May Offline in London

[Alex Bridgeman]

ORIGINAL POST
Is there any interest in getting together in London in May for an offline, regardless of whether the vaguely possible 2007 offline occurs? Currently, I know I will be in London on Thursday May 7* and Thursday 21st May and would be delighted to have an excuse to meet up and drink some port on other days to this.

Alex

UPDATE
When - Wednesday May 20
Where - The Crusting Pipe, Covent Garden
Who - AHB, BMHR, JGH, THRA, WS1+guest all confirmed; CG probable; DRT unavailable
Theme - (subject to confirmation) Bring a Bottle to Share with other Lovers of Port

[benread]

Regretably I think both dates will be difficult for me, although the concept of a tasting at the Oval is very appealing. Unfortunately I have two friends staying that night ahead of a 7.30am flight on the Friday morning and have already used a pass up week of 21st May involving my Mother having to babysit. Asking for a pass to drink port may result in divorce! Any Monday or Wednesday (other than Monday 11th May) would otherwise be great!

[Alex Bridgeman]

A Monday (excluding 4th, 11th or 25th) or Wednesday would work for me. Any preferences?

[JacobH]

Things are a touch up in the air for me at the moment, but there’s a good chance I could do either Monday the 18th (which is presumably what AHB means by a ‟Monday (excluding 4th, 11th or 25th)”!) or a Wednesday that’s not the 6th.

[Alex Bridgeman]

...which is presumably what AHB means by a ‟Monday (excluding 4th, 11th or 25th)”...

I did write that with a touch of irony when I figured out what the combination of bank holidays and Ben's availability meant.

[benread]

Monday 18th is an option for me, as is Tuesday 5th as the M-i-L is here that week now. It has been a while....!

[Alex Bridgeman]

Then let's confirm Monday 18th May as the date for the next London offline; assume the venue for the moment to be the Crusting Pipe in Covent Garden.

Any suggestions for a theme, please suggest them here.

Some possibilities which come to my mind are:
(a) bring a bottle to share
(b) Grahams (it's been a while since I opened a Grahams)
(c) a recommended ruby port

but happy to consider other thoughts.

CONFIRMED ATTENDEES
AHB
JGH
BMHR
DRT (unless he has to be elsewhere)

POSSIBLE ATTENDEES
WS1

Anyone else who would like to attend, please post in this thread. All will be welcome.

Alex

[DRT]

Please put me down as a "confirmed, unless some idiot makes me be somewhere else that day".

[Alex Bridgeman]

It seems I may need to be in Coventry on May 18th.

Would Wednesday May 20th work as an alternative?

[benread]

20th could work for me.

[JacobH]

I think it could probably work for me, too.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Three's a quorum. Wednesday May 20th is confirmed.

Venue? Crusting Pipe? The Oval (one day game against Yorkshire, but wine has to be taken into the ground in plastic bottles and glasses might be a problem. I'd still love to do an offline there one day though...)? Big Yellow in Chelsea (free tasting room but no food)?

[JacobH]

Three's a quorum. Wednesday May 20th is confirmed.

Venue? Crusting Pipe? The Oval (one day game against Yorkshire, but wine has to be taken into the ground in plastic bottles and glasses might be a problem. I'd still love to do an offline there one day though...)? Big Yellow in Chelsea (free tasting room but no food)?

Unless I am underestimating the length of a one-day match, I don't think I could take the day off to do the Oval. I'm not sure how many cricket fans there are on but perhaps bringing some port to a 20/20 (or however it is spelt!) match might be a nice way of doing something there whilst appealing to those of us who don't watch that much cricket?

Perhaps by default we should head back to the Crusting Pipe? A tasting in a self storage sounds rather scary, but perhaps it's not quite as bad as it sounds?!

[uncle tom]

I should be around May 20th - there's an outside chance I may have to nip over to China, but I'll probably be around.

Crusting Pipe is the easier of the suggested venues from my point of view.

Tom

[Alex Bridgeman]

OK. Happy to go with the Crusting Pipe as a venue.

The self-storage place in Chelsea has a nice little tasting room in the basement with a glass table and six chairs plus a couple of sets of comfy chairs clustered around a coffee table, copies of decanter etc, a (very) small library of wine books, sink, loo and just about everything you would want to have in a tasting room although you have to bring your own glasses and decanters. It has the distinct advantage that there are various bottles of wine there to be opened in the event of running out - but after 11pm you can get out of the building but not back in until the next morning.

