Top 3 essential books on port?

[Andreas Nielsen]

Like many of you I'm currently reading Ben Howkins' book "Real men drink port".


I have been drinking port for about a year and this is my first book on port. Since I want to know and learn more I was hoping that you could help me with to top3 of essential books on port.


Happy new year's


Andreas

[Derek T.]

Hi Andreas,

Here is a list of the books I own on Port. I have highlighted the ones I think you should buy first in red...

1. A Treatise on the Wines of Portugal, John Croft (1788)
2. An Essay on Wines, Especially on Port Wine, John Wright (1795)
3. The Oliveira Prize-Essay on Portugal, Joseph James Forrester (1853)
4. Facts about Port and Madeira, Henry Vizetelly (1880)
5. Oporto, Old and New, Charles Sellers (1899)
6. Practical Handbook on Port Wine, Geoffrey Murat Tait (1925)
7. Port: How to Buy, Serve, Store, and Drink it, William J. Todd (1926)
8. A Centenary in Retrospect: Cockburn & Campbell 1831-1931, Cockburn, Campbell Ltd. (1931)
9. Port (Constable's Wine Library), Andre L. Simon (1934)
10. Port: From the Vine to the Glass, Geoffrey Murat Tait (1936)
11. Let's Talk About Port, Joao do Carmo Valente-Perfeito (1948)
12. Port Wine and Oporto, Ernest Cockburn (1949)
13. Port (Wines of the World Pocket Library), Andre L. Simon (1949)
14. Sherry and Port, Herbert Warner Allen (1952)
15. Port And Sherry: The Story Of Two Fine Wines, George G. Sandeman Sons (1955)
16. The House of Sandeman: A Story of Fine Wines and Spirits, George G. Sandeman Sons (1955)
17. The Wine of the Douro, Hector Bolitho (1956)
18. A Few Words About Port, Jose Joaquim da Costa Lima (1956)
19. Port, Rupert Croft-Cooke (1957)
20. The Englishman's Wine: The Story of Port, Sarah Bradford (1969)
21. The House of Warre: a Three Hundred Year Old Tradition 1670-1970, Cyril Ray (1970)
22. The British Factory Oporto, Elaine Sanceau (1970)
23. Port, George Robertson (1978)
24. Croft: A Journey of Confidence, 1678-1978, Oliver Knox (1978)
25. Port: An Introduction to Its History and Delights, Wyndham Fletcher (1978)
26. The Factory House at Oporto: Account of the Port Wine Trade, John Delaforce (1979)
27. Port Wine: Notes on its History, Production and Technology, A. Moreira da, Fonseca, A.Galhano, E. Serpa Pimentel and J.R.-P. Rosas (1981)
28. Rich, Rare and Red: A Guide to Port, Ben Howkins (1982)
29. Port: An Essential Guide To The Classic Drink, Andrew Jefford (1988)
30. Vintage Port, James Suckling (1990)
31. A Celebration of Taylor's Port, Taylor Fladgate (1992)
32. Port Wine Quintas of the Douro, Alex Liddell, Janet Price (1992)
33. A Guide to the Douro and to Port Wine, Manuel Carvalho (1995)
34. Port to Port, Lisa Linder, Susan Ward Davies (1996)
35. The Port Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide, Godfrey Spence (1997)
36. The Story of Dow's Port 1798-1998, Richard Mayson (1998)
37. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and the English Merchants in Portugal, 1654-1810, L.M.E. Shaw (1998)
38. Vintage Port, Gaspar Martins Pereira and João Nicolau de Almeida (1999)
39. Port, Henrik Oldenburg (1999)
40. Vintages of the Century: Tasting Catalogue, Instituto Do Vinho Do Porto (1999)
41. Port and the Douro, Richard Mayson (1999)
42. Wine Lover's Guide To Port, the Inside Story of a Unique Fortified Wine, Joao Paulo Martins (2001)
43. A Century of Vintage Port, Serena Sutcliffe (2002)
44. A Life in the Port Trade, James Symington (2007)
45. Croft Port, The Fladgate Partnership (2008)
46. Real Men Drink Port, Ben Howkins (2011)

I think Mayson's book is the best of the three I have highlighted, but Spence's book is an excellent beginners guide and Oldenburg's book is available in English (Port) and Danish (Portvin).

The dates in the list are (or should be) the year of first publication so later editions might be available.

Happy reading

Derek

[Glenn E.]

I'll second the recommendation for Port and the Douro by Richard Mayson. That was the first book I ever read about Port and it is still my favorite.

[Michael Hann]

I like Mayson's book a lot and have read it twice. It is my only Port book, so I suppose saying that it is my favorite Port book would be rather tautological. I have ordered a used copy of "The Port Companion" based on Derek's recommendation. I recently ordered a copy of the new book "Real Men Drink Port . . . and Ladies Do Too!" to be shipped to a friend and am looking forward to hearing his comments on it.

