Lots of new faces ... please introduce yourself

[Eric Menchen]

For all: Which producers do you think are most skilled at creating Colheitas?

Perhaps worthy of its own thread (Andy?), I'll throw out:
Kopke, Rocha, Weise & Krohn (now bought out by Taylor);
then maybe Neipoort?

[Andy Velebil]

For all: Which producers do you think are most skilled at creating Colheitas?

Perhaps worthy of its own thread (Andy?)

Done see this thread http://www.fortheloveofport.com/ftlopfo ... =1&t=38526

[Roy Hersh]

Will add my two cents to that great thread, in time. Letting others have their say first.

Glad to see some rejuvenated interest and new faces in the room!

[A dschus]

Hello everyone. I'm Alex from just outside Chicago. I'm very new to Port. I've decided to expand my palate with Port, coming from Beer (think lambics, which has similar properties to Wine) and bourbon. Looking forward to continued wisdom and fun, that I've received thus far in my limited partaking.

[Glenn E.]

Hello everyone. I'm Alex from just outside Chicago. I'm very new to Port. I've decided to expand my palate with Port, coming from Beer (think lambics, which has similar properties to Wine) and bourbon. Looking forward to continued wisdom and fun, that I've received thus far in my limited partaking.

Welcome, Alex!



We have a few beer fans on the forum, including one who has a beer being sold by a craft brewer in Colorado. I think you'll fit right in!

[Andy Velebil]

Hello everyone. I'm Alex from just outside Chicago. I'm very new to Port. I've decided to expand my palate with Port, coming from Beer (think lambics, which has similar properties to Wine) and bourbon. Looking forward to continued wisdom and fun, that I've received thus far in my limited partaking.

Alex,

Glad you joined us and thanks for the introduction. We'll be glad to help out with your partaking.

[Scheiny S]

i'm new to this site and forum. i was introduced to Sandeman Founder's Reserve four or five years ago and have been drinking it and Fonseca bin 27 somewhat regularly since then. i've tried Googling those specific ports and port in general every few months through that whole time and never came up with anything useful. i found Wikipedia and dictionary definitions of port and reviews that weren't very informative. i Googled again last week and saw this website for the first time. i'm reluctant to join forums, but just the FAQ answered so many questions i've had for years that i figured i had better sign up! here is the story of how i started drinking port, it has some ups and downs, i hope it isn't too long winded:

when my friends and i turned 21 we started having wine and cheese parties, though none of us knew anything about wine or cheese. we did these every two months for two years. we were all in college and i was the only one with a job, so i always did the shopping and everyone paid me back. our rule was to keep bottles under $10, maybe up to $12 or $13 if something seemed special. i always asked for requests but folks rarely had any, so the spread was pretty much my choice every time.
after about a year and a half i decided it was time to try port. our parties had been getting bigger, sometimes with forty people cycling in and out over the course of the evening, so i got the big $15 jug of something. i ended up hating it, it only tasted liker raisins, and at 22 i was scared away from port for years.

when i was 25 a friend and i got a Groupon to a tapas and wine bar. we decided to split their port flight. there were four or five but the only one i remember is Fonseca bin 27 because it was the only one i liked. we never got a bottle for ourselves, though, and i never saw port on the menu at any other restaraunt i went to [that place was above our usual price range, hence the Groupon].

when i was 27 or 28 i was at a party some friends threw because their favorite professor who had moved abroad was visiting. i told him they had introduced me to a brandy he had introduced them to and that it was my favorite spirit. [Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva] somehow port came up and i mentioned i'd had one terrible experience and one mediocre experience, save loving bin 27, and asked for a recommendation. we went across the street to the liquor store and got a bottle of Sandeman Founder's Reserve and i was hooked.

those are the only two that are usually in liquor stores here, except those awful jugs, unless one goes to a store with a specialty section.

