Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

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djewesbury
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by djewesbury »

I'm in!
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by jdaw1 »

This week’s Wine Folly has a dreary and unremarkable What is Port Wine? (Apparently “Port is a sweet, red, fortified wine from Portugal. Port is most commonly enjoyed as a dessert wine because it is rich and sweet.”)

But it is enlivened by a picture: recognise the lagars? (Click for larger.)
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by Glenn E. »

jdaw1 wrote:But it is enlivened by a picture: recognise the lagars? (Click for larger.)
They look vaguely familiar, but since all lagars look vaguely similar that's not saying much. It does make me think of Crasto, but given their shirts perhaps it is Quinta da Leda?
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by DRT »

The t-shirts have a "LEDA" logo on them. The one worn by Joanna Pais in the centre of the photograph being particularly clear.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

And is that Ryan and Gabriella Opaz to Joana's right?
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by DRT »

Yes, I think it is.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by Glenn E. »

I believe so. I also think I recognize the other gentleman opposite Ryan, but cannot bring his name to conscious memory.
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by LGTrotter »

I considered starting a thread in 'Port conversations' about the following but decided on here.

The article in question is entitled "fortified wine's final generation?" and can be seen on wine searcher here.

Let me begin with the question mark at the end of the header. It is usually designed as a rhetorical flourish to draw the reader in and suggest a open minded exploration of the story. It has degenerated into what it is here; an acknowledgement that the writer began with one story, found contradictory information and decided to press on anyway.

The laziness of shoe-horning all the major fortified wines into one story seems to have become evident to the writer. But still he persists, driving for the line and his five hundred words or whatever he was told to write. The snatches of quotes from sommeliers point first one way, then another. He ducks from port, to sherry and puts in a picture of some bottles of madeira for no readily apparent reason. First we are reliably informed that the port habit is dying, then that sales are increasing. Tell us Mr Lawrence, which is it? Is this supposed to be a qualitative, or a quantitative review? But it is no good asking as plainly he has no idea either.

My only joy in this article comes from the comments at the end. I would draw the attention of readers to Carl. He at least has a clear narrative. But I have never heard anybody with a glass of port in their hand use the word "dude". Perhaps this is something for Adrian Bridge to address, when he appears doing product placement in the next James Bond movie. And no Mr Bond, I do not expect port to die.
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by DRT »

Given your review I am inclined not to read the article for fear of being infuriated.

But Adrian Bridge in a Bond movie does have some appeal.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by Doggett »

As an aside, as this thread was revisited... I have just bought about 200 old copies of Decanter magazine from someone de-cluttering. I now have most issues from 1975-1979 and then from 1989 until now. I have been slowly going through them to build an index to the port articles. Whilst I agree that the magazine can often be a disappointment, going through the back issues has been really interesting and thrown up some real gems. As well as the vintage tasting reports, old port adverts, old prices/auction reports, there are some great features on the challenges and changes the industry was facing in the early 1990s, a wonderful article about Quinta do Vesuvio (recently after the Syms acquired) and some great interviews of the time with George Sandeman, Bruce Guimareans, Adrian Bridge, Dirk Niepoort and I still have many issues to go through! (I have got to 1998 so far)! One thing I have noticed, is that there seems to have been a much more regular focus on including some port based journalism in past years compared to nowadays, but I suppose that reflects the much wider and more diverse wine world we have today.

Whilst some maybe accused of dumbing down their journalism...there is still great and informative writing out there if you are prepared to look through the lists of great articles to find it :wink:

Simon

Ps. Any unwanted issues from 1979-1989 gratefully received.
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by LGTrotter »

DRT wrote:Given your review I am inclined not to read the article for fear of being infuriated.
Having read through my post again I see what you mean. Sorry. It is an article which has some port content in it, albeit based around the imminent death of the port industry, a topic which has been the main topic of journalism about port since 1927. Or is it 1727? Like the novel it's demise is announced most years.
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by LGTrotter »

Doggett wrote:As an aside, as this thread was revisited... I have just bought about 200 old copies of Decanter magazine from someone de-cluttering...Whilst some maybe accused of dumbing down their journalism...there is still great and informative writing out there if you are prepared to look through the lists of great articles to find it :wink:
Eek! An optimist in our grumpy ranks. In my gloomy defence I would refer readers to the title of this thread. If there is a need for one entitled "things are quite nice really" then I will contribute, but perhaps sparingly. :(

But I have to confess a liking for looking at old issues of wine magazines and Decanter's port auction pricing often makes me marvel at how cheap things seemed. Oh no, this optimism seems to be catching. I had better go outside and contemplate a dead fish in the rain.
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by LGTrotter »

That's better. I have just remembered that entropy dictates that the universe is bound for nothingness, thus rendering all human endeavour ultimately meaningless. :D
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by PopulusTremula »

LGTrotter wrote:That's better. I have just remembered that entropy dictates that the universe is bound for nothingness, thus rendering all human endeavour ultimately meaningless. :D
Surely the drudge of daily life ought to have made that blatantly clear without anyone having to resort to high brow academic findings with fancy names?
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

LGTrotter wrote:That's better. I have just remembered that entropy dictates that the universe is bound for nothingness, thus rendering all human endeavour ultimately meaningless. :D
Isn't that paraphrasing the underlying theme of Douglas Adams' seminal works?
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by LGTrotter »

AHB wrote:Isn't that paraphrasing the underlying theme of Douglas Adams' seminal works?
I think it was the opening line of a Bill Bailey show, "just to put the gig in some sort of context".
PopulusTremula wrote:
LGTrotter wrote:That's better. I have just remembered that entropy dictates that the universe is bound for nothingness, thus rendering all human endeavour ultimately meaningless. :D
Surely the drudge of daily life ought to have made that blatantly clear without anyone having to resort to high brow academic findings with fancy names?
Then a response to this mentioning the ineluctable modality of the visible could be seen as doing it deliberately. And I wouldn't want that.
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Re: Wine Journalism: A Rich Seam of Unmined Moaning

Post by LGTrotter »

Anyone who has been following the Dragon 8 auction stuff and the redoubtable Maureen Downey will have come across another form of 'journalism' common in all forms of print but most common in free newspapers the land over. It consists of printing a press release as though it is a story.

The back story is that Gil Lempert-Schwarz threatened to sue Maureen Downey over some accusations she made about an auction which his company was putting on. I have mentioned this somewhere before and Andy has joined in on "wine berserkers" about some port which was in the auction.

The idea, put forward in the 'story', that Mr Lempert-Schwarz dropped the case because Maureen was so poor and he was too rich, successful and busy could perhaps have been challenged more vigorously, or indeed at all, by the journo involved. But no, a 'fine wine editor' padded out the press release and put it up on 'The drinks business' pretty much verbatim.

The story has been updated and appears here.
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