Wokingham, Tuesday 20th May 2008

[jdaw1]

Blinded placemats updated to include a number 12. Sighted placemats unchanged.


And my father and you have email about collection.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Blinded placemats updated to include a number 12. Sighted placemats unchanged.

Are these both to be printed on A3 paper?

[jdaw1]

Glass holding sheets, A3. Tasting note pages A4.

Things may change as numbers change.

[Axel P]

As Derek is going to the holy land on the weekend I tried to get him equiped with some Cask Samples of the VP 07. At least Niepoort and La Rosa (maybe Pintas and Passadouro as well).

We should plan them in when they are confirmed, too.

Julian: You have never been to either of the cities in the holy land (VNG, Oporto or Pinhao)? We should definitely change this very soon.

Axel

[Alex Bridgeman]

Happily.

However, they will have to be a different flight as I will be seriously out of glasses and decanters by the time we reach 16 bottles.

But this could be tremendous fun...

[Axel P]

It will be and Im very much looking forward to it.

Im sitting around a bottle of Quinta Seara d'Ordens VP 2005. Ever heard of it?

Axel

[Alex Bridgeman]

Nope. That's a completey new Quinta name to me. I must dig out my copy of Liddel and see if he mentions it at all.

But I've gone off topic. This is the May 20 Offline thread.

[Axel P]

You are right - as always.

The 80 VPs are - besides Grahams, Taylors (in Munich with you) and Warre - new to me, too, so it will be an awful lot of fun tasting them with all of you.

Is your wife there as well and will she throw us out, when we are starting to sing nasty songs later in the evening?

Axel

[DRT]

I will make it my number 1 priority to bring back as many 2007 cask samples as (a) the very kind people of the Douro and VNG allow me to have and (b) the very unkind people of Ryanair allow me to take on the flight home.

If I do bring some back, we need to work out the best time to taste these on 20 May. There is a danger that their aggressive nature could wipe out all hope of properly tasting the 1980s. I would suggest that the best thing to do is taste any 2007s we have before eating. I would also suggest that we plan to spit them.

Derek

PS: Anyone who can't give me a 2007 cask sample will be asked for a 2006 instead

[Axel P]

Derek,

on Ryanair it is 10 ┚¬ for every extra kg you are checking in. I just paid 50 ┚¬ on the way back from the essencia do vinho in March.

Axel

[DRT]

Derek,

on Ryanair it is 10 ┚¬ for every extra kg you are checking in. I just paid 50 ┚¬ on the way back from the essencia do vinho in March.

Axel

That is why I am not planning to take lots of clothes with me so that I can use my full 15kg hold allowance on glass and purple liquid.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Derek,

on Ryanair it is 10 ┚¬ for every extra kg you are checking in. I just paid 50 ┚¬ on the way back from the essencia do vinho in March.

Axel

That is why I am not planning to take lots of clothes with me so that I can use my full 15kg hold allowance on glass and purple liquid.

Roughly, roughly a full bottle of port weighs about 2kg.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Is your wife there as well and will she throw us out, when we are starting to sing nasty songs later in the evening?

No, my wife is away for the week with the school where she teaches. I am on children-watching duty, hence I am hosting this at home.

No wife will throw us out if we start to sing nasty songs, but me teenage daughter and nearly teenage son both get extremely grumpy if their sleep is disturbed and both have school the following morning so they will likely throw us out if we are too loud.

The fact that I am on child minding duties is why we will not be able to start before 8pm. That is about when I will return from my last activity run and can start drinking.

Anyone who arrives before 8pm is welcome, but will be put to work to help in the preparations.

Alex

[Conky]

Derek,

on Ryanair it is 10 ┚¬ for every extra kg you are checking in. I just paid 50 ┚¬ on the way back from the essencia do vinho in March.

Axel

That is why I am not planning to take lots of clothes with me so that I can use my full 15kg hold allowance on glass and purple liquid.

Once you know the term PURPLE SUNSHINE, I think you should be banned from using your term. It's not right. It hurts. It's insulting....

(Having said that, we really should have a better purple colour, with more red!)

[DRT]

Derek,

on Ryanair it is 10 ┚¬ for every extra kg you are checking in. I just paid 50 ┚¬ on the way back from the essencia do vinho in March.