[Andreas Nielsen]

Hi Andreas,

Here is a list of the books I own on Port. I have highlighted the ones I think you should buy first in red...

I think Mayson's book is the best of the three I have highlighted, but Spence's book is an excellent beginners guide and Oldenburg's book is available in English (Port) and Danish (Portvin).

The dates in the list are (or should be) the year of first publication so later editions might be available.

Happy reading

Derek

Thank you Derek for that impressive "shopping list". Lots of great books for 2012.

Andreas

[Anders]

Hi Andreas

Do you know the Danish book by Henrik Oldenburg "Portvin"
I have made a list for Danish books about port

Let me know if you are interested

[Andreas Nielsen]

Hi Andreas

Do you know the Danish book by Henrik Oldenburg "Portvin"
I have made a list for Danish books about port

Let me know if you are interested

Hi Anders

I would be very interested in your "Danish" list on port literature.

Thanks

Andreas

[Roy Hersh]

I have been a HUGE fan of the Oldenburg book since the day it was released. I've read it over and over and really like the way it was put together. A great read from a very unique point of view. Thorough and accurate, although like any book that is 10 years old, it is becoming slightly dated. The same can be said for Port & the Douro, which is also outstanding. Although many of us look at the glacial changes that take place in a traditional region like the Douro ... the past 20 years has seen a whirlwind of activity and changes ... which tends to surpass any authors ability to keep current. Maybe that is why I have avoided books while writing hundreds of pages re: Port online every year.

[Eric Menchen]

[L]ike any book that is 10 years old, it is becoming slightly dated. The same can be said for Port & the Douro, which is also outstanding.

I have the revised and updated version of Mason which is from 2006, so not terribly old. But right now I am reading the chapter about all the companies which is slightly outdated by sales and buyouts of the last five years.

[Richard Henderson]

It proabably classifies as pulp fiction on this board, but our first book on the topic was James SUckling's Vintage Port. Yes, it was put out by Wine Speculator but it is an easy read, good photos, vintage charts etc. i still consult it from time to time. It is a consumer friendly book. I still subscribe to the magazine, knowing its shortcomings. The writing is usually good, photos stunning. I take their ratings and recs with a grain of salt, but there are often good buys there.

[Derek T.]

Since this thread began I have published details of the Port and Wine books that I own on www.BooksAboutPort.com, which Roy very kindly announced in his January Newsletter.

I have updated the site today with around 50 newly acquired books, 15 of which are books on Port, plus lots more reviews of the books I own.

Happy reading!

Derek

[Tom Archer]

Although it only has one chapter on Port, Michael Broadbent's Vintage Wine is a very useful source of old tasting notes.

Richard Mayson's book has always been my favourite however (and we must keep nagging him to get the third edition out... )

[Derek T.]

+1 +1

[Roy Hersh]

+2 +2 - Broadbent has always been a serious lover of Port wine and his writing style will never be duplicated. Love reading his notes!


As to Richard's comments on Suckling's book, I don't think that the WS having been "involved" had any negative impetus whatsoever. James spent a lot of time researching and tasting widely throughout Gaia and the Douro. Lots of respect for him when he authored that book. Tons of work and although it has been outdated for years now, it is still a great read. I've learned more from that book (back in the day) than any other. Much of the information now is best used as a historical reference. The fact that some retail shops and online retailers still use 23 year old tasting notes, as if they were current scores from JS is particularly amusing, but that shows how powerful Suckling's influence and scores have remained.

[Lamont Huxley]

I second the recommendations for The Port Companion as well as Port and the Douro. I first got into Port in '96 and The Port Companion was the first book I found on Port. I must have read through it a hundred times, it was like my Port bible and also my reference for learning how to write a tasting note. Port and the Douro is great as well - doesn't have the eye candy factor of The Port Companion but it's an excellent source of information.

[Richard Henderson]

Good to hear that SUckling's book is respected. I also have Derek's number 28, Rich, Rare and Red by Ben Howkin's. The black and white photos are quite nice especailly one of a young woman harvesting grapes.

[Andy Velebil]

Good to hear that SUckling's book is respected. I also have Derek's number 28, Rich, Rare and Red by Ben Howkin's. The black and white photos are quite nice especailly one of a young woman harvesting grapes.

Richard,
Suckling's book is still very relevant for some things, as pointed out, but it is woefully outdated in other areas. But that also gives it a good book to have for historical references on who owned what, made what, worked at, etc.

[Stewart T.]

Hey Derek -

Top "3" books on Port, not top "46"

Seriously - thanks for the list - definitely some I'd never heard of there.

Wish I would have seen your list BEFORE taking vacation this week - would have made for some great "cabin" reading!

st

[Richard Henderson]

I admit that all of my wine library is old and maybe out of date. There is no need to buy any new port (or is that Port ) books because I get all of the information I need on this board.