ThePortForum.com

Port drinker and friends.

As many of you know, for ages and ages I’ve been writing a book, Port Vintages. As George Sandeman says, “This is the definitive reference book on old Vintage Port. Every book that comes after will rely on it.”

And — drum roll — it is now officially on sale! Please order at www.PortVintages.com.

A note about process. The book is not yet printed. Pre-orders are being gathered, and that’s how many will be printed. So it won’t be in bookshops; it’s going directly to out of print. Please order before it does. The plan is that Port Vintages will be delivered in December.

Please order at www.PortVintages.com.

Excellent, Julian - well done!

My order already in!

Superb! Huge congratulations. Order placed.

Congratulations!

Order placed.

A big congratulations to you Mr. Wiseman!

Hopefully you might venture back state side one of these days!

Looking forward to utilizing the book!

Congrats Julian. Order placed, a holiday present I am looking forward to receiving and using!!!! I agree with G-man about returning for a visit.
Unrelated great seeing sushinorth and gman this past weekend.

Horray, will spread the word on the continent.

Excellent news, and congratulations. Hope it sells well. My order placed.

My order also already in. But do I order a second copy, one which can be signed by the author...

Great news-Many congratulations! My order is now placed. Can I have it signed please

Congratulations on this feat!
Looking forward to it.

Signing? The books will be printed in Glasgow, and distributed from there. So not before arrival. But books brought to tastings can of course be signed. Decide in advance what you want written in the front.

People: please do market this to wine aficionados you know. I really want it to be owned and used by those with an interest in its subject: please help me reach them.

Woohoo. Ordered 2

This book sounds tremendous - I’ve ordered. Well done to the author.

Best part of this book is that i'm going to use it as a checklist and have my fellow port lovers signature bottles shared together!

AHB wrote: ↑13:11 Tue 04 Sep 2018 My order also already in. But do I order a second copy, one which can be signed by the author...

My dilemma as well...

Glenn E. wrote:

AHB wrote: ↑13:11 Tue 04 Sep 2018 My order also already in. But do I order a second copy, one which can be signed by the author...

My dilemma as well...

I ordered two so one I can read and one I can keep in new condition. With the hope that one day when I’m old I can pass it on to a deserving younger Port lover.


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jdaw1 wrote: ↑19:42 Tue 04 Sep 2018 Signing? The books will be printed in Glasgow, and distributed from there. So not before arrival. But books brought to tastings can of course be signed. Decide in advance what you want written in the front.

People: please do market this to wine aficionados you know. I really want it to be owned and used by those with an interest in its subject: please help me reach them.

I'll def. bring it to a tasting for signature and will post on social media

g-man wrote: ↑22:55 Tue 04 Sep 2018Best part of this book is that i'm going to use it as a checklist and have my fellow port lovers signature bottles shared together!

Great plan. Don’t forget to add the date drank.

Terrible plan. There is little chance of tasting a large fraction of the ≤1900 Ports in the book.

Constandia wrote: ↑09:56 Wed 05 Sep 2018and will post on social media

Please do, often and well. And please let me know where done. Thank you.

Could you create a stand-up cardboard mock-up of the cover or contents page and some blurb (plus a link to portvintages.com) and then ask if you could leave it in places like the B&F, Bar Douro on a notice board or the end of the bar?

Julian, Congratulation !

Two books ordered...

I think we should celebrate the launch of the book with an offline. I will choose a date and start a thread to that effect. Keep an eye on the events forum later this weekend...

AHB wrote: ↑22:20 Fri 07 Sep 2018 I think we should celebrate the launch of the book with an offline. I will choose a date and start a thread to that effect. Keep an eye on the events forum later this weekend...

Hopefully the offline will not be "ten years in the making"

Well done Julian - it's been a long time in the making..

Just had a look at the ordering page..

..what's the TPF discount code??

AHB wrote: ↑22:20 Fri 07 Sep 2018 I think we should celebrate the launch of the book with an offline. I will choose a date and start a thread to that effect. Keep an eye on the events forum later this weekend...