i introduced my boyfriend of the last year to them and together we've tried maybe a dozen other bottles. all rubies or reserves [this website is the first resource i've seen that has explained that reserves are made from rubies! i've wondered!] except Sandeman Tawny and two bottles i've received as gifts, Fonseca LBV Unfiltered 2008 and Heredias 1999 Vintage, the latter has a sticker that says "Wine 2003 Silver". we would both rather drink Founder's Reserve or bin 27 than any other we've had. Founder's Reserve is his favorite while bin 27 is mine, and we both think the other's favorite is sweeter, so one of us is off [probably me as he's taken beer tasting classes seriously enough he could certify if he wanted to].
Feuerheerd's Reserve Ruby goes on sale fairly often, but it has a roughness or bite that i don't appreciate.
Dow's Boardroom Reserve Tawny is the most expensive bottle we've tried. here it's $24 or $25 as opposed to Founder's and bin 27 which are $19. we found it thin and too sweet, i might like it better if it had more body. i sometimes use a few ounces with butter and sugar to make a syrup for waffles.
i think Warre's Warrior tastes almost exactly like Founder's Reserve, but i prefer the latter. boyfriend disagrees. one evening i poured him a glass,challenging him to guess what it was and he thought it was Sandeman.
i had Noval Black at a tasting at the liquor store this winter and didn't like it at all. i've noticed in the last year it's taken the place on shelves usually occupied by bin 27, which is now hard to find.

while i can't buy the better bottles yet, i'm really excited to read things here and to maybe look up tastings, which had never occurred to me before!

[Andy Velebil]

Hi Scheiny
First, let me welcome you to the Forum, great to have you join us

A wonderful introduction. Many of us also cut our Port teeth on the same Ports you mentioned, in fact Bin 27 has been my "house Port" for the past year or so as I picked up several cases of 1/2 bottles for very cheap. So even though I drink other older more expensive things, I also still enjoy a good Ruby Reserve as well. Don't hesitate to ask a question here, this is a very helpful group.

Look forward to your participation here.

[John M.]

Hi Scheiny;

Welcome to FTLOP. Being from PA myself I am familiar with dealing with State Stores. Try searching their website under Wine Type: Port (Imported) : https://www.lcbapps.lcb.state.pa.us/web ... _Inter.asp

You and your boyfriend appear to like Reserve Rubies....FTLOP had a Taste-Off a couple of years ago and Taylor First Estate was the universal winner. I'd search that out....or a Late Bottle Vintage (LBV). Dows is often a good place to start (not expensive and usually decent)---it is filtered, so no aging potential.

Please keep posting, you'll gets lots of encouragement here and free--and great-- advice.

[Glenn E.]

Hi Scheiny,



Glad you found us! That's a great introduction and hopefully you'll find some kindred spirits and useful information here on FTLOP. There are a lot of Port geeks here from all across the nation and around the world.

[Bert VD]

i just noticed that i never introduced myself here. so i'll do it now.

i'm Bert, i live in Belgium (Flanders) and i'm 29. i've been drinking wine and beer for a long time (beer since i was 15 i think) and almost daily. but never too much. started drinking port when i was in Porto for work in 2011.
my work is technical theatre, scenography, light design, photography and teaching. so i travel a lot. mostly in western Europe and sometimes a bit further. my hobbies became my work and overpower everything else in my life right now. i will never get rich doing it but i love it.
when i am interested in something i want to know everything. this includes port.

that should do it

[A dschus]

i just noticed that i never introduced myself here. so i'll do it now.

i'm Bert, i live in Belgium (Flanders) and i'm 29. i've been drinking wine and beer for a long time (beer since i was 15 i think) and almost daily. but never too much. started drinking port when i was in Porto for work in 2011.
my work is technical theatre, scenography, light design, photography and teaching. so i travel a lot. mostly in western Europe and sometimes a bit further. my hobbies became my work and overpower everything else in my life right now. i will never get rich doing it but i love it.
when i am interested in something i want to know everything. this includes port.

that should do it

Welcome Bert!

Appreciate your intro. I've discovered port after half a decade drinking lambics and flanders reds. I still have a large lambic cellar but my port cellar within the past month has grown rapidly.

Your part I highlighted above is something I definitely relate to. Cheers!

[Glenn E.]

Welcome, Bert! Glad to have you here with us!

