start, setting the experience off on the right foot.
We left Porto around 1 pm and were driven to Quinta Nova winery (about 2 hours away); along the way, Miguel shared a lot of his knowledge about the region and port. He was outgoing and personable, but also understood that a few of us wanted to nap as well. His car was clean and comfortable for our family of four (we chose his sedan) and he made sure we were comfortable.
He joined us on the cruise and brought along a bottle of champagne for the special occasion we were celebrating, and then we had a safe drive back even with the rain.
Thank you so much, Miguel! We will definitely reach out again next time we’re in town.
Exceptional Day in Douro Valley
Miguel was the consummate professional from the moment we connected and booked the tour. He was open to our requests and made suggestions of his own. It was indeed all about us!
He exceeded our expectations in every way and made sure we had an experience of a lifetime. He gave us all his knowledge of the region and was willing to spend as much time as we wanted exploring the lovely valley.
Thank you Miguel, we will never forget you and the amazing day we had.
Amazing, Thank You!
Miguel was absolutely wonderful: friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable! He planned our entire day in the Douro Valley and it was more than I could have ever imagined! We were celebrating my 30th birthday and Miguel showed up with a bottle of champagne, which was arranged by my husband prior to our arrival, but Miguel went above and beyond to also bring flowers. Throughout the day, he continued to exceed our expectations!
He planned the most intimate boutique wineries, a delicious and romantic lunch and he made stops at the most picturesque viewpoints. I loved traveling with a local who was so passionate about his country, the wines, and the region – we learned so much from him! Thank you, Miguel, when we come back we will definitely plan a trip with you again!