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Given the conditions we are having in the UK (South East at least) today, what is your perfect port for a day like today? I may need to decant something to warm us up later this evening!

Is today a day to open something young ish perhaps?

Small prize to anyone who can suggest something suitable that I actually have available!

(Note to AHB: Did you manage to make it into work on your first day post unemployment?!)

In weather like that, you might want to go for 'comfort port'. Nothing too fancy, but something that'll guarantee to warm you up. I believe uncle tom calls these 'fireplace ports'.

The best example would perhaps be Morgan 1991, but other options include Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha 1995 or perhaps Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas 1991.

Is that of any help?

I would have gone with the Morgan 1991 too and a Taylors QdV from the 90's and I am also partial to a Fonseca Guimarens from the 90's.

1970 Ferreira Vintage Port, or probably any Ferreira for that matter. I've had the 1960, 1970, and 1977 and every one of them has struck me as the perfect Port to sip by the fire on blustery and cold winter's day.

1994 Ramos or Graham

I had a glass of ‟Vintage Character” (wasn’t that description banned by the IVDP?) port from an unknown shipper at lunch which certainly did the trick in fortifying me for the 3.5 mile walk back in the snow. I’m still at a loss as to why 6" of snow results in the entire transportation system in London disintegrating!

JacobH wrote:I’m still at a loss as to why 6" of snow results in the entire transportation system in London disintegrating!

Probably for the same reason that it causes the entire city of Seattle to shut down.

I grew up in a small town in NE Nebraska. We had 7-8 snowplows, 3 or 4 or those big construction site-style front-loaders, and even an old US Army 6x6 2.5 ton truck (colloquially called a deuce-and-a-half) with a giant V-plow on the front. By 3:00 am on nights when there was a blizzard, the snowplows were out and the town was busily making big piles of the annoying white stuff. By morning, all the kids were routinely disappointed to learn that no, there would not be a snow day today, and yes you still had to walk to school with 6-8 feet of snow everywhere except on the road.

Flash forward 30 years...

This year when Seattle got 8-12" of snow around Christmas, the entire city shut down. Our honorable Mayor went on TV to explain that Seattle's road crew had been out valliantly trying to keep the roads clear for the citizens of Seattle during the entire storm. He said that Seattle had upgraded it fleet of snowplow-capable trucks this year, so digging out would not take as long as it did during the big storm in 1997 and we should be patient.

Seattle has a population in the vicinity of 3.5 million, as I recall. The newly upgraded fleet of snowplow-capable trucks? 24. Roughly double the fleet of Wayne, NE, population 5280.

How many snowplows does London have?

Glenn E. wrote:

JacobH wrote:I’m still at a loss as to why 6" of snow results in the entire transportation system in London disintegrating!

Probably for the same reason that it causes the entire city of Seattle to shut down.

I grew up in a small town in NE Nebraska. We had 7-8 snowplows, 3 or 4 or those big construction site-style front-loaders, and even an old US Army 6x6 2.5 ton truck (colloquially called a deuce-and-a-half) with a giant V-plow on the front. By 3:00 am on nights when there was a blizzard, the snowplows were out and the town was busily making big piles of the annoying white stuff. By morning, all the kids were routinely disappointed to learn that no, there would not be a snow day today, and yes you still had to walk to school with 6-8 feet of snow everywhere except on the road.

Flash forward 30 years...

This year when Seattle got 8-12" of snow around Christmas, the entire city shut down. Our honorable Mayor went on TV to explain that Seattle's road crew had been out valliantly trying to keep the roads clear for the citizens of Seattle during the entire storm. He said that Seattle had upgraded it fleet of snowplow-capable trucks this year, so digging out would not take as long as it did during the big storm in 1997 and we should be patient.

Seattle has a population in the vicinity of 3.5 million, as I recall. The newly upgraded fleet of snowplow-capable trucks? 24. Roughly double the fleet of Wayne, NE, population 5280.

How many snowplows does London have?

Probably none Today’s snow-fall is probably as bad as it gets and, at about 6", all you need to do is grit the roads properly to get it to dissipate. The problem is that something like this happens pretty rarely so there just isn’t the money to get enough gritters out. Their main use is just to do black-spots for ice when it gets really cold.

I can understand there being trouble with the trains and the Tube when in the snow; although I have a bit more sympathy for the later rather than the former (as the Tube works on a four-rail system which requires good contact with the rails, making overground sections a problem in the winter). What completely defeats me was the decision to stop all the bus services. By mid-day most roads were clear and the buses should, surely, be the most robust form of public transport.

Of course, there are something like 14 million of us trying to live in this city...

had a F 77 =) mmmmmmm nicely drunk now

Glenn E. wrote:

JacobH wrote:I’m still at a loss as to why 6" of snow results in the entire transportation system in London disintegrating!

Probably for the same reason that it causes the entire city of Seattle to shut down.

I grew up in a small town in NE Nebraska. We had 7-8 snowplows, 3 or 4 or those big construction site-style front-loaders, and even an old US Army 6x6 2.5 ton truck (colloquially called a deuce-and-a-half) with a giant V-plow on the front. By 3:00 am on nights when there was a blizzard, the snowplows were out and the town was busily making big piles of the annoying white stuff. By morning, all the kids were routinely disappointed to learn that no, there would not be a snow day today, and yes you still had to walk to school with 6-8 feet of snow everywhere except on the road.

Flash forward 30 years...

This year when Seattle got 8-12" of snow around Christmas, the entire city shut down. Our honorable Mayor went on TV to explain that Seattle's road crew had been out valliantly trying to keep the roads clear for the citizens of Seattle during the entire storm. He said that Seattle had upgraded it fleet of snowplow-capable trucks this year, so digging out would not take as long as it did during the big storm in 1997 and we should be patient.

Seattle has a population in the vicinity of 3.5 million, as I recall. The newly upgraded fleet of snowplow-capable trucks? 24. Roughly double the fleet of Wayne, NE, population 5280.

How many snowplows does London have?

I saw one day before yesterday in SW London, had to explain it to my 4 year old since I couldn't ever remember seeing one before...

benread wrote:Given the conditions we are having in the UK (South East at least) today, what is your perfect port for a day like today? I may need to decant something to warm us up later this evening!

Is today a day to open something young ish perhaps?

Small prize to anyone who can suggest something suitable that I actually have available!

(Note to AHB: Did you manage to make it into work on your first day post unemployment?!)

Just catching up now with posts, with a nice glass of Cockburn '83 in hand. Not a port I would recommend unless very cheap since it is almost certainly going to be TCA tainted.

I did make it into work on my first day - one of the advantages of working only 5 miles from home. If the car hadn't made it then I would have walked. Luckily, we have undercover parking in my new job.

I feel your pain about the weather. Here in L.A. it's been raining for the past 4 days and its suppost to rain for a few more. I live here for a reason...the sunshine, and darn it I want it back Since yesterday was my "work friday" when I got home I opened a 1997 Quinta do Crasto VP to lift my sprirts