Axel

That is why I am not planning to take lots of clothes with me so that I can use my full 15kg hold allowance on glass and purple liquid.

Once you know the term PURPLE SUNSHINE, I think you should be banned from using your term. It's not right. It hurts. It's insulting....

(Having said that, we really should have a better purple colour, with more red!)

Alan,

purple liquid is the technical term for embrionic juice that has not yet been Decalred as Purple Sunshine - until it is 2 years old and has passed the relevant quality tests it cannot use the proper name. It's a rule.

Derek

[Conky]

Decalred!

My word, you know all the technical stuff, dont you. Ok Proff....

[jdaw1]

Im happy with whatever you guys drink as long as Im not totally drunk before the tasting starts.

Axel

You're attending a tasting with the British, don't ask for things that are not possible.

But the Russians are worse: “We were drinking and what doesn't happen when you're drunk?†.

[Axel P]

I went to pilot training in the UK and was crewed with a british flight lieutenant for a couple of weeks, so I think Im pretty much aware of what it means to drink with the british.

Anyways: my aim is to be able to write something down that somebody is capable of identifying the next morning until the last bottle was opened, meaning: to get TNs of all bottles.

Since I dont have to fly myself the next day, I couldnt care less what will happen then

Axel

[Alex Bridgeman]

WS (and the QH) has withdrawn from the 1980 tasting due to work commitments on the following morning. CG has replaced him.

When: Tuesday May 20, 2008 at 7pm
Where: Wokingham â€‟ exact address to be supplied by PM
What: A 1980 Horizontal
Tasting Mats: Drafted; needing revision to accommodate WS/QH withdrawl and CG replacement

Who: Confirmed Attendees:

• AHB, whose house it is and who will be working from home on the 21st
  AP, who has bagsied an air matress
  ARK, who has bagsied a blow-up mattress on the floor
  BB, a friend of AHB, who will be returning to London on a late train
  DRT, who has bagsied the sofa.
  CG, who will also be returning to London by train
  JDAW, who has bagsied the bed
  THRA (try The Wokingham Guest House for accommodation, 5 mins walk away)

Confirmed non-attendees:

• ACC
  SRG
  SL

Bottle Options:

• Dow (AHB, ARK, DRT)
  Ferriera (BB)
  Fonseca (AHB, ARK, JDAW , AP (en magnum))
  Graham (AHB, JDAW)
  Nacional (DRT, JDAW)
  Offley Boa Vista (JDAW, THRA)
  Smith Woodhouse (AHB)
  Taylor (JDAW)
  Warre (ARK)

We’ve now abandoned the pretence of bringing only one bottle each. I believe that the current view of who brings what is:

• Dow (ARK)
  Ferreira (BB)
  Fonseca (in bottle)(AHB)
  Fonseca (en magnum)(AP)
  Graham (JDAW)
  Nacional (DRT)
  Offley (porbably THRA but otherwise JDAW)
  Smith Woodhouse (AHB)
  Taylor (JDAW)
  Warre (ARK)

Assuming that THRA will be attending then all spaces around my table have been taken, although I am still willing to wait-list people if there is someone else desperate to attend. The glasses and decanter problems have been solved, with the kind help of ARK, DRT, JDAW and THRA.

I will be travelling to Sussex between now and May 20, in order to collect port and/or glasses as this has now been established as being helpful.

JDAW - please request that your father sets aside the bottles above with your initials indicated, plus any others that you would like me to collect for onward distribution to others. If we open your Offley then we will ensure that some financial rebalancing takes place to reflect the fact that you will have provided three bottles. If THRA is able to confirm attendance then we will return your bottle unopened (assuming that THRA provides the Offley).

[jdaw1]

Surely WS is now a “Confirmed non-attendee†?

Blinded placemats updated to stop at 11; and QH deleted from sighted placemats; WS the person being deleted from both.

An email sent to you and my father about your collecting port. Please read through that email carefully and confirm that all the facts you can confirm are indeed confirmed.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Surely WS is now a “Confirmed non-attendee†?

I considered that, but decided that since he was not registered on the forum I would not add him to the list of confirmed non-attendees.

Although I accept that in the strict sense of the set, he should be.

Luckily, the branch of set theory that I practice is intended to study the interaction of Traditional Set Theory with Poetic License.

