JDAW dreams of Portugal - Harvest 2016

[Alex Bridgeman]

The following posts are entirely fictitious and should not, for one moment, be imagined as nearing any resemblance to reality. This can clearly be demonstrated by the fact that all events portrayed are clearly absurd and obviously impossible. Enormous poetic license has been taken in order to make entertaining events that would otherwise not have been of any interest to the reader.

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JDAW was feeling pleased with himself. He was the parent in charge and the responsible adult, looking after two of the children and the house. The house was intact and the children were in bed. He'd counted the children before they were tucked in and he was pretty sure he hadn't misplaced any.

Responsibilities discharged, JDAW knew he had earned his relaxation time but since he was the parent in charge he decided to remain vigilant and to open only a half bottle of port for the evening. He selected an everyday half bottle of Sandeman 1927 from his selection of standing half bottles (standing so they were easy to decant), opened it carefully and decanted it so it sat a glorious clear and blood-ruby like colour in the decanter. Sighing contentedly JDAW poured himself a glass and settled back into his favourite leather-covered wing back armchair. Exhausted after an evening looking after the children his thoughts drifted towards the Port harvest and he wondered what he would have been up to had he been in Portugal this Autumn. His eyes grew heavy and his sight grew dim, he had to stop for the night...

[Alex Bridgeman]

Suddenly JDAW could see it in his mind's eye. He was in the Holiday Inn in Vila Nova de Gaia. Not the most central of hotels but reasonably convenient for the port lodges and quite close to one of the tram stations. JDAW had also had the foresight to pay the additional cost to upgrade to a duplex room with a balcony overlooking the Douro and Oporto on the north bank.

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He sighed with contentment, a glass of Kopke 10yo White tawny in his hand (bottled 2015; €8 for a generous pour) admiring the view over the river. "Tomorrow", he sighed, "what will tomorrow bring?" He would have some jobs to do (if he actually was there) but would have plenty of leisure time to take advantage of being so close to the port lodges. But first he needed to sleep, it had been a long and arduous flight from Gatwick.

[Alex Bridgeman]

The next morning JDAW woke with a groan, he was suffering from jet lag which was why he was feeling dizzy, slightly nauseous and had a headache. There couldn't be any other reason, could there? He had to get up, he had a busy day ahead of him running errands for people who were unfortunate not to be in Portugal at harvest time. His first task was to find some colheita port - and not just any colheita. This had to be colheita from 1975, 1985 or 1995 to fit the theme for a barbecue being held by Oscar Quevedo.

Scratching his head, JDAW decided on a bit of fun and headed down the hill following the course of the Croft sponsored 2014 Professional Longboard course. Sadly the event had had to be cancelled but the course was still there so JDAW got out his skateboard and went off to the Cais. He arrived slightly flustered and with his hair in complete disarray. He had intended to take a left turn to come out by the Dalva lodge and instead had stopped by the Krohn lodge. Not to be daunted JDAW picked up his longboard and tucked it under his arm before marching along the waterfront.

It didn't take long to walk the short distance to the Dalva shop at 154 Avenida de Diogo Leite. Once inside the shop JDAW settled himself on a stool and explained his challenge - that he knew very little about colheita port since port is supposed to be red in colour and not brown and sticky. JDAW's host and the manager of the shop sighed quietly and started to explain that "Port is a fortified wine made from grapes grown in the demarcated region around the Douro Valley..." JDAW lost interest quickly and started to look at the bottles on the shelf behind the manager "...2-3 years after the harvest..." continued the manager.

"THERE THAT ONE!" suddenly exclaimed JDAW pointing excitedly to a bottle - to a bottle half hidden at the back of the shelf. "You have a 1985 colheita. Is it any good?". The manager looked shocked, his introduction to port speech interrupted by JDAW's passionate outburst. "Ehrm, yes sir. All our ports are good. Some are more good than others but all of them are good."

"Excellent," replied JDAW, "I'd like to try it please." A little put out, the manager rummaged around in the small fridge at the back of the shop and pulled out a bottle of Dalva 1985 colheita. Two glasses were fetched from the cupboard and samples poured into each. One was passed to JDAW and the other kept by the manager. Holding the glass by the base the manager held it up to the light and admired the colour, swirling it gently sniffing it from time to time. His reverie was interrupted by JDAW enthusiastically blurting out "That's good, can I try the 1995 now please?"

An hour later a line of empty but dirty glasses stood in front of JDAW and a box of bottles at his feet. Mission accomplished, he had acquired the colheita port that would become the basis of his participation in the colheita tasting at Quinta da Senhora do Rosario later in the harvest. Now it was time for lunch.

[g-man]

all events portrayed are clearly absurd and obviously impossible. Enormous poetic license
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He selected a ... half bottle of

Enormous poetic license indeed!

[Alex Bridgeman]

Lunch had to wait, however. JDAW had another job. Some pals of JDAW's were worried he might run out of things to drink when in Portugal and had sent a box or two of port and wine via DHL. He had to find where in Oporto the wine had been delivered. Luckily JDAW had an address. Unluckily the address was back up at the top of the hill. Skateboard under his arm JDAW started back up the hill. The climb was slow, the hill was steep; the sun was strong and the heat radiated back off the cobbles as he gradually gained altitude. After 15 minutes of hard work he reached the top and was outside the house where his port was waiting. Cautiously he rang the bell.

The huge, iron studded ancient oak door creaked open. Inside stood a fierce security guard, "O que?" he barked.

"Ahem." replied JDAW, "I've come to collect some port."

"Vinho do Porto. No. No vinho do porto acqui. Parte inferior do morro. Tchau." and he started to close the door.

"Wait!" shouted JDAW. "I need my port. Meu Porto!" Desperation had given JDAW a grasp of basic Portuguese. The door stopped slightly ajar, and then creaked open again. The security guard looked doubtful. "Seu Porto?"

