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I shall be home alone in the first week of January as as it is the first days of the year in which I turn 40, I would like to start as I mean to go on with some (more) port!

Is anyone up for an informal TCP tasting, theme TBC? Have enabled re-voting so you can change your mind on date and make multiple votes! I can make every day at present.

Update:

Confirmed attendees: Benread, WS1, AHB, Christopher
Unconfirmed: DRT, JacobH

Venue: The Crusting Pipe - boardroom booked

This could be the first 4 day London Off-line

DRT wrote:This could be the first 4 day London Off-line

Not intended nor impossible!

If you add one more day we could call it "The First TPF Test"

We could burn a few corks from the first event, put them in a little urn and then repeat the event each year with the last man standing winning The Ashes

I'm up for it. I'm not sure which date suits me best, but for the moment I could make any of the suggested dates but with a slight preference for not Friday.

Any thoughts for a theme?

AHB wrote:Any thoughts for a theme?

Bring a bottle to celebrate Ben turning 40: Part 1 of 12?

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:Any thoughts for a theme?

Bring a bottle to celebrate Ben turning 40: Part 1 of 12?

I suspect Tom may not be able to join us but am not sure of his winter travel plans. Should he ba able to do so, it could be extended (I believe) to read:

...and UncleTom turning 50: part 1 of 12

I like the theme and have some bottles in mind!

You could all come over to the US -- we're drinking a little Dow at the beginning of Jan

Hi Ben,

sounds good; will be here in London as well. What about if we do a big Vesuvio comparison?

This should be as a theme elaborate enough.

On the other hand if you insist to have 1970 Ports to drink (understandable) I am sure I find something interesting as well.

regards

WS1

Date now proposed: Tuesday 5th January, based on general preference for Tuesday or Wednesday.

People who have expressed an interest so far:

Me!
DRT
AHB
WS1
...

That seems to be a quorum!

Have we confirmed that we will meet up on Tuesday 5th Jan at the TCP?

If it is the 4 of us meeting up, are we permitted to bring a guest? Any particular theme? How about Cheering Winter Port?

Guests are always welcome and Tuesday 5th January is a date!

Good news that we are confirmed, I am giving a training session in London on that Tuesday, so the date works out well for me.

Do we have a theme?

Given Ronnie's recent comments about the weakness of the 1985 vintage, would it be interesting to have a small tasting of that vintage? I could bring any one of Dow, Graham or Warre - all of which I quite enjoy.

If I'm coming, and that isn't yet likely as I have no reason to be in London that week as yet, I can bring a Martinez 85.

Unless quorum dictates otherwise, 1985 is not what I had in mind!

Hi Ben,

to follow Dereks suggestion i could add Martinez 1994 and 1967 (like this Port based on the 66/67 comparison tasting ). Or you rather prefer SWC 1970, Gould Campel 1970, Warre 1970, Noval 1970, Croft 1970, Dow 1970 or Fonseca 1970. These are the 70ties ports i have at my flat. From no other vintage i have so many different Ports and i continue to buy. I wonder why ))))))))

Leave the choice to you since I will turn 40 that year (unfortunately!!!) as well

regards

WS1

benread wrote:Unless quorum dictates otherwise, 1985 is not what I had in mind!

What did you have in mind? Surely not a 1970 horizontal?

Seriously, if you want to suggest 1970 as the theme, that would be fine by me so long as you are not going to get bored by the vintage over the next 12½ months.

It looks like we are only going to be 4 people (assuming DRT can find an excuse to be in London and I have rarely known him to fail when port is on offer!) so any theme needs to recognise that. WS1 and I are both entering our 40th birthday year so I would like to put a 1970 I have up against one of his for comparison. We could then, as suggested by AHB and DRT, put two 1985's up against each other. A sort of youth vs maturity theme!

Sounds good to me. Any preference as to which 1985 I bring?

AHB wrote:Any preference as to which 1985 I bring?

The one you most want to share with like minded friends! (No preference at all)

Is anyone else on Davys mailing list? I got a voucher in the post today for "2:1" meals but it is "one voucher per couple" and not on drinks!

In any event, I have taken the liberty of booking the boardroom at The Crusting Pipe from 6.30pm on Tuesday 5th January.

Placemats? You are four at the Youth versus Maturity: 1985 versus 1970 tasting. Each bringing what?

Please confirm that the placemats at www.jdawiseman.com/port/20100105.pdf are correct in all details.