Alex

[DRT]

The case of Dow 1980 that ARK, AHB and DRT are buying between them has not yet arrived. Do we have a back-up bottle of Dow 1980 anywhere?

I wonder if we could persuade Christopher to cross the M25 border on a school night to fill the now vacant seat?

Derek

[uncle tom]

Do we have a back-up bottle of Dow 1980 anywhere

Can supply ex. stock

Tom

[Alex Bridgeman]

Uncle Tom's contingency plan is greatly appreciated as Wine-searcher doesn't make it easy to develop a contingency plan since no-one else seems to have any available.

Christopher would be a welcome addition to our group if we are able to persuade him to move outside the M25 on a weekday evening.

Alex

[DRT]

Christopher would be a welcome addition to our group if we are able to persuade him to move outside the M25 on a weekday evening.

I think he is still in the US and is soon off to the Douro with Roy&Co. I would suggest that you extend the invitation by email (as he has a BlackBerry with him) including an explanation of how it is possible for human beings to travel from locations outside the M25 into the centre of London on a weekday morning and arrive in time for the start of the working day.

Derek

[Christopher]

Just got back from the US

Very nervous about going outside the M25 on a school night but if there is still a place would love to attend. It will also provide the motivation for getting the Dow 80 purchase delivered and allocated out sorry for the delay here.
While in the US met up with ADV and had an excellent bottle of Warre 77 together with an excellent steak which was much appreciated!

[Alex Bridgeman]

Delighted Christopher can join us for the 1980 horizontal. In about a week's time I will send out an email to all attendees giving directions etc. The summary of arrangements has been updated to show Christopher's attendance.

In summary, you can train from Waterloo to Wokingham on the SW Trains service from Waterloo to Reading. Journey time is around 1 hour 10 minutes from Waterloo or 1 hour from from Clapham Junction. Trains back to London leave at 10:56 and 11:26pm or the 05:56 on Wednesday morning would get you in to the office around 7:30am. It takes around 10 minutes to walk from my house to the station.

Let us know what (if any) 1980s you have available to bring. If you don't have any then drop me an email and we can sort out an adoption.

Alex

[DRT]

Excellent news.

I am glad Christopher has decided to join us as it will allow us to test whether or not Londoners turn to pillars of salt if caught outside the M25 after midnight

Alex, does this give us another glassware issue?

Derek

[Alex Bridgeman]

Alex, does this give us another glassware issue?

No, I don't think so as Christopher is a direct replacement for Wolfgang. While we do have a problem, the same solution is still applicable.

[Axel P]

Alex,

since Derek has askes me to bring more glasses for him, could I trouble you for a pillow- and blanket-like item, since I have more room to bring stuff?

Dont worry I will use your toothbrush after you finished brushing.

Axel

[Alex Bridgeman]

Alex,

since Derek has askes me to bring more glasses for him, could I trouble you for a pillow- and blanket-like item, since I have more room to bring stuff?

Dont worry I will use your toothbrush after you finished brushing.

Axel

A pillow and sleeping bag should be no problem. I think that you also have reserved one of the inflatable mattresses.

[Axel P]

Thanks,

Axel

[Alex Bridgeman]

Admin2 Note: The post that caused AHB to quote this can be found here

I just bought these...



Rather than various decanters being carried from the four corners of the land to Wokingham should I just bring these and we use the original bottles instead?

Derek

Personally, I would rather use decanters as I have had direct experience of the difference that decanting (as opposed to double decanting) can make to the way a port shows. With some people attending only having 3 hours to appreciate the wines, I would like to allow them (the wines) to breathe as effectively as possible.

However, if others would prefer to use the tasting jackets then I would be happy to oblige.

Alex

[DRT]

No problem, Alex. I'm happy to bring decanters if that is what is preferred and we can keep these for TCP Off-lines where decanters are not an option.

I agree that decanters will allow the wines to open up and show their best faster than in the bottles would.

Derek

[KillerB]

Is it time to stand the Warre up?

[DRT]

Is it time to stand the Warre up?

That depends on the decanting strategy, which I do not think has been discussed and agreed as yet.

So, Oh Great and Wise Port Sage of Wokingham, are we to decant and bring or bring and decant? (the latter using our trusty Jdaw TDKs, of course)

Derek

[Alex Bridgeman]

Bring and decant.

