2007 Harvest Tour Reports

Post by **DRT** » 23:05 Fri 21 Sep 2007

Here is where I will post a review of my forthcoming whistle-stop tour of VNG and the Douro from 30 Sep to 2 Oct.

I can't wait to see some old familiar faces and a few new ones.

For all you guys who will be sitting at home wishing you were there I just want to let you know that I will be thinking of you when I am sipping all that lovely port and enjoying those wonderful views

Derek

Note: Thread titled changed in the hope that others will add their 2007 harvest reviews here

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 23:26 Fri 21 Sep 2007

Ditto for me...Derek, see you in just about a week....I can't wait.

Post by **DRT** » 23:31 Fri 21 Sep 2007

Andy,

Exactly 9 days from now we will be talking nonsense having spent around 15 hours drinking port. Who know's, we might even start to get Alan's jokes

Derek

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 23:38 Fri 21 Sep 2007

I can see you two are gonna get right on my @$%*'s over the next week!

Never mind. I'll keep the wheels of Industry turning, and the home fires burning.
If you PM me addresses, I'll make sure your wives and girlfriends are not too bored, either...Tiddlywinks.

(The thought of that should keep the buggers quiet for a nano-second!)

Post by **DRT** » 23:43 Fri 21 Sep 2007

Alan,

I will gladly give you my wife's address

...and, yes, you are going to be really, really bored of this by the end of next week

Derek

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 02:30 Sat 22 Sep 2007

Alan,

you can have all the self-centered, manicured, plasticized, face-lifted, enlargement of the, uhh-hmm, headlights, and the fact they want every man to make 30 million a year and fly them all over the world women...then you are welcome to come to my neck of the woods and have them all...just don't bring them back

I can see you two are gonna get right on my @$%*'s over the next week!

You betcha

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 21:43 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Well in about 16 hours I will be on a plane headed to our favorite place. I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes when I get back. I won't have any computer or cell phones to bug me for a total of 9 days

Ahh, thats what vacations are all about....opps, and drinking lots of Port

Post by **DRT** » 21:45 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Andy,

Are you going to Porto? What a surprise

so am I

I thought one of us would have mentioned it before now

Derek

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 21:47 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Where abouts on your bodies are you having the Tattoo?

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 21:47 Fri 28 Sep 2007

I didn't know you were going too

Lets meet at the airport...ohh, say around 9am

Post by **DRT** » 21:49 Fri 28 Sep 2007

What a splendid idea. Do you think we should let everyone else know we are going? Perhaps they don't know

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 21:51 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Let it just be a surprise. Ohh and I'll bring you a surprise too

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 21:57 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Maybe your Foreheads? So it can't be missed.

Douro, October 07, Party, Education,

If that's a bit long, just use the initials.

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 22:00 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Alan, I see a problem already..

.Education

I'm on vacation..a drinking vacation which means I am incapable of learning anything except how to ask if someone knows the Bishop of Norwich

Post by **DRT** » 22:01 Fri 28 Sep 2007

What about...

Conky Wasn't Here - Oporto, October 2007

Derek

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 22:04 Fri 28 Sep 2007

How about Conky Was Missing

if you can figure that one out, you win the prize.

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 22:06 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Conky Wasn't Here - Oporto, October 2007

Nope, the initials don't work.

Alan - we missed an opportunity for an offline here. We should have organised an offline with a theme of "What can we drink to show Derek and Andy that we don't care that they are there and we are here".

Oh well, I have a leaky bottle of Cockburn '27 to open soon. Perhaps this weekend would do...

Alex

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 22:07 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Alex,

thanks, i was trying to figure that one out myself

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 22:09 Fri 28 Sep 2007

AHB wrote: Oh well, I have a leaky bottle of Cockburn '27 to open soon. Perhaps this weekend would do...

Alex

Alex, you could always bring that leaky '27 to L.A. A little travel shock won't bug me in the least

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 22:17 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Lets hope the Douro Drinking Holes have lots of pillows and comfy chairs, for when our Warriors are over there! And that you don't wake up with stiff necks, just as they are closing the place at 10pm!

