ThePortForum.com

I shall be home alone in the first week of January as as it is the first days of the year in which I turn 40, I would like to start as I mean to go on with some (more) port!

Is anyone up for an informal TCP tasting, theme TBC? Have enabled re-voting so you can change your mind on date and make multiple votes! I can make every day at present.

Update:

Confirmed attendees: Benread, WS1, AHB, Christopher
Unconfirmed: DRT, JacobH

Venue: The Crusting Pipe - boardroom booked

This could be the first 4 day London Off-line

DRT wrote:This could be the first 4 day London Off-line

Not intended nor impossible!

If you add one more day we could call it "The First TPF Test"

We could burn a few corks from the first event, put them in a little urn and then repeat the event each year with the last man standing winning The Ashes

I'm up for it. I'm not sure which date suits me best, but for the moment I could make any of the suggested dates but with a slight preference for not Friday.

Any thoughts for a theme?

AHB wrote:Any thoughts for a theme?

Bring a bottle to celebrate Ben turning 40: Part 1 of 12?

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:Any thoughts for a theme?

Bring a bottle to celebrate Ben turning 40: Part 1 of 12?

I suspect Tom may not be able to join us but am not sure of his winter travel plans. Should he ba able to do so, it could be extended (I believe) to read:

...and UncleTom turning 50: part 1 of 12

I like the theme and have some bottles in mind!

You could all come over to the US -- we're drinking a little Dow at the beginning of Jan

Hi Ben,

sounds good; will be here in London as well. What about if we do a big Vesuvio comparison?

This should be as a theme elaborate enough.

On the other hand if you insist to have 1970 Ports to drink (understandable) I am sure I find something interesting as well.

regards

WS1

Date now proposed: Tuesday 5th January, based on general preference for Tuesday or Wednesday.

People who have expressed an interest so far:

Me!
DRT
AHB
WS1
...

That seems to be a quorum!

Have we confirmed that we will meet up on Tuesday 5th Jan at the TCP?

If it is the 4 of us meeting up, are we permitted to bring a guest? Any particular theme? How about Cheering Winter Port?

Guests are always welcome and Tuesday 5th January is a date!

Good news that we are confirmed, I am giving a training session in London on that Tuesday, so the date works out well for me.

Do we have a theme?

Given Ronnie's recent comments about the weakness of the 1985 vintage, would it be interesting to have a small tasting of that vintage? I could bring any one of Dow, Graham or Warre - all of which I quite enjoy.

If I'm coming, and that isn't yet likely as I have no reason to be in London that week as yet, I can bring a Martinez 85.

Unless quorum dictates otherwise, 1985 is not what I had in mind!

Hi Ben,

to follow Dereks suggestion i could add Martinez 1994 and 1967 (like this Port based on the 66/67 comparison tasting ). Or you rather prefer SWC 1970, Gould Campel 1970, Warre 1970, Noval 1970, Croft 1970, Dow 1970 or Fonseca 1970. These are the 70ties ports i have at my flat. From no other vintage i have so many different Ports and i continue to buy. I wonder why ))))))))

Leave the choice to you since I will turn 40 that year (unfortunately!!!) as well

regards

WS1

benread wrote:Unless quorum dictates otherwise, 1985 is not what I had in mind!

What did you have in mind? Surely not a 1970 horizontal?

Seriously, if you want to suggest 1970 as the theme, that would be fine by me so long as you are not going to get bored by the vintage over the next 12½ months.

It looks like we are only going to be 4 people (assuming DRT can find an excuse to be in London and I have rarely known him to fail when port is on offer!) so any theme needs to recognise that. WS1 and I are both entering our 40th birthday year so I would like to put a 1970 I have up against one of his for comparison. We could then, as suggested by AHB and DRT, put two 1985's up against each other. A sort of youth vs maturity theme!

Sounds good to me. Any preference as to which 1985 I bring?

AHB wrote:Any preference as to which 1985 I bring?

The one you most want to share with like minded friends! (No preference at all)

Is anyone else on Davys mailing list? I got a voucher in the post today for "2:1" meals but it is "one voucher per couple" and not on drinks!

In any event, I have taken the liberty of booking the boardroom at The Crusting Pipe from 6.30pm on Tuesday 5th January.

Placemats? You are four at the Youth versus Maturity: 1985 versus 1970 tasting. Each bringing what?

Please confirm that the placemats at www.jdawiseman.com/port/20100105.pdf are correct in all details.

Despite the fabulous placemats it is not looking likely that I will be in London on 5th January

benread wrote:People who have expressed an interest so far:

Me!
DRT
AHB
WS1

JGH?

jdaw1 wrote:Placemats? You are four at the Youth versus Maturity: 1985 versus 1970 tasting. Each bringing what?

jdaw1 wrote:Please confirm that the placemats at www.jdawiseman.com/port/20100105.pdf are correct in all details.

Updated, but still missing who is bringing what.

If I get there I will have a Martinez 85 with me.

jdaw1 wrote:Updated, but still missing who is bringing what.

This get-together is still over a week away. I have no idea what I will be bringing!

Christopher will be joining us. I have no idea what he will be bringing.

