The Art of Blending Tawny Port

[Roy Hersh]

Here is a fantastic article from Sarah Ahmed, who is an occasional participant and a brilliant writer:

http://www.thewinedetective.co.uk/regio ... ugal/1946/

So what do you think? Would you like to try blending a Tawny Port?

How did you like the article?

[Melanie R.]

I liked the article, especially that she included some things about how tawnies are blended by the producers (not just her own experience at the blending course). I think blending would be fun to try, but I think I would enjoy blending to attain something that's to my own taste rather than trying to come up with something that goes along with a certain style. That sounds like a tall order and something that must take a lot of practice/skill.

[Moses Botbol]

Blending it would be easy, replicating it year in and out would not be so easy at all.

[Roy Hersh]

Moses,

If you think blending it would be so very easy ... just ask Andy!

Seriously, we may give you a chance to do so during this year's Port Harvest Tour and you may have to eat your words. It is is superb skill learned over many years and is rather an art that not everyone can learn.

[Moses Botbol]

Moses,

If you think blending it would be so very easy ... just ask Andy!

Anyone can blend something, it's whether it is generally well recieved and whether you can repeat the same profile year after year is where the difficulty is.

I have a bottle of Dow 10 that I drank two glassses from. Last weekend, I had a bottle of '85 Ferreira with one glass left. I poured the Ferriera into the Dow and have now created my own blend.

[Roy Hersh]

Well, I guess if you count dumping remnants of one bottle into another as true blending ...

[Melanie R.]

Anyone can blend just like anyone can cook. But not everyone can make a perfect omelet (or a really great blended Port). It takes learning and practice. That was what I meant in my original post.

[Moses Botbol]

Well, I guess if you count dumping remnants of one bottle into another as true blending ...

17 Year Tawny now. Tastes fine to me.

[Glenn E.]

Anyone can blend just like anyone can cook. But not everyone can make a perfect omelet (or a really great blended Port). It takes learning and practice. That was what I meant in my original post.

Some people can bake, too.

[Eric Menchen]

Blending -> easy.
Blending such that the result is better than the sum of its parts -> difficult.
Blending from year to year to make something consistent and better than the sum of its parts -> extremely difficult.

[Andy Velebil]

Blending from the raw materials is not as easy as it sounds. Having done it a few times with single varietals to try and make a VP and with aged colheita's to make a 10 year old tawny I can assure you it is FAR from easy. A blend may be drinkable, but that doesn't mean it will be good.

Moses I hope you get a chance to try it in October and you'll see exactly how hard it really is. There is a reason why the Master Blender at a company is held in such high regard, it really is an art passed down over many years.

[Roy Hersh]

Andy's post: 99+ points.

The extra point will be awarded when this has had time to age.