"English?" asked JDAW hopefully.

The security guard held out a hand towards JDAW, fingers up and palm forward instructing JDAW to remain where he was. Once the security guard had seen that JDAW understood and was remaining where he was the guard withdrew. After a few moments he was replaced with an attractive woman, who held out her hand in greeting. "Hello, my name is Sandra" she said in perfect English, "I understand you've come to collect your port. Do you have photo identification with you please?"

30 minutes later JDAW had completed the administration and was in a taxi with 36 bottles of port and wine and was heading back to his hotel to see what his friends had sent him. What could be in the boxes...

[Alex Bridgeman]

But before he could dig into the boxes JDAW had a lunch appointment with a friend who works locally. Having not had the chance to eat at Vinum on the terrace of Graham's lodge at the top of the hill in Vila Nova de Gaia for six months, JDAW had booked a table for two and most definitely did not want to be late. That meant a quick shower and another taxi ride to the other side of Vila Nova de Gaia.

Arriving refreshed, JDAW walked into the restaurant and was shown to the table. His friend joined him shortly afterwards and the two of them fell into an easy conversation. Never quite sure what to eat when visiting Vinum, JDAW decided to have "Three kinds of Pork" as a starter (rather than as the menu positioned it as a main course) followed by the Vaca Velha rib steak for two. JDAW's friend ordered a garden salad with no dressing. Two bottles of white wine, two bottles of red wine and a few glasses of Graham's Six Grapes later JDAW's friend excused himself in order to return to work. Full of bonhomie, JDAW decided that he should pop into the Private Vintage Room. He was lucky, no-one had booked it so it was free for his use. He took full advantage and ordered a glass of Graham's 10 year old tawny. And then, for comparison purposes only, he ordered a glass of 20 year old tawny. And a glass of 30 year old tawny. And there was no point in not having tried the complete set, so he also ordered a glass of 40 year old tawny. And then his eye landed on the bottle of Graham's Single Harvest Tawny 1972 so he ordered a glass of that too.

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It took JDAW a little more than an hour to gently sip through his tawny ports. By the time he had finished he needed a rinse bouche to clear his palate - he needed some proper port. Scrutinising the shelves at the back of the room JDAW spotted some ruby ports - and so he ordered glasses of Graham 2007, Graham 2000, Vesuvio 1996, Dow 1985 and Graham 1983. Those and a copy of the Financial Times meant that he was well set for the rest of the afternoon.

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[Alex Bridgeman]

Please note that feedback while JDAW dreams would be welcome. I don't want to feel that I'm writing this purely for my own benefit!

[LGTrotter]

¿Skateboard?

This is going to be the best thing since Daniel did the page by page Montague Egg story. Can't wait for the next instalment.

[jdaw1]

And there was no point in not having tried the complete set

This seems to be an excellent dream I was having. I hope the tone is not pejorative: complete sets are a good thing.

This envy-inducing tale reminds me of the scene in the The Hobbit, in which Bombur, after having fallen in the enchanted river and been carried since, suddenly wakes.

That night they ate their very last scraps and crumbs of food; and next morning when they woke the first thing they noticed was that they were still gnawingly hungry, and the next thing was that it was raining and that here and there the drip of it was dropping heavily on the forest floor. That only reminded them that they were also parchingly thirsty, without doing anything to relieve them: you cannot quench a terrible thirst by standing under giant oaks and waiting for a chance drip to fall on your tongue. The only scrap of comfort there was, came unexpectedly from Bombur.

He woke up suddenly and sat up scratching his head. He could not make out where he was at all, nor why he felt so hungry; for he had forgotten everything that had happened since they started their journey that May morning long ago. The last thing that he remembered was the party at the hobbit’s house, and they had great difficulty in making him believe their tale of all the many adventures they had had since.

When he heard that there was nothing to eat, he sat down and wept, for he felt very weak and wobbly in the legs. “Why ever did I wake up!” he cried. “I was having such beautiful dreams. I dreamed I was walking in a forest rather like this one, only lit with torches on the trees and lamps swinging from the branches and fires burning on the ground; and there was a great feast going on, going on for ever. A woodland king was there with a crown of leaves, and there was a merry singing, and I could not count or describe the things there were to eat and drink.”

“You need not try,” said Thorin. “In fact if you can’t talk about something else, you had better be silent. We are quite annoyed enough with you as it is. If you hadn’t waked up, we should have left you to your idiotic dreams in the forest; you are no joke to carry even after weeks of short commons.”

[PhilW]

One of the things that I always enjoy when reading about other's trips and tastings is that in addition to new interesting details, it can also act as a reminder of your own past experiences, as well as make you wish you were there too.

[Andy Velebil]

JDAW is having a wonderful trip. Keep it coming.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DaveRL]

The pictures are great, but I'd really love to see a video of JDAW zooming on a skateboard. I'm assuming it would bring to mind various James Bond car chases, dashing expertly through narrow streets.

[LGTrotter]

The pictures are great, but I'd really love to see a video of JDAW zooming on a skateboard. I'm assuming it would bring to mind various James Bond car chases, dashing expertly through narrow streets.

Here is a link to JDAW late running late to a tasting. With apologies for the dreadful aspect ratio.

[DRT]

I must confess I am very jealous of JDAW's exploits in Porto and would love to be there to share some of that wonderful Port with him.

Perhaps if I am a very good boy that will happen one day...

[jdaw1]

Here is a link to JDAW late running late to a tasting. With apologies for the dreadful aspect ratio.

Lordy, I remember those old-fashioned skateboards. How quaint. Modern boards all have a large ‘basin’, with bindings, to hold a decanter, and either two or three or four smaller basins, also with bindings, to hold glasses. So much more civilised.