I, too, have a two for one meal voucher which I will bring with me.

If you want me to bring a 1970, please choose from: Cockburn, Dow, Fonseca, Graham, Martinez, Noval or Warre

If you don't want me to bring a 1970, then you are on pot luck and I will pull out whatever is next on death row - currently a Vesuvio 2007!

jdaw1 wrote:JGH?

Need to sort out my diary for January which I should be doing today or tomorrow. In the event that I am free; what should I bring? A ’70? An ’85? Something else?

The original plan was "Youth(1985) vs. Maturity(1970)" but I think it may end up as "bring a bottle to share". I shall be bringing a 1970 - just not sure which yet!

benread wrote:The original plan was "Youth(1985) vs. Maturity(1970)" but I think it may end up as "bring a bottle to share". I shall be bringing a 1970 - just not sure which yet!

I'm happy to bring a 1985. I have few, but choose from Dow, Graham or Warre.

There could end up with 6 of us at the tasting (although anyone else reading this who would like to join - please feel free to reply and invite yourself), which would make an obvious theme of Youth vs Maturity where we try to match the youths with the matures.

AHB wrote:There could end up with 6 of us at the tasting

Which six?

jdaw1 wrote:

AHB wrote:There could end up with 6 of us at the tasting

Which six?

These six: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3322#p30219

jdaw1 wrote:Please confirm that the placemats at www.jdawiseman.com/port/20100105.pdf are correct in all details.

Please, could we ensure that this particular colour scheme is first used when DRT is a confirmed attendee?

Updated www.jdawiseman.com/port/20100105.pdf.

• Title changed to ‟1985 or 1970: Bring a Bottle to Share”;
• Six people;
• Colour scheme softened.

jdaw1 wrote:Colour scheme softened.

Really?!!

JacobH wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:JGH?

Need to sort out my diary for January which I should be doing today or tomorrow. In the event that I am free; what should I bring? A ’70? An ’85? Something else?

Sorry, having checked, I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it. A shame as it’s a while since I’ve been to an informal gathering at the Crusting Pipe and was otherwise quite looking forward to it!

AHB wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:Colour scheme softened.

Really?!!

Yes. (Is it cached?) And JGH zapped.

I would love to attend but have to work.. ... unless of course this is an evening bash...can you confirm the time please...Cookie

Cookie. It is an evening event. Very informal. Meet from 6.30pm onwards. Details and theme all in thread. Ben

Updated www.jdawiseman.com/port/20100105.pdf.

• RC added.

Edit: then RC → RLC.

Hi,

I must say i like the colours of the placemates as well With regards to the Port I will bring on Tuesday evening, it will be a Croft 1970.

regards

WS1

The placemats are no longer coloured. Why are people seeing colours?

Any revelations other than Cr70?

jdaw1 wrote:The placemats are no longer coloured. Why are people seeing colours?

I am no longer seeing colours.

jdaw1 wrote:Any revelations other than Cr70?

Yes - I've got swine 'flu and it's effing vicious. Judging by how I have been over the last couple of days, I won't be in work next week let alone be in London sipping port.

Sorry Chaps, I'll have to take a rain check. Any thoughts on February?

jdaw1 wrote:
The placemats are no longer coloured. Why are people seeing colours?I am no longer seeing colours.

uups it looks I opened the wrong link; sadly the great colours are gone. You know i like the music end sixties/beginning seventies which corresponded to the original colours (Jefferson Airplane, Electric Prunes, Seeds, 13th floor Elevators, Canned Heat etc.)

Alex,

I wish you a speedy recovery; all the best.

Ben,

Cookie send me a private e-mail that he will come but I am not sure if we should go ahead since with Derek not certain coming we may end up only being 4 people. Also in case you want to continue I am still happy to come but may come a bit later @ ~7:00 PM (due to work )

regards

WS1

Wolfgang. Still in Belfast but still on for Tuesday if you and Cookie are. Ben

Hi Ben,

will be there.

cu on Tuesday

WS1

Alex,

is the event still in the schedule of the crustimg pipe? Is anything reserved etc.?

regards

WS1

Updated www.jdawiseman.com/port/20100105.pdf.

• ”“AHB (and get yourself well);
• ”“DRT;
• Aggressive kerning;
• Changed format, to encourage!;
• The revelation.

Those attending should agree who is to print the placemats. Choose somebody likely to be punctual. That chosen person should read the following instructions.

The Manual wrote:! print the mats using a toner printer.

• Ensure that ‟No automatic page scaling” (or equivalent) is checked in the print dialogue box. (Automatic page scaling can be very wrong, scaling to invisible and irrelevant artefacts in the PDF.)
• On some Konica Minolta printers, and perhaps others, checking ‟Choose paper size by PDF page size” means the output is very small, a mirror image, and on paper of the wrong size. This is not good. On other printers this setting can be useful experiment as necessary.
• If printing on a Mac from the Preview application, and perhaps also with other operating systems or applications, set the paper size to the ‟(borderless)” variant.
• Print single-sided obviously duplex wouldn’t work.
• Use toner not ink, as a single drop of wine or water causes ink to smudge. !
• Print onto brilliant white paper of the correct size !