ThePortForum.com

AHB,

Roy is very relaxed about this forum and visits it from time to time. As he explained it to me, he sees the "audience" for this forum to be very different to that of FTLOP, this one being very much more informal compared to the sharp focus on port / madeira that he is trying to maintain on FTLOP.

Do you still think he's ambivilant towards this site. Yet again I'll give the benefit of the doubt, and say it was because of a lack of professional curtesy, in NOT asking first, but you did give the impression...

Alan

Looks like we have numbers for the 19th.

Attendess so far:

Killerb
AHB
Christopher Gee
Derek T (probable)

and guests of honour

RonnieRoots and HRH Lady Roots.

Great! Another thing: since LadyR will be busy during the daytime I'm in need of good suggestions for daytime spending (read: wine shopping) Any good addresses that I shouldn't miss? TIA!

Most definitely Berry Brothers - but I'm sure they were on your list already anyway. I also like to pop into Harvey Nichols and Harrods to have a laugh at their wine prices - but last time I did that I ended up walking out of Harvey Nicks with several bottles and impressed that some of their prices (especially on their own label wines) were quite impressive.

July 19th is also the date of Christie's last wine sale of the Season in St James - about a 5 minute walk from Berry Brothers. You could have several hours of endless fun and end up with no money at all if you wanted to.

I also quite like a little shop in Soho that I found. No idea what it's called (The Soho Wine Shop perhaps?) or where it is but it has a remarkably good selection of top wines at only slightly unreasonable prices. Plus there's Oddbin Fine Wines near St Pauls and Davy's Wine Shop in Wapping. There must be others but that should keep you busy for a while.

Alex

Conky wrote:AHB,

Roy is very relaxed about this forum and visits it from time to time. As he explained it to me, he sees the "audience" for this forum to be very different to that of FTLOP, this one being very much more informal compared to the sharp focus on port / madeira that he is trying to maintain on FTLOP.

Do you still think he's ambivilant towards this site. Yet again I'll give the benefit of the doubt, and say it was because of a lack of professional courtesy, in NOT asking first, but you did give the impression...

Alan

I am still convinced that Roy is ambivalent to this site. I've exchanged a couple of messages about what he did and I know he's also exchanged emails with Alex K. I don't think Roy sees this site as a threat to what he is trying to achieve and having seen the way your tasting note on the Morgan '91 deteriorated I think he's probably right - different forums for different audiences.

Alex

I think it's the same audience but in different moods.

Sadly, Justerini and Brooks no longer have a shop.

Are we set on the 19th? I need to know so that I can arrange meetings etc

18th would be better for me if AHB doesn't manage to blag tickets to the Rounders match but if 19th suits others then I can probably make that happen.

Derek

LadyR has a slight preference for the 18th, as she has to start early on Friday, and I don't really have a preference between the two.

18th would be OK by me. Surrey got knocked out of the rounders competition yesterday so now I'm not that interested.

If the 18th suits everyone better then I'm up for the 18th.

Alex

I'm not 100% sure I can make this (if invited... ) - but as the date(s) are getting close, have the details been firmed up yet?

Tom

Tom,

I'm pretty sure that you are invited - I think it was a general invitation to all on this forum and a few others.

The arrangements are not 100% firm and are being organised by Alex K but the gist of it is that we will meet in the late afternoon / early evening of July 18 at the Crusting Pipe in Covent Garden.

There we will share port, exchange wonderful conversation and be awed by Lady Roots great (and prize-winning) tasting abilities.

Well, the sharing port bit's a dead cert.

Alex

Tom,

Even if KillerB doesn't invite you personally you can come as my date for the evening

I do hope you can make it, the more the merrier in my book.

Derek

18th will probably be OK - do we have a theme?

Tom

Oh God I hate themes, I always end up bringing crap if I have to stick to a theme. I was going to bring Niepoort 1977. It's Port, it's theme enough.

Hey, I was thinking about the same port! Well, we'll have to come up with something else then.

It would be great if you can make it as well Tom!

We will probably also bring one or two 'other-than-port' wines.

I was going to bring another non-Port wine as well.

I will probably bring two ports as I don't have much non-port these days. I'm thinking of trying to dig out my last bottle of Quarles Harris 1977 plus something else (maybe a Cockburn 1983?) plus a bottle of Cruz 1989 Vintage Port from Morrisons, if they still have some in stock.

Alex

It will be 2 ports from me for the same reason as AHB.

Perhaps a couple of 75's

As usual, if there’s a list of people and ports, I’ll do my thing.

People:

• RR
• LadyR
• Derek T.
• AHB
• Alex K.
• Uncle Tom

Ports:

• Niepoort 1977
• Quarles Harris 1977
• Cockburn 1983
• ? 1975
• ? 1975

Here is the lists of possibilities for ?

Croft
Croft (Lord Lucan or was it Lichfield )
Fonseca
Graham's
Taylor

Here are some alternatives that might fit in better with what others are offering:

Dow's 1970
Royal Oporto 1970
Smith Woodhouse 1977
Gould Campbell 1983

Happy to take requests.

Derek

Other possibilities are:

Warre's 1960
Cockburn's 1960
Cockburn's 1967

Please shout if you want any of the above wines to be in cluded in the line-up for whatever reason. Especially if the reason is that you have never tasted it

Derek

That would be great, thanks jdaw

OK, I'll pitch in an unknown '55 - bottled by Christopher & Co.

- Hopefully the cork will reveal the shipper!

Tom

Oh well, I've been scurrying away, working out Trains,Flights,Hotels. And its just too much. If I flew down, or by Train, its around £200 same day, late return. If I had to stay in a hotel for the night and drive, it ends up similar. So add the Port and expenses, and its just too much for what will undoubtedly be ONE great night.

So I can only ask that someone takes a camera and reproduces the pictures on site. Have a good one. You jammy buggers. Maybe some of you will get the taste for another Northern version 6 weeks later.

Alan

You aren’t alone Conky.

Conky & jdaw,

In order to minimise your disapointment I am willing to make the sacrifice of attending both events

Derek