[DaveRL]

The pictures are great, but I'd really love to see a video of JDAW zooming on a skateboard. I'm assuming it would bring to mind various James Bond car chases, dashing expertly through narrow streets.

Here is a link to JDAW late running late to a tasting. With apologies for the dreadful aspect ratio.

Just how I imagined it

[LGTrotter]

C'mon JDAW! Get back to sleep and tell us what was in that box from behind the iron studded door...

[Andy Velebil]

JDAW must have had one heck of a day, we've not heard hide nor hair of him. Come on we're all waiting for the next adventure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jdaw1]

I agree. I can’t wait to find out what happened.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Bear with, guys. I'm suffering from man-flu and a severe bout of work.

JDAW was disturbed by the waiter from his reading of a fascinating article in the FT by Elvira Nabiullina in which she criticised the easy monetary policies of the Western governments and expressed her fears that such policies would continue to bring volatility to the markets. The waiter cleared his throat.

"Daddy, I need the toilet." he said.

"That's odd." thought JDAW as he gestured vaguely towards where he thought the toilet was in Vinum. The waiter left and JDAW went back to his newspaper.

An hour or so later, JDAW put down the paper having read it cover to cover - or at least having read all the interesting bits between the covers. He reached out to take another sip of port and realised that he had finished all of his glasses. Ho hum, probably time to move on. Moving out to the terrace JDAW stood in the sun and stretched. It was warm and the air smelt good, smelling faintly of port maturing in large wooden barrels. As he stood on the terrace looking out over Vila Nova de Gaia JDAW's eyes fell on the Yeatman. "Aha!" He had selected his next destination.

It's always more fun to arrive at the Yeatman in a taxi than to walk so JDAW jumped in a cab for the short ride.

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The hotel looked as magnificent as always. The doorman recognised JDAW from his frequent visits and greeted him with a solemn "Good afternoon Mr JDAW Sir. We have your usual table in Dick's Bar free. Please go straight through."

So JDAW did as suggested and walked across the foyer to the bar and the table that was always kept free in case he visited. He picked up the wine list on the table and glanced at the short list of ports kept in the Coravin:

• NV Romaneira 10YO tawny
• 2001 Niepoort Colheita
• NV Bom Retiro 20YO tawny
• 2011 Taylor LBV
• 2005 Panascal
• 1966 Croft

Never one to meekly follow the crowd, JDAW decided to see what else might be available. As one of the waiting team walked past with a pile of menus JDAW deftly snagged himself a full wine list. "Ah. This is more like it." and he perused the longer listing. There were things here that he hadn't tried before as well as some reliable stalwarts. And so to go with his plates of assorted meat and cheeses he ordered glasses of:

• NV Quinta do Noval 40YO tawny
• 2011 Brunheda Vinha Velha (table wine)
• 2005 Panascal
• 1985 Taylor
• 1855 Scion

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As usual, the Scion lived up to its magnificent reputation.

Satisfied with the day JDAW strolled away from Dick's bar and the Yeatman back to his hotel, where he settled in with a glass of NV Niepoort 10YO tawny he had bought from the Niepoort shop on the waterfront earlier that day. Once again, life was good. Surely tomorrow he would have the time to open the boxes and see what his friends had sent him.

[Alex Bridgeman]

The next morning JDAW had work to do. He had to hunt down a florist in Oporto (or Vila Nova de Gaia) and buy a nice bunch of flowers to give to a friend who had done him a favour. Presumably like London there must be florists all over the town, a short walk down to the Cais would probably take him past two or three to choose from. The obvious place to start, thought JDAW, would be the newly refurbished Taylor Lodge so he headed off down the hill along Rua do Choupelo until he arrived at the gates to the Lodge.

The florist's shop in the Lodge was not immediately obvious, so JDAW went inside and walked around. A little unusually he was charged an entrance fee to go into the area where he thought the florist might be located, but he was on holiday and things were done differently in Portugal so he was happy to pay. As he walked around looking for the florist he came across some rather interesting things: a bottle bearing a label commemorating the 1 century anniversary of the acquisition in 1893 of Quinta de Vargellas by Taylor Fladgate, one of the original bottles of Taylor 1965 (filtered) LBV and a very interesting letter sent to customers and potential customers setting out the benefits of this style of port. But the highlight was a bottle of Vargellas 1868. JDAW wondered what it would have tasted like - perhaps one day he would find out but today was not going to be the day.

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A little disappointed with the lack of a florist, JDAW left the Taylor's lodge and continued down the hill. He must remember to email Taylor's and suggest that a florist would be the perfect addition to their tourist centre, complimenting the fine dining restaurant and the tour of the cellars.

Unexpectedly, as he walked down the hill in his continuing quest for flowers, JDAW came across a door over which was written "Quinta dos Corvos". Musing that he had never heard of this florist he stepped over the threshold and into a brightly lit and whitewashed interior. He was greeted by a hostess with the most charming of smiles, who enquired whether he had come to try some of their ports. Never one to decline the opportunity to try something new (or even something old), JDAW concluded this must be one of the tests he had to endure in order to find the florist. Graciously he agreed that he would be delighted to try some ports from this producer he had not encountered before and was offered a choice from the menu which included:

• NV Quinta dos Corvos White
• NV Quinta do Corvos Special Reserve Red
• NV 10YO tawny
• NV 20YO tawny
• NV 30YO tawny
• NV 40+YO tawny
• 2012 LBV
• 1994 vintage
• 1996 vintage
• 1997 vintage
• 2000 vintage
• 2014 vintage

Being in an adventurous mood JDAW decided to step out of his usual environment and try the 40+YO tawny along with a glass of the vintage 1996. The sacrifices he had to make in order to succeed in his quest.

