Lots of new faces ... please introduce yourself

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:22 am

Since the beginning of the New Year, we have had lots of fresh faces joining our ranks here at FTLOP. It would be nice to have them stop by this thread and introduce themselves. We've seen them posting on other threads, but so that we have a place to do the welcoming, please do so right here.

Don't be shy, let us know what got you interested in Port, how you found your way to this site or what is your all-time favorite bottle of Port. Anything you'd like to share, works just fine.

Thanks!

Post by **Glenn E.** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:09 am

Hello everyone!

My name is Glenn Elliott. I live about 5 minutes from Roy here in Sammamish, WA, and am pretty new to port. I'm a producer for cell phone games and I work in downtown Seattle.

My first bottle was given to me for my 40th birthday in 2004. It was a Porto Rocha 20-yr old tawny, and I really enjoyed it. That was my standard port for the next 2.5 years, but I did explore other tawnies of varying ages and also a few VPs.

This past June my wife and I went to France and Portugal to celebrate our 20th anniversary, and I was able to try a much wider variety of port while in Porto and Pinhao. My favorites there were a 20-yr old Quinta do Bom Retiro from Ramos Pinto and the Quinta de la Rosa Tawny (which is where we stayed in Pinhao). Since that trip I no longer really have a "standard" port that I drink regularly - though I did just order a case of the Bom Retiro which will last me a while.

I have been to a few port tastings and even met Fernando from Kopke at one of them. He recommended a couple of restaurants for us in Porto and they were fabulous. (You MUST eat at Tromba Rija in Gaia if you get the chance.)

All of my most memorable ports are Colheitas, and that's what now fills my (all too small in retrospect) wine fridge. I have several bottles of the 1977 Porto Rocha that is probably my single favorite Port. I have also collected all of the requisite birth year and graduation years.

And I have one bottle of 1982 Dow's Colheita that I first tasted at the Triple Door in Seattle and liked because of its exceptionally long apple-like finish.

My "wine vocabulary" is still pretty limited and I have a difficult time describing what I taste, but I know that will improve with time. A friend of mine sent me a link to Roy's recent interview, and that's how I found this site. I'm glad to be here!

*podvodnic · Post by *podvodnic » Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:25 pm

Hello! My name is Shannon and I live in San Jose, CA. My fiance (Dan) and I came across this site while researching what to do for our honeymoon. We knew we wanted to travel to Portugal, but we weren't sure the best way to do it. We have now signed up for the 2008 Harvest Tour!!

I had my first taste of port about 2 years ago. It was a 1963 Taylor Fladgate and I fell in love with it! Now we drink port on a regular basis. We still don't know much about it, but we know that we enjoy it!

Post by **Andy Velebil** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 11:40 pm

Shannon,

Welcome to FTLOP, I'm very happy you found us. This is a great group of people that is full of knowledge. I will be on the Harvest Trip in Sept/Oct, so I do hope to see you then. I've been on the past two trips and I can vouch that it will be the best Portugal trip you'll ever have. In the mean time, I do hope to get to know you and your fiance more. Thanks again for joining us.

Luc Gauthier · Post by **Luc Gauthier** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:43 am

Hi Shannon and Glenn , bienvenue !!
We answer questions , share knowledge and we decant . . .
Welcome aboard . :)

*JapyZelepex · Post by *JapyZelepex » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:08 am

Hello,
my name is Laimonas Gryva and I am from Vilnius, Lithuania. Lithuania is a country in Europe near the Baltic sea, having 3,5 million inhabitants.
I am an independent wine writer and consultant. Felt in love with wine some 15 years ago, when studying history in Vilnius University.
Wine consumption, including Port, is significantly increasing after Lithuania joined the EU in 2004. No wine is produced in Lithuania, except some sparklers made from wine, imported mostly from Moldova or Italy.
Not so many Ports here. We have wide assortment of Niepoort, Real Companhia Velha and Quinta do Portal. I think Lithuanians are in the way of discovering Port, so it will take some 5 years for Port to entrench in Lithuanian market. That's why I like to grab a bottle when beeing abroad or ask frinds to do so if they go for vacation or business trip.
Here are many Port gurus and I hope not only to listen and learn, but also to share my thoughts with other lovers.

Derek T. · Post by **Derek T.** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:34 am

Hi Laimonas,

Welcome to FTLOP.

If you ever travel to the UK please let me know. A few of my fellow port geeks and I have port tastings in London and other places quite frequently and would be delighted to have you join us.

Derek

Post by **Andy Velebil** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:41 pm

Welcome Laimonas,

Its great that you found us. This is a great group of people from all over the world. I look forward to reading future posts from you. Derek is right, wherever you travel to be sure to let us know. We have members all over the globe that love to meet up and share Port. That also goes for all the other members here. Again, Welcome to FTLOP.

*JapyZelepex · Post by *JapyZelepex » Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:05 am

If anybody will go to Lithuania, let me know also

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:41 pm

Glenn, Shannon and Laimonas,

It is a pleasure to have you here with us. I look forward to seeing your questions, answers, TNs and anything else you'd like to share here.

I think it is great to have someone here from Lithuania, the 65th country now involved either in the FTLOP Forum or receiving the newsletter! It makes the world just a little bit smaller to learn about the fact that there are Port lovers in your country and the specific houses that are represented there.

