Thu 17th March 2016 - The Fourth Annual Doty Cup

[Alex Bridgeman]

As the winner of the 2015 Doty Challenge Cup it is down to me to organise the next cup event.

The date has been set as Thursday 17^th March, starting at 7pm with the venue probably being the Square 6-10 Bruton St, London W1J 6PU where two previous competitions have been held.

The format will remain broadly the same as in previous years in that the evening will be gently competitive. There will be a theme to the wines (the wines will be provide by CSD) which will be intended to educate and interest the people attending. Participants will be encouraged to attempt to identify the wines tasted and to identify the theme. Points will be awarded for correct guesses but also for well thought out but incorrect guesses. Each participant will also be required to make a 2 minute presentation on a topic of their choice, with additional points being awarded for interest, style and content. One year I presented on 3-D printing with the help of some plasticine modelling and last year JDAW presented on the 3 Body Problem with the help of some handy table-top articles.

At the end of the evening the person scoring the most points will be awarded the Doty Cup to hold for a year and will receive an automatic invitation to the 2017 cup event.

Participants share the cost of the food between them, which comes to about £60 per head. There are up to 12 places available, some of which I am holding back for CSD's friends who are not on the Port Forum, but CSD has asked me to post an open invitation to members of the Port Forum - if you would like to attend then please say so.

ATTENDING

1. Chris (CSD)
2. Alex (AHB)
3. Rob (RAYC)
4. Reserved for non TPF
5. Reserved for non TPF
6. Reserved for non TPF
7. Reserved for non TPF
8. JDAW
9. Mike (MPM)
10. Simon (Doggett)

RESERVES

1. Wolfgang (WS1)

[flash_uk]

I'd certainly be up for a tilt at the Cup!

[jdaw1]

It has always been excellent; but with only five places available it would be remiss of me to grab one. Please have me as first reserve.

[WS1]

Hi Alex,

since I failed the last couple of years I would like to attend this year if still possible.

regards

WS1

[Doggett]

Hi Alex,

It all sounds very intriguing, so could you please put me down to attend. One question, when you says wines, is that Ports or 'normal' vino?

I shall look forward to it, and start pondering on what to present on!

Simon

[Alex Bridgeman]

Hi Alex,

It all sounds very intriguing, so could you please put me down to attend. One question, when you says wines, is that Ports or 'normal' vino?

I shall look forward to it, and start pondering on what to present on!

Simon

Last year there were, if I recall correctly, 7 pairs of wines. 2 of these were port, the rest were not port. Things may be slightly different next year, but Chris has already said that he will not let me have 14 different ports in the line-up

[Doggett]

Sounds fun. I would definitely like to come. Can I ask the history of the Doty Cup?

Simon

[Alex Bridgeman]

Sounds fun. I would definitely like to come. Can I ask the history of the Doty Cup?

Simon

Chris Doty is an exuberant New Yorker who was based in London for a few years in the late noughties / early twenty-teens. Through blind luck, Chris stumbled across the Port Forum and became a regular attendee at the offlines and a participant on the Port Forum. Chris was really appreciative of the way he was welcomed into the Port Forum and of the informal way that we meet and share bottles and when his work in the UK came to an end and he returned to New York he felt that he wanted to give something back to the friends he had made in London while he was here (both from the Port Forum and friends from elsewhere).

As a result, Chris came up with the idea of "The Doty Cup". This is an annual competition which started in 2012 and has followed the format I've described above in the first post. It is first and foremost a fun evening, but I do have a lovely 24" tall silver cup on my mantelpiece which is mine until 10th March 2016. I also had an interesting time explaining to my wife and two late teenage children that I had won the cup "for a drinking competition" (their words, not mine). It's not overly competitive because none of us are Masters of Wine or professional sommeliers so the winning scores are rather low, but I've thoroughly enjoyed the two cup events that I have attended in the past.

This year's theme was 1985 with at least one of the wines in each pair being from the 1985 vintage. Next year's theme will be different.

When I can, I'll post a picture of the cup. It does look rather splendid.

[jdaw1]

The real rules of the ‘competition’ are that Chris Doty is the King, and he will choose the winner.

The other rules are that the competition has two parts.
• Some points come from guessing the wines/Ports, what connects the pairs in which they are served, and the overall theme.
• Further points are awarded to a ‘mini-TED’ presentation, on any subject about which you wish to speak for about five minutes. Be interesting, be entertaining, have props: the more unexpected the better.

Each year’s winner is then the King’s helper the following year.

[djewesbury]

I expressed an interest last (this) year but there was some confusion - I thought my pre-approval was not cleared and consequently didn't turn up. Perhaps I can make some amends this year, and win the cup as well?

[Doggett]

It all sounds like a wonderful evening, I already feel in debt to Chris for creating such a hedonistic, pleasurable competition. Congratulations on your victory this year Alex. Unfortunately I don't think I will be succeeding you next year...unless there is a huge weighting given to enthusiasm in Chris' judgement.

[Glenn E.]

unless there is a huge weighting given to enthusiasm in Chris' judgement.

The whims of the King are many and unfathomable.

[WS1]

unless there is a huge weighting given to enthusiasm in Chris' judgement.