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[Alex Bridgeman]

JDAW was quite thirsty after his walk down the hill and so finished his glasses quite rapidly (they must be smaller than standard glasses). Thinking of the thread on TPF discussing which LBVs were worth cellaring, he ordered a glass of the Corvus 2012 LBV. This was very good - one to add to the list in the thread, if anyone was able to find it in the shops.

But it was time to leave. The blank looks he received when asking what choice of flower arrangements they offered at Corvus made it clear that he'd been in error when he assumed that this was a florist. Oh well, these things happen and it was important to get over them quickly. He left the shop and proceeded further down the hill.

When he reached the bottom of the hill he took a look around. Nothing. No stalls selling flowers. No shops with flower displays outside. Maybe the residents of Oporto don't buy flowers? No, that couldn't be true. There must be a florist somewhere. He went into the first open door on the Cais to ask for some help.

This turned out to be the visitors centre for the firm Churchill Graham. A port shipper that JDAW had encountered on a few occasions but didn't know a great deal about. He had a rummage about and while he discovered glasses of 2007 and 2009 Douro red wine, he could not discover any flowers. He must have looked disheartened because one of the lovely assistants came over to him looking slightly worried and offered to help. "If I wanted to buy you a lovely bouquet of flowers," he asked, "where would I go to get them?" Looking rather alarmed at this enquiry, the shop assistant ran off and grabbed a large book which she held defensively. The book turned out to be a directory of businesses in Vila Nova de Gaia and the assistant used it to find an address. "Rua Manuel Alves de Sa", she directed him.

So JDAW turned and brightly headed back up the hill. He had a spring in his step - he knew where he was going. He had discovered a florist and could get the flowers he needed.

It took him 45 minutes of hard climbing with 25C air temperatures and the sun beating down. JDAW was hot and in desperate need of a shower. By now it was late afternoon and he was starting to feel hungry and a bit grumpy - and his grumpiness was not helped when he reached the address he had been given and saw this:

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Now really quite exasperated JDAW decided to give up. He was hungry, hot and sticky and had had enough. He was heading back to his hotel to shower and change. Off he went along streets he had never visited before heading back to the hotel.

He was just turning the last corner before he reached the hotel - less than two minutes walk away - when he stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him and in sight of the hotel was a florist. A proper, traditional florist. The kind that sells flowers and not Port or wine. He sprinted into the store and explained his predicament - he needed a bunch of flowers as thanks for a friend who had done him a favour or two. The three shop assistants between them spoke about 8 words of English but with the help of an interflora catalogue and a passing friend of the shop who did speak some English JDAW managed to convey his need. He was sat on a chair in the air-conditioned shop and supplied cup after cup of cha while watching the three assistants mesmerising work as they assembled a very impressive bouquet. He learned from the passing friend that he was the first person from outside the metropolis of Oporto to visit the shop. As he watched the assistants and waited for them to complete their work, a small crowd built up outside the shop of local people who stared through the window, pointing and talking to each other in awed voices.

Eventually their work was complete and they proudly showed JDAW the bouquet.

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It looked wonderful and JDAW was convinced that it was just what was needed to say thank you - a belief that was justified a short taxi ride later when presented to his friend. Satisfied that honour and good manners had been properly upheld JDAW decided that he had time for a quick drink before retiring back to the hotel to change for dinner. A quick glance around showed that he was right outside the Cockburn lodge...

[LGTrotter]

C'mon JDAW! Get back to sleep and tell us what was in that box from behind the iron studded door...

Take the money! Open the box!

[Alex Bridgeman]

C'mon JDAW! Get back to sleep and tell us what was in that box from behind the iron studded door...

Take the money! Open the box!

But which will he do...

[Alex Bridgeman]

Apologies for the delay since the last episode. Unfortunately delays will be frequent over the next few weeks.

Recap: You may recall that JDAW had just delivered the flowers to his friend to thank her for all her help in arranging his trip. He was on his way back to his hotel to change for dinner when he realised that he was standing outside the Cockburn Lodge...

Having not visited the Cockburn Lodge since it was renovated and reopened a few years ago. The renovations have created a very welcoming visitors centre and JDAW was delighted to find that he was offered the opportunity to taste some of their ports. He decided to taste the 20 year old tawny he had heard so much about, accompanied by the Quinta dos Canais 2007 and the Cockburn 2011 vintage port. He also acquired a bottle of Dow 1985 from the shop at the Lodge, pleased that a 30 year old and mature vintage port was available. He planned to share that with a friend who was due to arrive the next day.

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Sadly JDAW was running out of time. He was due at O Paparico in an hour and needed to shower and shave before dinner. He exited the Cockburn Lodge at a trot and speedily jogged up the hill to his hotel, caring not that the temperature was 30C, the sun was blazing down and he had a mile to run.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Pah! What is a mere mile to someone in peak physical shape? JDAW wished he knew, but a kindly cab driver helped him out with the last 9/10ths of the mile needed to get back to the hotel. An hour spent showering, shaving and finding some clean clothes and a proper bow tie and he was ready for dinner. Dinner was in his favourite restaurant and he was very much looking forward to another visit.

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The cab dropped him off outside the restaurant entrance. As he approached, JDAW had a sudden sense of panic - which door was it he was supposed to knock on - left or right? The last thing he wanted to do was disturb a local family who had settled down for the night. He chose what he hoped was the correct door and knocked. He was lucky, the curtain was twitched back and a face stared at him briefly and then a smile appeared. The door was flung open and JDAW was hugged in greeting and whisked inside.