Again, welcome to all 3 of you!

Inge Carlén · Post by **Inge Carlén** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:26 pm

Hi! My name is Inge Carlén, and I live in Oslo, Norway. Currently I'm studying IT policy and law at the University of Oslo where I'm finishing my Bachelors degree this spring. I discovered the joy of port just last year, when a friend of mine introduced me to some LBVs. Since then I've been completely hooked, and Port and Madeira have become one of my top priority hobbies. I've recently started slowly building up a primitive wine "cellar," but since I lack an actual cellar I'm going to invest in a dedicated wine refrigerator come this summer.

I've enjoyed this site and the forum immensely so far - thanks to Roy and the others for a wonderful meeting place and community!

Nigel Cox · Post by **Nigel Cox** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 3:03 am

Hi

Im Nigel and introduced myself in another post.....just wanted to come on here and say as part of my Wset Diploma course we have a Port and Maderia Day tomorrow (wednesday) with Richard Mayson.Really looking forward to it and will repost to let people know how it went.Any hello`s or messages to pass on or any info that i might find interesting about him.

Good Tasings Guys
Nigel

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:44 pm

Please give Richard my best regards. You are in for a treat. He is an eloquent speaker and a brilliant historian, who just so happens to have a damn fine palate too. I last tasted with him in Nov. 2007 and it is always a pleasure.

If you really want to see him do a double take: ask him how he enjoys being a gentleman farmer. Seriously!

Although he admits to lurking here, we'll never get him to post.

Stephen HJ · Post by **Stephen HJ** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:37 pm

Hello, I'm Stephen.

New to Port, but find that I enjoy it as much as fine Scotch. Have not tasted any true Vintage ports yet, mostly Warre's Optimum (10-year).

Live in West Seattle, and will be taking SSCC's Wine Tasting classes this coming spring.

Great site, and plenty of info - I have been enjoying catching up a bit.

I'll probably mostly be a lurker for a while.

Quick question for Roy though: Have you done a tasting at Poggi Bonsi over in Burien in the last few months? Or was that another Port fellow?

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:01 am

Hi Stephen and welcome aboard. It was not me that taught that class, but probably either the writer for the Seattle PI or a brilliant Port mind who is an importer based in Bellevue.

I was all set to teach a class at your school last semester (just one night on Fortified wines) but the teacher canceled at the last minute. I never understood why she did that, but oh well.

Please don't feel that you must lurk to learn. Asking questions and posting ... especially in the Port tasting note section when you find something of interest there, is really a great way to speed up the learning curve.

Again, welcome to FTLOP.

*123 · Post by *123 » Tue Feb 12, 2008 7:37 pm

Hi! I'm Terrance, but T to my friends since 1970. I'm a fan of Malmsey, as well as other Madeiras and Ports, and am sure I will learn a lot here.

"T"

Post by **Andy Velebil** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:03 pm

Terrance,

Welcome to the forum, its great to have you here. I look forward to hearing more from you, especially in the Madeira Section (as it looks like you enjoy it quite a bit).

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:35 pm

Hey your name is so close to "Terrace" that you must like Port ... or maybe your parents did.

Great to have you join us. Thanks for your post on the NC Port tasting too! I am sure you'll enjoy the friendly folks over here too. None of the WS type nonsense, I promise!

*Neesmennatiom · Post by *Neesmennatiom » Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:48 pm

Hello everyone; this is Rob here and I live in the town of Richmond, Vermont which is about 15 minutes outside of Burlington.

I became interested in Port in a rather indirect way; partly through an interest in collecting antique decanters but also through mixology. I thought wouldn't it be nice to put something in the decanters instead of just having them filling my china cabinet. I work in hospitality and frequently ask one of our more well-travelled employees about spirits and fine wines; he recommended trying port several months ago.

Then an article appeared in Saveur magazine shortly after that. Fate gave me another nudge when embarassingly enough, I caught a snipet on the Food Network where one of the celebrity cooks was in Portugal and they endorsed samplings of port while over there. "Interesting..." I thought. My GM had lived in New Bedford before her current position and had told me interesting tales of the madiera festival that occurs there every summer; I had no idea that they were similar products.

Went out to dinner at a hip little bistro / wine bar last Friday night and was delighted to see port on their extensive wine list. I chose a Taylor Fladgate after dinner and was absolutely thrilled. Immediately on leaving the restaurant, I proceeded to a liquor store and picked up a Cockburn 10 year tawny to sample and I think the rest will be history. I was quite surprised at the selection and wish I had visited this site first before shopping...but it was a start. It sounds like there's a lot to learn; I look forward to picking up some other kinds of port and broadening my knowledge. This website has helped immensely; eventually I would love to attend a port tasting in a nearby city, or perhaps even host my own.

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 2:20 pm

Hi Rob,

Thanks for finding your way here. I am sure we all have lots to learn together. In addition to the FTLOP Forum, have a look in the Article Archives as well as the Port Tasting Note Forum. Both offer excellent opportunities to learn a ton about Port.

Very soon, there will be a place to upload your photos here and I am hoping you will put your collection of decanters which I would love to see, on the new area here.

Let us know if you need any help with buying decisions or anything else. I think you will find this area very user friendly, as well as informative!