The whims of the King are many and unfathomable.

Hmmm, this is in my eyes misleading. I thought the United States of America had so far 44 presidents and only one king (Elvis). Chris's aspiration to be the second king is imho very challenging!

regards

WS1

[jdaw1]

Minus ten points to you.

[WS1]

Minus ten points to you.

[Chris Doty]

The real rules of the ‘competition’ are that Chris Doty is the King, and he will choose the winner.

The other rules are that the competition has two parts.
• Some points come from guessing the wines/Ports, what connects the pairs in which they are served, and the overall theme.
• Further points are awarded to a ‘mini-TED’ presentation, on any subject about which you wish to speak for about five minutes. Be interesting, be entertaining, have props: the more unexpected the better.

Each year’s winner is then the King’s helper the following year.

Why is it that only Jdaw understands me?

ps. the only thing i can tell you for sure about this year's Cup is that it will NOT be held on March 10th.

pps. for the record, in two of the three Cups the winner was decisive on the basis of wine guessing (rob and ahb had no competition in their respective wins). The only judgment was two years ago, when CP Iram Ahmed edged out a tough field.

ppps. for those that have never attended, the only wines that we have had underperformance with have been from burgundy....what do you think you might then be able to conclude about this year's event...?

[Chris Doty]

Minus ten points to you.

Ordinarily this would be spot on, except of course that I would not deduct points from Wolfgang. Should he grace us with his presence, ws1 can do whatever the - he pleases

[jdaw1]

ppps. for those that have never attended, the only wines that we have had underperformance with have been from burgundy....what do you think you might then be able to conclude about this year's event...?

That The King will do something unexpected, even allowing for that fact that only the unexpected should be expected.

[WS1]

His Majesty King Chris;

may I trouble you with details about plans when the Doty cup will take place? Despite I am only a humble subject in your empire I would like to remind you about the small trip I lined up for April (15th of April to 2nd of May). You agreed at the time it would be mutual beneficial not to collide dates with the Doty cup since importance of the trip (Piemonte, Bandol, Chateauneuf du Pape, Cote Rotie, and Cote Nuits) acknowledged.
Hence this post and hopefully and answer.

regards

WS1

[jdaw1]

His Majesty King Chris;

may I trouble you with details about plans when the Doty cup will take place? Despite I am only a humble subject in your empire I would like to remind you about the small trip I lined up for April (15th of April to 2nd of May). You agreed at the time it would be mutual beneficial not to collide dates with the Doty cup since importance of the trip (Piemonte, Bandol, Chateauneuf du Pape, Cote Rotie, and Cote Nuits) acknowledged.
Hence this post and hopefully and answer.

regards

WS1

The tone is good. Deference is much more likely to succeed than any form of address. But — and this is more than a minor technical matter — you are not “a humble subject”, instead, you hope one day to be granted permission to apply to be a humble subject. Lordy — the impertinence!

[Chris Doty]

ppps. for those that have never attended, the only wines that we have had underperformance with have been from burgundy....what do you think you might then be able to conclude about this year's event...?

That The King will do something unexpected, even allowing for that fact that only the unexpected should be expected.

now you're just showing off

[Chris Doty]

His Majesty King Chris

Tempting me to get accustomed to that salutation...intrepid...

As for the date, this is still TBD on the basis of confirmed for Thursday, March 17th 2016 - not withstanding AHB's surprisingly glamorous life at the post office

Sadly I do not expect we will be joined by Cup Champions Rob (caymans) and Iram (dubai)

I generally operate on a 8hr schedule, but I do have a vague notion of returning to the US via Europe during the second half of March. Likely in London for a few days no earlier than the 15th and no later than the 23rd. If there are dates in that range that would be suitable for y'all (here's some American trivia...what is the plural of y'all?), then I will call the square and see about making arrangements.

If that window is inconvenient, then I would likely push this to September.

Also, not to bring up a sore subject, but you might recall, ws1, that I moved the Cup an entire week last year to accommodate your religious devotion, only for you to no-show.

[WS1]

His Majesty King Chris,

indeed it did not work out last year after you changed the date after I had already made arrangements for my small trip to Burgundy and Rhone. To reschedule all appointments were impossible as some of them are King and Queens as well. Despite I am sure you are the worthiest I had to accomodate their wishes too.
For further info I will be not available around Easter as well as I need to visit my home country and pick up my Keller allocation. I understand I am less than a humble subject but have to do some travel and comittments too.

Sorry but the later the date is fixed the more unlikely it is I can attend.

regards

the lesser humble subject

[Chris Doty]

no earlier than the 15th and no later than the 23rd (of March 2016)

I will be not available around Easter

Broseph, help me help you.

You might remember keeping track of Easter isn't what I do best. I have given a RANGE of dates prior to your Continental escapades. Do any of them work? (and that goes for all y'all).

Shouldn't need twisting of the arms...

PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION

[Doggett]

If there is still room for me to attend this marvellous sounding evening... I would hope to be able to make any of the date range suggested from 15-23rd March. In the meantime I shall try to do a crash course in Burgundy appreciation in preparation

All the best,

Simon