O Paparico had recently undergone some significant investment in a new and expanded kitchen which gives the chef and his team much more space than they had before. Dinner was amazing; an absolute feast of Portuguese cuisine at its best, washed down with some very fine wines and port. The wines started with a Petit Manseng 2015 from Sousa Lopes, then a Vertice sparkling wine from Gouveio, followed by an Alvarinho 2005 from Alselmo Mendes, next a Colares Chitas 2006, a 10 year old Reserva Sercial Madeira from Borges to be rounded off with several glasses of the 2011 vintage port from Viera de Sousa. A fabulous dinner, well up to the standards of the team at the restaurant.

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Satisfied, JDAW reluctantly departed from the restaurant and made his way back to his hotel. He was content with the quality of his dream, what could possibly make it better. And he still hadn't opened his boxes...

[Alex Bridgeman]

JDAW awoke feeling rather excited. Today he was meeting a friend who was arriving at the airport later in the day and then the pair of them were heading up to Pinhao by car, accompanied by several unopened boxes full of bottles. After a quick shower it was time for breakfast. Breakfast was the usual hotel fare of muesli, yoghurt and fresh fruit but JDAW had discovered how to make the muesli much more enjoyable than by simply pouring skimmed milk onto it. Instead of skimmed milk he found this worked much better:

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He wasn't due at the airport for some time so this was JDAW's opportunity to relax. The sun was already hot and the hill down to the quayside looked steep so JDAW decided that he would spend his time investigating the boxes - after all, he needed to make sure that nothing had been broken while being shipped.

Cautiously he opened the first box. Inside were a dozen bottles. He lifted the first - Warre Cavadinha 1995. "Hmm", he thought, "very pleasant." Next came a bottle of Dow 1985, a bottle of Ferreira 1985, a bottle of Gould Campbell 1985 and a bottle of Kopke 1985 colheita.

Pleased with what he found, JDAW continued rummaging in the bubble wrap and came out with some more bottles. This time he pulled out a collection of vintage ports from 1970, from Cockburn, Dow (2 of them), Fonseca, Graham, Niepoort and Warre. That finished the first box, so he moved on to the second - another dozen bottles. His eyes lit up in anticipation. What would he find this time.

He started with a lovely flight of ports from Sandeman, the vintages 1967, 1966, 1960 and 1955. These were followed by a bottle of Quinta do Noval 1964 colheita and 1963s from Croft, Gould Campbell and Warre. Next were three bottles of Croft 1960 and a bottle of Graham 1960.

It was at this point that JDAW realised one of his personality traits was showing through in his dream. JDAW knew that he liked things to be neat and orderly and that his dream had organised him into pulling the bottles out of the boxes in age and then alphabetical order (with the partial exception of the Sandeman flight). He wondered what he would be dreaming of next; clearly this was just one of those lovely dreams which would quickly fade when he woke up because no-one ever opened boxes like these, but for the moment he was determined to enjoy this dream to the best of his ability.

So he turned to the final box and looked at the last dozen bottles. He started by pulling out a bottle of Butler Nephew 1955. Next came a bottle of Quinta do Noval 1955. Then Croft 1945 followed by Dow 1945, next was a Taylor 1931, then Croft 1927, an Unknown 1924, Martinez 1922, Cockburn 1908, Dow 1896 and ...

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... a noise made JDAW open half an eye.

Someone a long way away seemed to be calling "Daddy, Daddy. I can't find my teddy Daddy. Come and help me Daddy."

JDAW mumbled back "He's on the floor where he always is. You can reach him. Just stretch a little." and he settled back down to find out what the final bottle would be.

He stretched out his hand and gently grasped the neck of the bottle and slowly pulled it out to reveal

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What on earth could this be? There was no identification on the bottle. How would he ever find out what this was?

But now it was time to pack, check out of his hotel and head over to the airport. Before he did he decided it would be only right and proper to greet his port chum properly so he chose two of the bottles he had unpacked and set them to one side. They would be double decanted before he left and drunk tonight at the hotel in Pinhao where they were staying.

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[Alex Bridgeman]

Annoyingly, although JDAW arrived on time at Francisco Sa Carneiro airport his friend was 90 minutes late. While waiting for the late flight to arrive he wandered around the airport, working out the average headcount per square metre of floor space compared to Heathrow Terminal 5. After what felt an endless wait, a familiar face emerged from the international arrivals exit and the two jumped into the waiting car and sped off to Pinhao, bottles safely stowed in the boot.

Unfortunately the delay in leaving the airport meant that by the time they reached Pinhao and dropped off their bags at the hotel, the restaurant they had planned to eat in was closed. Only one cafe was still open so in went JDAW and friend. They were sat at a small table for two and were given menus (in English! How Pinhao has changed.). Perusing the menu they both chose to have steak and chips.

The owner / waitress / cook came over and stubbed out her cigarette in the ash tray on the table and asked what they wanted. "Steak, medium-rare, with chips" they replied in unison. She shook her head. "Steak finished. What you want?"

They took another look at the menu, "Cabrito?". She shook her head, "No cabrito."

"Lamb?"

"Burger?"

"What have you got?"

"I bring you food." and she walked away to the kitchen, where she lit up another cigarette while she prepared their food. A few pans clattered and crashed together, the smell of stale oil spread through the restaurant before she returned to their table and deposited two bowls of what appeared to be (and tasted to be) fried fish with rice served in cold Heinz tomato soup. "Traditional Portuguese recipe." she stated, large kitchen knife in hand. "Very nice", agreed the pair.

Somewhat disappointed at the lack of cooked mammal for dinner, the pair later walked back up the hill to the the hotel where they were staying.

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Fortunately the evening was not yet over and JDAW produced a surprise, the two bottles he had decanted earlier in the day - which were now ready to be drunk. It took only a relatively short time before the bottles were empty, but by the time the port was gone the delays in travel were forgotten and the appalling dinner was forgiven. All was right again and the next day would be starting soon.