Perhaps just after everyone get's their copy so it could be a "Book signing by the Author" event as well. You could require each person getting it signed to give a glass of aged Port to the author and anyone who did any proof reading, supplied pictures or any other involvement, however slight.

Usual practice is to charge for signing.

Since when have I been bound by usual practice? No charge — just bring to the event a bottle of great Port and the book, and I’ll happily sign.

(My proper ink pen was cleaned and dried and put away about 22 years ago. It has been brought out of retirement, and will be used for signings.)

Ordered 3!

I have a group purchase to order, but am not sure that all interested have had the opportunity to respond. I leave for Portugal next Thursday.

Safe to wait to place the group order until at least Oct 3, or will orders have closed by then?

Glenn E. wrote: ↑00:53 Tue 11 Sep 2018Safe to wait to place the group order until at least Oct 3, or will orders have closed by then?

Safe.

I've just listened to the esteemed author on The UK Wine Show ThirtyFifty podcast where he talks about vintage port. Very entertaining and well worth a listen.

There's also a follow up podcast which I haven't listened to yet, where he talks about The Book.

AHB wrote: ↑09:28 Tue 16 Oct 2018 I've just listened to the esteemed author on The UK Wine Show ThirtyFifty podcast where he talks about vintage port. Very entertaining and well worth a listen.

There's also a follow up podcast which I haven't listened to yet, where he talks about The Book.

Both very good, very well worth a listen.

DaveRL wrote: ↑16:13 Wed 17 Oct 2018

AHB wrote: ↑09:28 Tue 16 Oct 2018 I've just listened to the esteemed author on The UK Wine Show ThirtyFifty podcast where he talks about vintage port. Very entertaining and well worth a listen.

There's also a follow up podcast which I haven't listened to yet, where he talks about The Book.

Both very good, very well worth a listen.

Yes, and Part 2 of their conversation is up as well.

SCP-DFF wrote: ↑16:25 Wed 17 Oct 2018

DaveRL wrote: ↑16:13 Wed 17 Oct 2018

AHB wrote: ↑09:28 Tue 16 Oct 2018 I've just listened to the esteemed author on The UK Wine Show ThirtyFifty podcast where he talks about vintage port. Very entertaining and well worth a listen.

There's also a follow up podcast which I haven't listened to yet, where he talks about The Book.

Both very good, very well worth a listen.

Yes, and Part 2 of their conversation is up as well.

I was slightly disappointed that neither episode featured the actual drinking of Port.

AHB wrote: ↑17:02 Wed 17 Oct 2018I was slightly disappointed that neither episode featured the actual drinking of Port.

I was the guest — it was worse for me!

Stock is running low, and sales are about to end. If you have, thank you. If you haven’t, then www.PortVintages.com.

The shop is closed. Supply is not quite exhausted (about 90% sold), but for the moment the shop is closed.

Cloth-bound books are set to arrive at the fulfilment company on Wednesday 28th November. Hence they are likely to be in the hands of UK readers early in the week beginning 3rd December; European and US readers later that week or early week of 10th December; and Australian readers not long after that.

Leather-bound books are likely to be ready in early January.

Notes to self: FTLOP thread; JancisRobinson.com thread.

The printer has sent me a picture of an unfolded hardback cover, which will be attached to the inside pages tomorrow (Tue 27th Nov).

Received from fulfilment company at about 4pm today (Wed 28^th Nov):
> Just to let you know, within the past hour we have took delivery of the books – 3 pallets.

Two copies were sent by the printer directly to my home, and it looks good. I’m confident you will be pleased. Reading it will take you several magnums.

Anyway, some of you are doubtless impatient for this pleasure. When your treasure arrives if you are able to post in this thread on ThePortForum (or, when it’s working again, on FTLOP), please help the others by posting to say when it arrived. Please also say approximately where you are in the world, and whether you are remotely rural or speedily urban.