[Andy Velebil]

i just noticed that i never introduced myself here. so i'll do it now.

i'm Bert, i live in Belgium (Flanders) and i'm 29. i've been drinking wine and beer for a long time (beer since i was 15 i think) and almost daily. but never too much. started drinking port when i was in Porto for work in 2011.
my work is technical theatre, scenography, light design, photography and teaching. so i travel a lot. mostly in western Europe and sometimes a bit further. my hobbies became my work and overpower everything else in my life right now. i will never get rich doing it but i love it.
when i am interested in something i want to know everything. this includes port.

that should do it

Thanks for the intro!

[Andy Goatie]

Hi everyone, just found this site when im googling around the net last week. I first drank my very firstport about 4 years ago. My boss invite me to this monthly "Port Club" in our local country club that he been joined since the 90's, and got hooked since then and join the club as well.

Little bit background about this port club, this club been around since the 70s, they meet monthly to have dinner and some grog. Once in two year, one of the original member of the club made a roster. Every month, two of the club member have to host the port club. Usually one responsible to organize the meal (speak to the chef what menu we are going to have for the night), and the other one organized 4 different bottle of port to share between us. The port have to be wrapped up in paper so people can't tell their label. After each tasting we have to score (1-10) based on the taste.

The next port club in November is my turn to provide for the port, hence why i've been googling and stumble upon this forum. I live down under in Canberra. If there any member of this forum in Canberra or in Australia, very keen to learn a thing or two about port

Regards

Andy.

[Andy Velebil]

Hi everyone, just found this site when im googling around the net last week. I first drank my very firstport about 4 years ago. My boss invite me to this monthly "Port Club" in our local country club that he been joined since the 90's, and got hooked since then and join the club as well.

Little bit background about this port club, this club been around since the 70s, they meet monthly to have dinner and some grog. Once in two year, one of the original member of the club made a roster. Every month, two of the club member have to host the port club. Usually one responsible to organize the meal (speak to the chef what menu we are going to have for the night), and the other one organized 4 different bottle of port to share between us. The port have to be wrapped up in paper so people can't tell their label. After each tasting we have to score (1-10) based on the taste.

The next port club in November is my turn to provide for the port, hence why i've been googling and stumble upon this forum. I live down under in Canberra. If there any member of this forum in Canberra or in Australia, very keen to learn a thing or two about port

Regards

Andy.

Hi Andy,
Thank you for the introduction. A Port Club is fantastic and I wish there was something similar near my.

[Glenn E.]

I agree - I'd love to have a Port club here in the Seattle area!

[Eric Menchen]

Welcome Scheiny! I don't know about Pittsburgh in particular, but I lived in Philly many years ago and recall wine choices not being that great. We used to head over to NJ to stock up for a party, and there are lots of options there. Unfortunately that's a little further for you. Reserve rubies are fine drinking, and everyone has favorites around here. Personally I don't put Fonseca Bin 27 on that list, but I'm happy to debate the issue with another bottle to compare to.

Welcome Bert! Except for maybe consuming too much in an evening, I don't think you can go wrong liking beer and Port. I brew beer, even a lambic style or two upon occasion, but still love to drink Port and beer both. Living just north of you in the Netherlands is where I came to love beer. Today I'm in the midst of beer explosion land. Port drinkers are harder to find in my parts.

Welcome Andy Goatie! While I used to live near Scheiny and Bert, I've got nothing for Canberra--sorry. I know there are a few other members of this board from Australia, however, and perhaps one of them will chime in. As I recall, real Port is rather expensive and hard to find there. But the Australian stickies I've had, while not the same, are enjoyable in their own right. Happy hunting and good luck to you.

[A dschus]

I brew beer, even a lambic style or two upon occasion, but still love to drink Port and beer both.

Are you a home brewer or professional? If professional, who do you brew for?

[Eric Menchen]

Are you a home brewer or professional? If professional, who do you brew for?

I am a homebrewer, but have brewed with commercial breweries on occasion. My first semi-pro venture was making a cherry lambic with Odell Brewing (Ft. Collins), which became Friek. I brewed with a few other friends with Caution: Brewing (Denver) to make an export-style stout that we aged in wine barrels. Coincidentally, it was on the same brewing system I used at Odell. Odell replaced their pilot system and eventually Caution bought it to be their primary system at the time. Finally, I brewed a Belgian golden strong ale with a group that we aged in a soured wine barrel; and that beer was subsequently made at The Pumphouse (Longmont), although I didn't actively take part in the commercial brewing of that one.