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[Alex Bridgeman]

Please do let me know if people are still reading these posts - radio silence is a bit off putting! A few words of encouragement would be welcomed if people are amused by JDAW's dreams.

[Andy Velebil]

Please do let me know if people are still reading these posts - radio silence is a bit off putting! A few words of encouragement would be welcomed if people are amused by JDAW's dreams.

Yes I am. JDAW is having a splendid trip, despite some minor issues which are to be expected I suppose. Keep them coming! He's also quite good with the camera too.

[PhilW]

Yes, still reading with interest, awaiting what promises to be one or more fabulous tastings with what are certainly some once in a lifetime (or more if you're very fortunate) wines such as the D1896 (plus one of my favourite ever wines, the Cr1927), so will be very interested to hear how they showed and tasted. Writing style is fun too, keep it up

[LGTrotter]

Yes Alex, we still love you and are reading avidly. Like Phil I am dying to hear how all these lovely old bottles turn out. I am hoping that the unidentified bottle which was last out of the box will turn out to be the last ever glass of the Dow '78 to be tasted. But how will you ever tell? That looks like a new cork to me...

Keep up the good work.

[Alex Bridgeman]

That looks like a new cork to me...

I did ask JDAW to explain how such an old bottle in his dream happened to be stoppered with what appeared to be a new cork. He shrugged and said "Strange things happen in a dream. Perhaps it was a picture imagined to have been taken after the bottle had been opened and the original cork was too fragmented to be able to be used to stop the port splashing out."

[PhilW]

That looks like a new cork to me...

I did ask JDAW to explain how such an old bottle in his dream happened to be stoppered with what appeared to be a new cork. He shrugged and said "Strange things happen in a dream. Perhaps it was a picture imagined to have been taken after the bottle had been opened and the original cork was too fragmented to be able to be used to stop the port splashing out."

Clearly the same reason that he appears to have unpacked an empty bottle of Croft '45 from his dream box... but quick, move on to more detail of the tastings and wines themselves and no one will notice or say anything

[PopulusTremula]

My silence should not be interpreted as anything other than eager anticipation of the next instalment, awaited with bated breath.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Saturday dawned bright with a blue sky and the hazy promise of fierce heat later in the day. JDAW started the day with a quick (very quick - it was effing freezing) dip in the pool before breakfasting on the terrace watching the rising sun slowly paint more and more hillside on the opposite side of the Pinhao Valley - the vineyards of Foz, he thought. Breakfast was simple, some bread, cheese and ham and no port; that had all been drunk last night.

Today was to be a leisurely day. A short taxi ride to lunch at a new restaurant which he had briefly been told about last year and was looking forward to trying. After lunch he was to catch the train into the Douro Superior where he was helping out a friend who was a grape farmer and needed an extra paid of hands to help with the harvest. A harvest which was surprisingly late this year, the heat in the summer had held the grapes back but the cool nights and hot dry days during September had really brought the grapes to perfect physiological maturity and now the late harvest was in full swing.

The taxi took him the 15 minute drive down to the mouth of the Tedo River and into Quinta do Tedo. This year was the first year that the Quinta had run a small restaurant and sitting on the terrace sipping Tedo port or grazing on cured meat, cheese and fruit was a very pleasant experience. JDAW decided really to try the restaurant next time he was actually in Portugal and not just dream about doing so.

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The wine list to accompany the light meal choice was a great opportunity to try a variety of Tedo's ports and wines. Feeling adventurous, JDAW decided to start his morning with a beverage made in the traditional style of Port, at least traditional in the way that Baron Forrester would approve of; a Port which had not been adulterated by being fortified. This was a glass of the 2011 Quinta do Tedo Savedra Douro DOC wine - absolutely splendid was his opinion.

This whetted his appetite for some of the finer things on offer, but rather than head straight into those he decided to pace himself a little and so first chose glasses of Tedo's Fine Tawny Reserve and of 10 and 20 year old tawny to sip side by side and to compare and contrast. He enjoyed them all but was surprised at how quickly they evaporated in the heat and he was left, once again, with empty glasses.

When he went back to the counter to order some of the vintage ports his thirst must have caught the attention of someone in particular for the person who served him his glasses of Tedo 1997, Tedo 2011 LBV and Tedo 2013 was none other than Vincent Bouchard. Having the opportunity to chat with the owner and winemaker at Quinta do Tedo was an experience that JDAW felt he would remember long after he woke up.

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Despite the youth of the ports they drank together, JDAW enjoyed the wines and his time at Tedo but all good things must come to an end. JDAW had to head back to Pinhao to catch the train up towards the Spanish border and couldn't be late since the next train was 2 hours later. He wished his host farewell and climbed into his taxi wondering what his next visit would be like.

[DRT]

That restaurant sounds delightful. I must visit there the next time I am lucky enough to be in the Douro at harvest time

[jdaw1]

and sped off to Pinhao, bottles safely stowed in the boot.

If I self-report, if I confess to dreaming without proper accents, will I avoid being reported to the Crimes thread?

the day with a quick (very quick - it was effing freezing) dip in the pool before breakfasting on the terrace

As a member of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, there is no cold with which Portugal can threaten me. And I do not swear in my dreams.

Just the great man himself? No pictures of his delightful family? Disappointing dreams.

[Alex Bridgeman]

That restaurant sounds delightful. I must visit there the next time I am lucky enough to be in the Douro at harvest time

I can't comment with first hand knowledge, I wasn't there. I can only report what JDAW dreamt and has recounted to me.

the day with a quick (very quick - it was effing freezing) dip in the pool before breakfasting on the terrace

As a member of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, there is no cold with which Portugal can threaten me. And I do not swear in my dreams.