I hadn't intended the Oval (if used) to be a venue for an all day tasting, more that we met there at - say - 6pm and watched the last hour or two of cricket whilst sipping fine vintage port.

First post in the thread updated with venue and attendee details.

Please note that I have had only one further suggestion for a theme, so please post below and indicate what you would prefer to see as the theme for the tasting:
(a) bring a bottle to share
(b) Grahams (it's been a while since I opened a Grahams)
(c) a recommended ruby port
(d) Quarles Harris - rarely seen but rarely disappoints (but I don't have any in my cellar)

Alex

[uncle tom]

I'd go for (a) - I have a suitable, (but non-vintage) candidate for such a theme.

Tom

[benread]

A or b would suit me. C less of interest and d would require some retail!

[WS1]

Alex,

I confirm my attendance as well. It looks there is already quite some interest in alternative a.) I would be interested in d.) (am curious to try the 1980, after i could not make it to the 1980 horicontal at your house) but am also happy with a.). There is only a problem, except the bt of Cockburns Special Reserve left over from the glass cleaning excercise at the 1970 horicontal at the RAF club I do not own any NV Ports.
Please let me examples of suitable candidates what i should provide in case a.) will be the choice.

regards

Wolfgang

[benread]

I hadn't intended the Oval (if used) to be a venue for an all day tasting, more that we met there at - say - 6pm and watched the last hour or two of cricket whilst sipping fine vintage port.

Just a quick question - do you know something I don't about the club? I have never known them to be terribly happy allowing people much of an extension beyond close of play. They normally usher you out (politely I have to say) within 1-2 hours of close of play. That would probably entail us finishing up by about 8pm!

[Alex Bridgeman]

Alex,

I confirm my attendance as well. It looks there is already quite some interest in alternative a.) I would be interested in d.) (am curious to try the 1980, after i could not make it to the 1980 horicontal at your house) but am also happy with a.). There is only a problem, except the bt of Cockburns Special Reserve left over from the glass cleaning excercise at the 1970 horicontal at the RAF club I do not own any NV Ports.
Please let me examples of suitable candidates what i should provide in case a.) will be the choice.

regards

Wolfgang

Details of the arrangements are now included in the first post in this thread here

Wolfgang - alternative (a) just means that you bring a bottle which you think other port lovers would find interesting and enjoyable. It doesn't matter what the style of the port is, vintage or not. A bottle of Quarles Harris 1980 would be a perfect example of a something to bring along.

[JacobH]

"Rare seen but rarely disappoints" might be an interesting theme for a tasting at some stage (not that I would have any idea what I would bring!).

I'm always happy with "bring a bottle to share" as it's one of the few things I can do from my fairly limited cellar!

Are we going to do it sighted or blind?

[uncle tom]

Are we going to do it sighted or blind?

In my case it would be sighted, as no-one is likely to come close to guessing - but each to their own I suggest - a wholly open agenda..

Tom

[Alex Bridgeman]

I like the suggestion of each to their own. You decide whether to show a bottle sighted or blind.

I will bring mine wrapped in tinfoil even though I cannot believe that anyone will guess what it is. It's just a bit of fun and a chance for us to make fools of ourselves.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Thanks to the kindness of Derek and a number of shippers, in addition to the bottles we bring to the offline on May 20 we will also have 5 cask samples from the 2007 vintage to taste.

I expect that we will only taste a small fraction of each of the bottles of cask samples so there will be some available to take home and taste over an extended period. There are only two conditions:
(a) if you want to take a cask sample home with you then you must bring a half bottle or smaller with you to the tasting; and
(b) you must promise faithfully that you will post a tasting note on TPF to record your impressions of the sample

Anyone interested?

[benread]

Thanks to the kindness of Derek and a number of shippers, in addition to the bottles we bring to the offline on May 20 we will also have 5 cask samples from the 2007 vintage to taste.

I expect that we will only taste a small fraction of each of the bottles of cask samples so there will be some available to take home and taste over an extended period. There are only two conditions:
(a) if you want to take a cask sample home with you then you must bring a half bottle or smaller with you to the tasting; and
(b) you must promise faithfully that you will post a tasting note on TPF to record your impressions of the sample

Anyone interested?

Responses along the lines of questioning the popes religion or bear's toilet habbits come to mind! That will be a "I will, I promise and yes!"