Alan(You know I'm only jealous)

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 22:20 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Conky wrote: And that you don't wake up with stiff necks, just as they are closing the place at 10pm!

Alan, you sound as though you know someone who did this

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 22:22 Fri 28 Sep 2007

only THREE times!!!

I suppose when all the banter peters out, it can be moved to Meaningless Drivel, and leave Dereks original first Post.

Post by **DRT** » 22:24 Fri 28 Sep 2007

I think I need to bring some Red Bull with me to Oporto to keep me awake. If I fall asleep again I will probably have to give up all hope of ever living it down, especially if Andy has his camera with him

Derek

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 22:26 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Ohh, I will have a camera

only THREE times!!!

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 22:31 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Andy,

Any pictures will be of interest, but unfortunately they wont have much value...there's already too many on the Market!
Maybe if you shave his eyebrows off? I think I'd pay for that one.

Alan

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 23:00 Fri 28 Sep 2007

Alan,

You would have to pay me lots to get those photos...as the old saying goes. What happens in the Douro, stays in the Douro

Post by **DRT** » 23:06 Fri 28 Sep 2007

ADV wrote:What happens in the Douro, stays in the Douro

Exactly !!

Thanks, Andy, I knew I could rely on you

Derek

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 23:08 Fri 28 Sep 2007

No problem...ohh and that just upped the cost to 2 bottles of N31

Luc · Post by **Luc** » 05:36 Sat 29 Sep 2007

Look forward to the day , when I can say : What happens in the Douro , Stays in the Douro !!
'Till then , I think I'll just break wind and eat peanut butter . . .

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 10:42 Sat 29 Sep 2007

Luc, I'll break wind for you in Oporto and plant a jar of PB in the soils of the Douro.

Luc · Post by **Luc** » 21:44 Sat 29 Sep 2007

I can see It now , the 1st post Phylloxera peanut butter soil in the Cima Corgo .

Post by **DRT** » 00:31 Sun 30 Sep 2007

Well, it's here at last. A quick nap in the car at the airport and then I'm off to meet ADV and a few others in the land of liquid gold.

I will do my best to drop by here with weather/harvest reports and the odd TN.

Derek

Post by **DRT** » 17:43 Sun 30 Sep 2007

Just had a vertical of Noval Colhieta 37, 64, 68, 71,74, 76, 86 and 10, 20 and 40 yrs at the Noval shop at VNG.

D

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 17:58 Sun 30 Sep 2007

Are you not going to gives us a clue? Superb, ordinary, different, etc???
Just a generalisation will do for satarters.

Whats that big flash shop, a little further down, past Sandemans, but before Ramos, I'd not heard of it, and it looked really new. From memory it began with a V or an S?

Post by **DRT** » 10:31 Mon 01 Oct 2007

I will post some TNs when I get near a PC. The lineup at Noval was superb with a few stunning wines and only 1 or 2 that failed to make the grade.

We had intended doing a tour of the lodges but ended up spending 4 hours at Noval instead!

After Noval we went to Vinologia and had some really great ports from small and unusual producers. You will have to wait for Andy to post notes on these as I had given in by then.

On a train to the Douro now

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 18:54 Mon 08 Oct 2007

I'll get some notes up soon. I just got home early this am and am taking a breeak from unpacking and laundry.

It was great to see Derek again and we all of us had a blast. Noval was quote fun, and Vinalogia was just as fun. The night went on well into the evening, even though the US crew hadn't slept for a day plus, and had just gotten off a very long 12+ hours of flying across the atlantic. Derek and I ruled the roost and stayed up drinking well past when everyone else went to bed. I was a little tired on Monday, well at least until I started drinking again at 10 am

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 19:03 Mon 08 Oct 2007

Alan...Derek got himself a new job, look

He made sure all the Ports at Noval were safe for us to drink