Clarification is required. JDAW was not swearing when he said "effing". He was referring to the noise that most people make when entering very cold water, when they exhale explosively "efff"

[Alex Bridgeman]

JDAW sat patiently at Pinhao station. He had washed his hands and used the facilities so he was ready for his long journey. He had admired the azuelos pictures with appropriate enthusiasm and was now starting to tire of waiting. Although he was used to being in Douro time, it was irritating that the modern Diurense trains on the network were so reliably off-time. To help the wait he stared at the Vintage House Hotel and imagined what it would have been like to have stayed there rather than at the (very comfortable) LBV House Hotel but he would never have been able to justify spending €500 per night for the one room that they had left available. He'd never noticed the link between their names before and wondered which had come first, which hotel name had been invented by whom.

A familiar noise rubbed against JDAW's semi-concious mind and he looked up. Somewhere in the distant recesses of his brain he registered that a DVD had been put on and that Thomas the Tank Engine was puffing across the screen. He turned around, and there was his train:

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He smiled happily and climbed on board. He needed to save his strength for the afternoon and evening. He had work to do to earn his supper tonight.

As he travelled he gazed out of the window. The view was as stunning as ever with the bright sun, blue river and baked hillsides holding their olive trees and vineyards. Some of the vines were just starting to turn to their autumnal tones but most were still verdant. The rhythmic sound of the train and the steady rocking motion soon put JDAW to sleep and he dozed happily as he travelled further east.

A shrill whistle woke him with a start and he looked out of the window. He had arrived!

Hurriedly he climbed down from his carriage and waved farewell to the driver and the fat controller. He turned to his friend and smiled a greeting. His friend grasped his extended hand and shook it vigorously. When their hands separated JDAW was surprised to find a pair of secateurs left behind and a large plastic box at his feet. Picking the box up he scrambled into the back of his friend's jeep and they drove away from the railway station and into the vineyards.

Following the winding road, they climbed higher and higher, heading for the vineyards which were ready to be picked. These were the high altitude white grapes. When they got to the top of the mountain JDAW got down from the jeep and walked over to join the other grape pickers. Working for a few minutes, JDAW noticed a strange smell. At first he wondered whether it was some form of Douro Deodourant. He sniffed again as one of his fellow workers walked past - it wasn't coming from anyone in particular, it seemed to be coming from all around. Looking up from his work, he realised that although the sun had set it wasn't yet dark and that the horizon was still brightly lit by the setting sun. But it wasn't the setting sun. So what was it?

He wandered up to the top of the hill and looked down on the other side of the mountain - fire! The neighbouring vineyard was on fire!!

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As he watched he could make out the firefighting team tackling the blaze, supported by water dropped from aircraft that flew close to the surface of the river, extending a scoop and returning to the fire. Quickly the blaze was brought back under control and doused, but not before JDAW's racing heart decided it was time to return to the bottom of the hill. He climbed into the jeep and looked round. None of the rest of the picking team were in sight so he started the engine and carefully - very carefully - drove back to the bottom of the hill. He was looking forward to dinner but knew that before he could eat (and, he hoped, drink) he had one more task to complete. As he approached the winery he could hear a loud voice calling in a steady rhythym "Um...dois...um...dois...". He had grapes to tread before dinner.

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It took four hours before JDAW was allowed to go. By that time he was exhausted and desperately thirsty. His friend took pity on him and took him up to the house where they sat on the terrace and admired the stars reflecting in the still surface of the river. The sky was incredibly clear and JDAW saw more of the Milky Way that evening than since he had been a child left alone in Woolworths. They ate well, consuming generous portions of cabrito and washing this down with bottles of table wine and proper wine. The proper wine being a tall bottle of Niepoort 1970, a bottle of Cockburn 1970 and a bottle of Croft 1960 with the wine of the night being the Cockburn 1970. JDAW smiled to himself as he went off to bed; "Cockburn 1970 can be a magnificent port when it is on song" he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

[Andy Velebil]

Sounds like JDAW earned his supper and drink that day. Glad to hear the fire didn't do too much damage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LGTrotter]

*nudge*

[Alex Bridgeman]

I do apologise for the interruption but my days are currently filled by proof reading a book, looking at the ends of corks and trying to sort out my pension arrangements. As soon as I have any time to spare I will continue with the story.

[Alex Bridgeman]

My life has slowed down a little and other things are now done, so I can return to JDAW's dream...

Sunday morning arrived. Exhausted by his physical labours JDAW slept in for a while enjoying the gentle smell of distant woodsmoke. It was when this changed to the smell of scambled eggs on hot buttered toast that he decided it was time to rise and have breakfast. As he dressed, he looked out of the window and thought that this really is one of the most beautiful parts of the world and how lucky people were to be able to visit. In a clean shirt and fresh jacket JDAW joined his host and some other guests / workers for breakfast.

Breakfast this morning included some delicious fig jam, made with figs from trees growing around the vineyards, served on fresh bread baked in the oven an hour ago and served with lashings of scrambled eggs. By the time JDAW had had enough eggs to satiate his workman's hunger there were some very worried looking hens scuttling off to find hiding places.

JDAW's plans today meant he had to catch a mid-morning train back to Pinhao. That gave him an hour or two to relax before he had to head back to the station. Since the sun was up and the day was rapidly warming he decided to go for a swim. The river was so blue and still that it was irresistable.

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After a couple of laps, JDAW felt his circulation and vigour had returned to normal and he had fully recovered from his last night's labours. While he allowed the heat to dry himself off he lazily threw a few lemons into the river and watched them slowly float downstream. Once dry JDAW returned to his room, dressed, packed and wandered down to the station.

