Grtngs frm Holland! Port-passioneers, I'm in need of advice.

[Marci]

Hei everyone!


After browsing this website for what seems like hours, I must give you my compliments Roy, this website and the forum are very tidy and followed up by really kind, people.

If you are still reading this message you must already know that I am in the need of some help.


After a trip to Portugal, some years ago, when I was still living in Norway, I had my encounter with port wines and it stole my heart from the first sip :)

...I hope I don't sound too weird, it's not just because I'm a girl you see, I really enjoy port...even though I don't know much about it, just follow up some of the simple rules the lady at the wine store gave me after I bought about 15 bottles from her and smuggled them (the quote is 2liters) with me to Oslo :twisted:

Anyway, I'm currently living in Holland again. I'm invited to the birthday party of a friend of mine in Norway and I need some advice.

I'm planning to buy 3-4 bottles of port from the tax-free at Amsterdam Airport and take them with me to Oslo. My keywords are: red, dark, deep, fruity, cherry, not to sweet, tasty, wood, strong and not to forget several taste layers, I hate it when wine is flat and the taste and smell evaporates before you have swallowed it. I guess that this is also the main reason for my fascination with port, because of it's complexity

Finally, I'd also like to buy one bottle from 1982 (the year he was born), preferably with a sort of Norwegian cherry flavor (read: NOT BUBBLEGUM, but real cherry!!!), again not too sweet but with a solid taste.

My first 2 buys will be on Sunday and the other 2( incl. the 1985 wine) will be halfway June.


I hope that some of you will reply this message, though I am convinced (after all the browsing around) that you are kind to beginners


Hugs,
Marci

[Roy Hersh]

Hi Marci,

Welcome aboard and you are right. This will be the first of a million responses to you ... but that is because it has been THAT long since we have had a "girl" posting here. I don't know why more women don't join our Forum, as when I go to Port tastings in the USA and Canada ... women seem to really like the stuff.

I appreciate the kind things you say about the Forum, but I am just one of MANY people here and they deserve far more credit than me. Otherwise, I'd just be posting to myself.

Anyway, some specific responses for you. In 1982 there were some pretty bad Vintage Ports made. I can't even feel good about recommending the Quinta do Noval Nacional from that vintage. However, my favorite from '82 is VERY likely to be in your marketplace and that is the Niepoort. It is not a BIG or GREAT Vintage Port, however it is a very solid Port from a mostly disappointing vintage. Malvedos is also quite good but that should be much harder to come by, I would imagine. Beyond that, I can't say I have been impressed with ANY others I have tried. The only other two that were even decent were Quinta da Cavadinha and Offley (the latter was delicious but very spirity).

As to 1985, there are many good ones. Given your description and lots of time in the decanter, the Fonseca would be perfect although it is quite young but brash, delicious once it comes alive. The Graham's is a winner as is the Dow's and Burmester, Niepoort, Quinta do Noval Nacional, even the Warre is a nice bottle of Port.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and we hope you'll invite some of your friends, both male and female to join in the fun!

Best regards and enjoy your time spent on the website.

Roy

[Todd Pettinger]

Hi Marci,

I have very little advice for what to buy from '82 or '85. I have experience with neither year - Roy's notes are probably the best recommendations you will find!

I will, however, extend my welcome to you and hope to have you back posting regularly and letting us know how your port tasting turns out! (Yes, even "girls" are allowed!!! )

Todd

[Andy Velebil]

Hi Marci,

wlecome to the forum, its great to have you here.

Not sure what is available at the duty free store, but I've enjoyed the 1985 Warre, '85 Fonseca, and grahams. Some others that I recommend are 1977 gould Campbell, 1980 Warre, and of course if you want a really special bottle a 1970 FOnseca or Taylors.

What ever you end up getting, please let us know what you got and how they tasted. Hope to hear more from you again soon.

[Alex K.]

Welcome Marci. Can't help any more than Roy has done as far as the Ports are concerned.

However, you are not the only person living in the Netherlands on this site. I'm sure they will chime in soon and will be able to give you places to go to find the Ports that you want.

Living in Leiden I presume that you can get to Den Haag and Amsterdam quite easily. Steven Kooij will happily point you in the right direction.

[Marci]

Good morning guys

I thank you all (so far, Todd, Andy and Roy) for the warm welcoming and the tips!

Roy, I'd think that more women would be drinking port too, but I think that the answer might be more simple than we think, just as I had to stumble upon it, many have not done so yet. I believe that the french and Italian wines are so popular(not necessary because they are the best) and common here that they leave very little space for other wines. The "problem" with wine is that you don't just buy alcohol, you also buy a lot of flavour, specially when it comes to ports. And nowadays people sadly rather just have a lot of alcohol combined with as minimum taste to it as possible.

I've started storing bottles of port at friends places and not to mention my parents. I can't imagine a good evening with some friends without a nice wine and sadly I am most of the time the only one drinking from it...unless I try to make them have some, but I never manage to finish the bottle on my own.
So yes, I believe, in time, that I can convert some of them But I don't expect too much, they are mostly (still) the rose-type.

Of course this are my experiences with friends I know in Holland, up in Norway I always have someone to share it with

I will definitely tell people about http://www.fortheloveofport.com!