You can start decanting as soon as you arrive. There should be someone in the house from about 11am, but he is likely to be jet-lagged and grumpy if disturbed before 3pm.

Alex

[uncle tom]

I plan to decant the Offley (already stood up) the previous evening, returning it to the bottle for the journey down.

As I shall be driving, does anyone need any supplies?

Tom

[jdaw1]

You can start decanting as soon as you arrive. There should be someone in the house from about 11am, but he is likely to be jet-lagged and grumpy if disturbed before 3pm.

A bonus two hours sleep would be the proverbial boon to a working woman. But of course I know the priorities, and am hence willing to do such decanting and admitting tasks as are required.

(Ignoring all this off-topic 1977 stuff. Of which I have in the UK: Delaforce, Dow, Fonseca, Graham’s, Poças Júnior, Quarles Harris, Royal Oporto, Sandeman, and Taylor. But I’m travelling to my father’s at the end of my trip so couldn’t get you any anyway.)

Derek T.: you told me that in the 48 hours before the F-plan you had four hours sleep. Now you be a good boy and go to bed early the night before. You’ll be having a tiring day ahead of you.

[DRT]

Derek T.: you told me that in the 48 hours before the F-plan you had four hours sleep. Now you be a good boy and go to bed early the night before. You’ll be having a tiring day ahead of you.

Yes Sir. I will be sure to have at least 4.5 hours sleep on the night of 19th May to ensure AHBs kitchen floor remains uninhabited throughout the following evening.

Is anyone as excited as a small child yet? I am

Derek

[KillerB]

The Warre is standing - I will double-decant before setting out.

[DRT]

The Nacional is also standing and will be Double D'd on Tuesday morning.

Bouncing? Me? Yes

[Alex Bridgeman]

Graham's (JDAW), Taylor (JDAW), Smith Woodhouse (AHB), Fonseca (in bottle, AHB), Dow (ARK - replacement as Farr's Dow '80s have not yet arrived) and AHB mystery addition were all stood to attention in a cool, dark place this morning.

I wouldn't describe myself so much as excited, more as running round frantically trying to get everything ready.

But I am very much looking forward to drinking some good port in fine company.

Those who have promised decanters or glasses, please don't forget to bring them.

Also, those who are driving please be aware that Arthur Road is currently a building site as the Gas Board have decided to renew our gas mains. This may limit parking on the road. I will attempt to manouvre my car so that at least two other cars can be parked on the drive, so minimising the difficulties in finding acceptable spots at the kerbside. (It may also limit supplies of hot water and the ability to cook on a hob.)

Errm. Any suggestions as to what is customary to be eaten with a large steak? Shall I also buy a sackfull of mushrooms or will the outsourced French Fries be sufficient?

PS - Messers Admins; please could we move the conversation on the 1977 ports to the Holland July 2 offline thread? Thank you.

[Simon Lisle]

Well I am usually the one digging up the road to replace the gas main's it's just a pity it was not your street or you would have another guest.

[DRT]

Errm. Any suggestions as to what is customary to be eaten with a large steak? Shall I also buy a sackfull of mushrooms or will the outsourced French Fries be sufficient?

Large steak and outsourced french fries will do for me.

Glasses and decanters are already in my car.

Do we need some contingency throw-away BBQs in case there is no gas?

Derek

[KillerB]

Mushrooms - I can get some.

[benread]

Errm. Any suggestions as to what is customary to be eaten with a large steak?

In my own experience ( I am have lots when it comes to food!) large steak is best served rare / medium rare with boiled new potatoes, green beans and lots of english mustard.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Do we need some contingency throw-away BBQs in case there is no gas?

No. The recently purchased Weber and a large amount of charcoal are available and may even be the preferred means of cooking a large quantity of steak when I don't possess a griddle. Is anyone feeling like a cave-man and willing to volunteer to burn the steaks whilst I am acting as an unpaid taxi driver to children and mother-in-law?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Mushrooms - I can get some.

Excellent. I'll levae you to forage in the woods tonight.

[Alex Bridgeman]

boiled new potatoes

Everything else sounds perfect. I shudder at the thought of boiled new potatoes unless subsequently fried in goose fat.