This time he did not have to wait long as the 8am train was running two and a half hours late and arrived precisely when someone not used to working on Douro time might have expected to catch the 10.30am train. Settling comfortably into his seat and getting out a draft of one of the chapters from "The Book" JDAW started proof reading. The chapter was just the right length and as JDAW turned the last page he looked out of the window and saw Croft's Quinta da Roeda coming into view. He packed away his things and got off the train at Pinhao station. The cafe across the road was the venue for lunch with an American friend, and he saw his friend waving from the window. Sadly this was only a brief lunch together as JDAW's friend had other commitments later in the afternoon.

[Alex Bridgeman]

JDAW and his American friend finished lunch and JDAW walked him back to the station and saw him safely on the train back to Oporto. Glancing at his watch JDAW considered walking up the hill to the hotel but decided the effort was not worthwhile - his clothes were not so dusty to be worried. Instead he wandered over to the big house close to the station where he was due to join a group of quinta workers who were learning more about the way vintage port matures over the years. When he walked into the tasting room he was waved to a seat; there were a lot of people standing and chatting, but since they were chatting in Portuguese JDAW focused on watching the cellar master as he opened and poured the bottles.

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It took nearly an hour to open all the bottles they were tasting, but eventually it was finished and glasses were distributed. The line up had been very carefully chosen to show the power and depth of vintage Port and the near everlasting life these wines can provide if properly nurtured and cellared.

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From right to left, the line up was Quarles Harris 1980, a tregnum of Graham 1970, Dow 1963, Niepoort Garrafeira 1952, Cockburn 1947 White Vintage Port, Warre 1945 and a half bottle of Dow 1920. In addition the line up included Vesuvio 1994, Fonseca 1970, Sandeman 1960, 1931 Taylor Pinhao and 1927 Croft. This magnificent line up stimulated much discussion and debate.

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It was late in the evening when JDAW decided it was time to return to his hotel room and write up his copious tasting notes. Such a magnificent line up of ports deserved respect in the form of considered and detailed tasting notes. The ports were superb and some, such as the Cockburn 1947 white vintage port, JDAW had never seen before. And he was baffled by the way a half bottle of 94 year old port was still so alive and vibrant. But in JDAWs opinion, the best port of the evening was the amazingly fresh Quarles Harris 1980 which JDAW had guessed was a bottle of Dow 2007 it had appeared to be so young. What a great evening he had dreamt about. With a deep sigh he settled down to dream about a good night's sleep, lots of water to drink and an early start the next day.

[DRT]

It is quite amazing.

Reading these detailed accounts of JDAW's exploits makes me feel like I was actually there!

[Alex Bridgeman]

It is quite amazing.

Reading these detailed accounts of JDAW's exploits makes me feel like I was actually there!

And I'm sure that JDAW feels the same.

There will be a short interlude before the next episode. PC updates this evening wiped out the time I had set aside to write about JDAW's dream of Monday and I am off drinking table wine tomorrow night. Keep an eye out on Thursday or Friday night...

[Andy Velebil]

Look forward to the next installment, I too feel as though I was there while reading it. Magnificent!

[Alex Bridgeman]

JDAW stretched lazily. It was early on Monday morning and he was not in a rush. He gently scratched the stubble he had been growing on his chin after having not shaved during his sojourn to the vineyards and watched the sun slowly move down the hill opposite his room. It was going to be another warm day - the forecast promised a peak temperature in the high twenties (centigrade). Breakfast was the same as yesterday, and the day before and consisted freshly baked (and rather tasty) bread rolls accompanied by hard boiled eggs, jam, salty ham and thin slices of cheese. There was nothing wrong with breakfast, but perhaps it was time to find a cafe for variety.

Speaking of variety. JDAW had spotted that the hotel had a small shop selling postcards, port related knick-knacks and an assortment of bottles of port. Having time to indulge in a small diversion before his taxi was due, JDAW asked for the key and let himself into the shop store room. Mooching round the wine shelves JDAW was amazed that anyone would be able to find anything. There seemed to be no order or structure to the way in which bottles were shoved into bins, or boxes stuffed onto shelves. JDAW manfully resisted the urge to help by reordering things so that the hotel owner would be able to find stock when a customer wanted to buy a wine listed in the catalogue. But he couldn't hold back from having a good look at each box, each case and each random bottle. JDAW found a few gems but suddenly realised his taxi would arrive in less than 30 minutes and he needed to shower and shave.

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He promised himself another visit, let himself out of the room and returned the key to the receptionist.

JDAW was feeling very lucky. By a fluke, he had been in the right place at the right time to be invited to visit Quinta do Noval as part of an organised tour, including a tasting of some of Noval's recent ports - and he had a Noval of his own that he was keen to share with other fans of their wines and ports. His taxi whisked him away from his hotel and towards that fabled vineyard. He was excited to have the chance to see the small plot of land where the ungrafted vines struggled to survive, producing tiny grapes in tiny quantities which could on the right occasion produce the mythical port that was never affordable - except when he had bought a parcel of 1987 Quinta do Noval Nacional so cheaply that it had been his house port in New York for a year or two. But that was then, a fortunate set of circumstances which would probably never be repeated.

His taxi turned left off the main road and onto the long drive winding across the hillside towards the Quinta. Shaded by table-grape vines growing on the pergola over the road, JDAW looked across the valley towards Quinta da Cavadinha and Quinta de Terra Feita. He really was in the heart of Port country. He could see the picking teams at work in some of the vineyards and could hear the sound of the sorting table getting louder as he approached the buildings at Noval. His taxi stopped at the back of the main house and his hostess came out to greet him. She directed him to the front of the house where the other guests were congregating and offered him a white port and tonic while he waited for everyone to arrive. He gratefully accepted as it was hot despite the clouds, he took his drink and wandered over to the seat under the iconic cedar tree and admired the view for a while.

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[jdaw1]

Reading these detailed accounts of JDAW's exploits makes me feel like I was actually there!

Reading these detailed accounts makes me feel like AHB and DRT were actually there.