Todd, I will definitely keep you all posted and let you know how it went with the ports. I am afraid though that you have to wait until the second half of June.

And last but not least, Andy: I can only tell you that Amsterdam Airport has a huge tax free area and a big port department/corner. But I'll let you know how it was :)

Have a nice day,
Marci

[Alan C.]

Hi Marci,

And welcome.
Sounds like your trip should be fun if your taking a few bottles. My condolences go to you, (thats for when you find the bottle you really like, and your companions have the temerity to drink it as well!!!)

Alan

[Luc Gauthier]

Salut et bienvenue

Luc

[Alex K.]

Good morning guys

I thank you all (so far, Todd, Andy and Roy) for the warm welcoming and the tips!

It's alright, even my mother forgets about me sometimes

Roy, I'd think that more women would be drinking port too, but I think that the answer might be more simple than we think, just as I had to stumble upon it, many have not done so yet.

I know lots of women that drink Port - Port and Lemon, Port and Brandy and (really) Port and Pernod. I will not be allowing them access to my VP and Remy Martin XO Premier Cru.

I think we scared the last girl off and Lady Roots has been quiet recently. Hopefully the best port-palate in the Low Countries will return - Ronnie give her a kick.

I believe that the french and Italian wines are so popular(not necessary because they are the best) and common here that they leave very little space for other wines. The "problem" with wine is that you don't just buy alcohol, you also buy a lot of flavour, specially when it comes to ports. And nowadays people sadly rather just have a lot of alcohol combined with as minimum taste to it as possible.

This is so true. Not so long ago I was ordering wine for a number of people, including a requested "Dry White". I ordered a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which got the thumbs down for being "not dry enough" :? . What got the thumbs up was cheap Pinot Grigio. This was no drier, it just had no flavour, hence the misconception over dryness.

And last but not least, Andy: I can only tell you that Amsterdam Airport has a huge tax free area and a big port department/corner. But I'll let you know how it was :)

Have a nice day,
Marci

Sadly, the Schipol range is not that great and it is expensive.

[Al B.]

Marci,

I was just reading your first post - welcome to the forum - and was very interested to read that you were looking to buy port in Amsterdam airport which was

red, dark, deep, fruity, cherry, not to sweet, tasty, wood, strong and not to forget several taste layers

This made me think that perhaps the ideal wine to suggest would be a Traditional or Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port.

The Quinta do Noval 2000 and 2001 LBVs have been getting good reviews on this forum recently and if you can find some of those at the airport then this may be a good choice. Otherwise try any traditional LBV (there is still a little Warre Traditional LBV from 1994 and 1995 on offer in some places - this would also be very good).

And finally, a question. Did you make a mistake when you said your friend was born in 1982? Or did you mean that you would buy the 1982 Vintage Port in June? If you meant that you were going to buy the 1982 Vintage Port in June then I would strongly recommend that you use Winesearcher.com to search for the Niepoort 1982 in Holland to see if you can purchase a bottle quite easily.

Alex

[Alex K.]

Alex,

I don't think it was a mistake. I think that there maybe people born in the 80's that are now legitimately allowed to drink. Time moves on,

Alex

[Roy Hersh]

And here I thought there would be 40 posts welcoming Marci to the Forum! :wall:

[Ronald Wortel]

Hi and welcome Marci,

I agree with KillerB that the port department on Schiphol is not so good. You're better of buying something before in Amsterdam or The Hague. Another good option from 1982 would be the Taylor's Quinta da Terra Feita. I tried it recently and it was very good.

Some good shops:
- Wines & Whiskies in Delft
- Le Bouchon in The Hague
- Henri Bloem in The Hague
- Ton Overmars in Amsterdam
- Nederlands Wijnantiquariaat in Amsterdam
- Hans Jorissen in Leiden (not a shop, but you can order from the website and collect at his home, a great assortment of old ports.)

[Ronald Wortel]

Oh, and KilleB: I tried to persuade LadyR to participate more, but she's mostly terribly busy at work and doesn't really feel like sitting behind a computer screen again in the evening. I can sort of get into that...

[Alex K.]

I can understand that - been there myself. Her contributions are missed though.

[Moses Botbol]

I know lots of women that drink Port - Port and Lemon, Port and Brandy and (really) Port and Pernod. I will not be allowing them access to my VP and Remy Martin XO Premier Cru.

I know a girl whose father was a bit of a drinker you might say... His tipple of choice was port with cognac. When she found out my fondness of port, she was a little teary eyed describing the drink. He had big bucks and I was curious towards what kind of port and congac, but she was not too thrilled about getting into details. I was just thinking, "hmmm... port with a little turbo boost, not bad." That was the first time I had heard of that combo.

[Andy Velebil]

Her contributions are missed though.

Yes they are...so you just show her this thread and tell her to get back here ASAP :!:

[Roy Hersh]

Marci,

Are you still reading here? Don't leave so soon!

[Alex K.]

Oh dear, another one runs away. Maybe we came across as a bunch of weird, slightly obsessive geeks with an unhealthy interest in corks... can't think why :?

[Derek T.]

Great work guys

I intentionally didn't enter this thread until now because I hold myself personally responsible for chasing away the last female who dared enter the Forum with a rather witty "look out guys, it's a girl " comment.

Anyway, now I know I am not the only guy here who repels women

Derek