Thank you.

An ambiguous message was been received from the fulfilment company, at about 4pm today = Fri 30^th Nov.

> Just to let you know, the job is ready for dispatch. I will have the bulks dispatched on Monday, so you should receive yours by Tuesday.

Given that fifty are being delivered to me, that might mean that the non-bulks have been shipped today. Have they? And how many books is “bulk”? I asked by email (no reply); I phoned (several times; phone not answered). Sigh. The ambiguity is not my fault, except in the sense that it came from my subcontractor. Sorry: I do understand that it irritating me does not help you.

So, when your book(s) arrive, if you are able to post in here on ThePortForum (or on FTLOP), please help the others by posting to say how many arrived, and when. Please also say approximately where you are in the world, and whether you are remotely rural or speedily urban.

Thank you.

Despite this, I’m confident you will be pleased. Reading it will take you several Imperials.

The author has confessed to finding an error in his copy of The Book. One error in 395,000 words.

I am deeply impressed and look forward enormously to receiving my copy. On Christmas Day I shall be ignoring the family and reading The Book.

Message received from the fulfilment company, at about noon today = Mon 3^rd Dec.

> The singles (1 copy) mailed on Friday and bulks (2 and above) are leaving from today. You will receive yours tomorrow. 10 boxes.

I know that a single ordered to London did not arrive today, but tomorrow, Tue 4th Dec, is surely quite likely.

As said before, please, when your book(s) arrive, if you are able to post here on ThePortForum (or on FTLOP), please help the others by posting to say how many arrived, and when. Please also say approximately where you are in the world, and whether you are remotely rural or speedily urban.

Thank you.

PS: the ‘advertising’ did say “Delivery expected before Christmas”; tomorrow is three weeks before that day.

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AHB wrote: ↑20:50 Sun 02 Dec 2018The author has confessed to finding an error in his copy of The Book. One error in 395,000 words.

On page 603: “There are pictures of other Wine Society labels: Warre 1934 on page 521; Cálem Quinta da Foz 1963 on page 19; Cálem Quinta da Foz 1966 on page 19; and Gould Campbell 1977 on page 193.”

Alas (feel my pain!) this omits a Cálem Quinta da Foz 1958 on p18. But page 18 is opposite p19, to which there is a pointer (twice — Cá63 and CáF66), so readers are no more than slightly disadvantaged.

jdaw1 wrote: ↑19:22 Mon 03 Dec 2018 Message received from the fulfilment company, at about noon today = Mon 3^rd Dec.

> The singles (1 copy) mailed on Friday and bulks (2 and above) are leaving from today. You will receive yours tomorrow. 10 boxes.

And have you?

Reports have been received of single books arriving in Cornwall, and in St Andrews. A bulk shipment of books arrived in South London. But a single that was ordered to be delivered to my office in central London did not come today (Tue 4^th Dec).

Make of that what you will.

Edit: also a single near Romford.

Two books arrived safely in Chesterfield this morning

My order for a single volume arrived this afternoon between 16.00 and 17.00 GMT.

It was delivered to me in Sanderstead, approx 10 miles south of Charing Cross in C London.
Some Sanderstead stats for those unfamiliar...

Population - 12,777 (2011 Ward)[1]
UK OS grid reference - TQ337613
London borough - Croydon
Ceremonial county - Greater London
Region - London
Country - England
Sovereign state - United Kingdom
Post town - SOUTH CROYDON
Postcode district - CR2

At first look it is just as impressive as I hoped and expected from the Author. I am very much looking forward to some quality quiet time to give it the attention it deserves.

I am, of course, more than happy to sign page 608 for anyone that wishes.

I had a UPS card for a missed delivery yesterday, so I anticipate picking up my delivery this afternoon.

My copy of The Book arrived here in speedily urban London today, and it looks very good indeed. I am most certainly not disappointed.

I picked up my copy this afternoon. I look forward to a long, long read.

Delicious review comment: “There is some truly useless information in there!”