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I am organising an offline at my house on Thursday June 11th. The original theme of a 1966 vs 1967 comparative horizontal has been postponed at JDAW's request as he is unable to attend but would very much like to take part in such a comparison.

So I did arbitrarily decide that the theme would be "1991 - How are these developing?" until someone suggested I might need some help to drink up some of the bottles in my collection that are in poorer condition - so the theme finally settled on "The Leaky Bottle".

The plan is for us to assemble together at roughly 6pm, enjoy some food together and then drink port until people have to leave or sleep. Limited and rudimentary overnight accommodation is available. I can cope with up to seven guests around the dining table. All who can make it are welcome to attend, just reply here that you would like a place.

CONFIRMED ATTENDEES
AHB
DRT
THRA
BMHR
JGH
SRG

POSSIBLE ATTENDEES

CONFIRMED NON-ATTENDEES
AP - used up his passes
CG - not outside the M25 on a school night
JDAW - apartment hunting in Paris
WS1 - poor return train connections
ARK - sent by UN to a neutral country
HEG


I will provide all the port to be drunk on the night. Attendees are asked to bring a bottle that I can put back into my collection to fill the space left by the leaky bottle taken out for drinking on the night plus £10 towards the cost of the food on the night.

Alex

I can offer a Gould Campbell 1991 (3 TN's) in 0.75 and a Fonseca Guimaraens 1991 (0 TN's) but only 0.375. Both can be contributed and I think I can get another FG 0.375 if that is required.

If neither are suitable I shall look to acquire or adopt.

I can offer Pocas. I think it is the only 1991 VP I have at home. I have full cases of others in storage but would prefer not to take them out unless it is essential.

Derek

Part of the reason that I have decided on the 1991 theme is that these wines are still relatively easy to find. Keep looking, and if you find something you think would be fun to try, then please say or perhaps buy it.

First post has been updated with ports offered.

If I had known a day sooner, I would could have preserved this Niepoort; but I see you have a bottle already..

I can offer:

Churchill
Cockburn
Croft
Dow
Graham
Morgan
Noval
Ramos Pinto
Rosa
Vesuvio
Warre

- all or any can be supplied, but the Churchill, Noval and Warre are in owc's that I wasn't planning to open just yet..

My preference would be to include Graham, Ramos Pinto & Rosa

Tom

Hi there,

would be very happy to attend to this tasting. 1991 Ports I could contribute are Vargellas, Dow, Grahams, Morgan, Niepoort, Warre and Smith Woodhouse. Warre and Smith Woodhouse are currently not easily accessible for me and also would like to avoid opening cases.

regards

Wolfgang

It has been suggested to me that an alternative theme for this offline would be "Drink Bridgeman's Leakers" and I do quite like this idea so I have decided to change the theme for the event to this.

I have identified 7 bottles in my cellar which have leaked a little recently and now have a mid- or low-shoulder fill. Hopefully, no-one will be disappointed by the choice.

All I would ask in return is that you bring a bottle which I can use to fill the gap in my collection left by opening the leaker. I leave the choice of bottle entirely at your discretion - surprise me! (And a small contribution towards the food either in kind or in cash.)

Alex

AHB wrote:"Drink Bridgeman's Leakers"

We could have called this "Drink Bridgeman's incontinents!"

I will consider what to surprise you with. Do you have any years less well represented in your cellar?

benread wrote: Do you have any years less well represented in your cellar?

That is a very dangerous question to ask a man who prefers very old, mature VP - I can see him scouring his cellar list now thinking: "Hmmm, just as I thought, I don't have enough 1927s"

DRT wrote:

benread wrote: Do you have any years less well represented in your cellar?

That is a very dangerous question to ask a man who prefers very old, mature VP - I can see him scouring his cellar list now thinking: "Hmmm, just as I thought, I don't have enough 1927s"

The answer could equally be 1975!

I can't help noticing that there are 7 people and 7 bottles.

Is this an American off-line or are we being sensible because it's a school night?

Ironically enough, 1991 is under-represented in my cellar but bring whatever you want. (I am also short of 1927 vintage if you happen to have some lying around.)

This is UK offline but I have only identified 7 leakers in my collection. Feel free to bring an extra leaker if you wish and if I find any more then I may add to the list.

The obvious paperwork can be found at www.jdawiseman.com/port/20090611_blind.pdf.

AHB wrote:Feel free to bring an extra leaker if you wish and if I find any more then I may add to the list.

If I poke a hole in the cork of a decent bottle of port on the morning of 10th June does that count as a leaker?

DRT wrote:If I poke a hole in the cork of a decent bottle of port on the morning of 10th June does that count as a leaker?

If the bottle leaks once you've done that, then it counts as a leaker. It will almost certainly leak if you remove the cork completely.

May I bring one too! I have one that has previously surprised a couple of attendees!

benread wrote:May I bring one too! I have one that has previously surprised a couple of attendees!

Only if it starts to leak before you bring it.

AHB wrote:

benread wrote:May I bring one too! I have one that has previously surprised a couple of attendees!

Only if it starts to leak before you bring it.

Just to confirm; we are now bringing a bottle to exchange for one of Alex's leakers, plus another one for which we attempt to induce leaking?

Bonus marks for anyone who manages to crack the bottle a la Smith Woodhouse 1947.

JacobH wrote:Just to confirm; we are now bringing a bottle to exchange for one of Alex's leakers, plus another one for which we attempt to induce leaking?

My official line is that you need only bring a bottle to refill the hole left in my storage when I remove the leaky bottle. Derek appears to be worried that we may run out of port with only 7 official bottles to share between 6 of us. Despite my best attempts, Derek does not seem convinced that I would be able to produce further bottles should we be in danger of running dry. On the other hand, I am quietly confident that even if Julian were also with us, we would not run out of port.

So, if you really want to bring an extra bottle with you in which you have induced leakiness, then feel free to do so. However, if you do then we will be less likely to start to run out of port and so I will be less likely to rummage around and say "Ooh! I'd forgotten about this one. Shall we try it and see how it is?"

So, it's up to you folks. Bring one and live dangerously or bring two and leave nothing to chance...

Moral: bring extra port, concealed secretly in your luggage, Early in the evening suggest ‟we’re about to run dry: Alex, you should go find something interesting”. When the host’s enthusiasm for that game is exhausted, happen to ‘find’ the extra.

Result: all-round happiness.

jdaw1 wrote:Moral: bring extra port, concealed secretly in your luggage, Early in the evening suggest ‟we’re about to run dry: Alex, you should go find something interesting”. When the host’s enthusiasm for that game is exhausted, happen to ‘find’ the extra.

Result: all-round happiness.

I think that when Julian is in attendance, I may need to also introduce a rule that we really must be about to run out.

Cheeses for Thursday evening have been obtained and stored in the "cellar" with the port. We will be able to enjoy Wigmore or Waterloo from Minute Maid Cheeses in Riseley or Barkham Blue or Blue Chase from Two Hoots Cheeses in Barkham. If anyone wants a hard cheese, then let me know and I will get some Spenwood (Minute Maid) when I go back to the farm shop to buy the cow (and assorted fungus) we will be eating.

Waterloo is fine cheese. Provided for my wedding reception by Ganhhhhdi and his damsel.

It is no coincidence that Ghahnhdhih and Waterloo are both appearing.

The thought of red meat, good cheese and interesting port has me salivating! A quick check on the train times has had me looking for a room locally for Thursday night - the trains, combined with our childcare arrangements, would have resulted in a brief visit!