Madeira Tasting in San Francisco - May 17-19, 2013

[Andy Velebil]

I've changed the title of this thread to account for the tentative May 2013 date. Just so people are clear when it's being planned for.

[Jim R.]

Being local (enough) but not that experienced with Madeira, I would be interested as well. Have time and can help with logistics if desired.

[Llyn Strelau]

I am planning to attend. Should be able to get a reasonable flight from Calgary.
Just returned from a week on Madeira (first visit). What a wonderful place.
Brought back some good bottles so will have something to bring to the tasting.
Will there be a theme?

[Mark L]

May 2013 is great with me, and special thanks to Roy for being the nucleus that keeps all this together; and Reidar for giving us a great reason to settle on a more specific date! I'll be coming from LA so it shouldn't be too bad....

Mouth watering already... :)

Cheers,
Mark

[Roy Hersh]

In considering how many people may want to attend this one night standwith Madeira, and realizing the limitations of a pour from one bottle, there is also the need to keep the bar raised sufficiently high to make this worthwhile for people who are traveling from other countries, or flying in from other states within the USA.

So without getting too specific about bottles at this time, I am open for others to come to consensus on how high that bar should be set. It is your community and your chance to share at this event. So please chime in and I think by the end of this year, we'll have a very solid basis for which to ensure this is a fantastic event. Along with one other member of this Forum, discussions have already begun re: a specific venue. So please now discuss, what theme or level you would feel, best suits this type of "Madeira offline."

[Eric Ifune]

I can bring anything high or low, so whatever bar height is OK for me.

[Carl D]

I'd love to taste a few more Madeiras (and I'm sure Phyllis would too) and we have nothing to bring, so I guess we'll wait & see where the bar lands and that'll determine whether we can buy our way in. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

[Reidar Andersen]

Like Eric, any bar height for me also.. So much looking forward to have this favorite tasting in my favorite city on the planet...

[Steve Pollack]

I am comfortable with any bar level also. But taking into consideration the cost of flights and hotels (which implies a rather high bar), and the high level of interest from several people that currently don't have Madeira in their collections (which implies a lower bar), I would like to propose a $300 minimum at current retail. That level would keep the bar high enough to ensure a great and varied tasting, and also allow interested newbies a relatively affordable and accessible way to participate. Rare Wine Co has about 20 Madeiras available between $295 and $500. Personally, I would like to enjoy a great lineup of Madieras, while at the same time exposing as many new people as possible to the wonders of Madeira. I realize that $300 is not chump change, but this seems to be developing into a rather special event.

[Alan Gardner]

Given that my return airfare would likely be around $600 (or more) plus hotel/incidental costs, my interest would be in trying stuff I CAN’T get at Rare Wine Company. Otherwise why not just buy those and taste them elsewhere?
I recall a previous thread discussing whether date of bottling of the same wine affects development – and a corollary suggestion of solera vs. vintage (of same original year). Certainly some of the RWC offerings fit within that structure (so ‘newbies’ could potentially contribute).
If we set a $ bar, don’t we risk ‘just’ getting RWC wines – certainly a great resource (the best probably), but I’d prefer something NOT generally available!

At least we have a reasonable amount of time to get this discussion going.

[Steve Pollack]

Alan, I do like the idea of solera vs. vintage. That would make for a very interesting event.

[Barry Sunderland]

Given that my return airfare would likely be around $600 (or more) plus hotel/incidental costs, my interest would be in trying stuff I CAN’T get at Rare Wine Company. Otherwise why not just buy those and taste them elsewhere?
I recall a previous thread discussing whether date of bottling of the same wine affects development – and a corollary suggestion of solera vs. vintage (of same original year). Certainly some of the RWC offerings fit within that structure (so ‘newbies’ could potentially contribute).
If we set a $ bar, don’t we risk ‘just’ getting RWC wines – certainly a great resource (the best probably), but I’d prefer something NOT generally available!

At least we have a reasonable amount of time to get this discussion going.

Well, since it was my original idea for this tasting, I will decide how we do this.

[Roy Hersh]

And that would be?

[Carl D]

And that would be?

[Mark L]

Whatever my $0.02 are worth...

I personally tend to find myself in agreement with Alan's comments about perhaps sacrificing the "accessible" aspect of the tasting, and giving a bit more weight to the idea of "uniqueness" in the bottles offered.

The price of admission (including airfare, hotels, etc)for someone might increase further by raising the bar to unique bottles, but I believe the overall QPR (quality/price ratio) for the event would drastically improve. (Thus, making it more "worth the cost of all that travel" in order to taste a truly unusual or rare collection of wines normally unattainable.)

The other possibility is to have TWO events (I am hesitant to open this can of worms, but here goes):

Friday night:
1) a very high bar.... very unique bottles from collections... contributions accepted

Saturday night:
2) a medium high bar.... more accessible bottles on the market... contributions or set admission price accepted.

This way, the BIG madeira drinkers can travel just ONCE, incurring one travel cost for potentially TWO events. However, those who are not able to contribute rare bottles can contribute more accessible bottles to the second tasting.

This, of course, would depend on the amount of interest for both of these events --- we wouldn't want to dilute the events so much that we only have a handful at each. However, I would like to think that such a two day event, one more accessible than the other, would draw a good amount of attention and interest from both newbies and long collectors alike....


Cheers,
Mark

[Llyn Strelau]

I like the idea of two events as well. Rare bottles are exciting to taste and part of my education about Madeira and tasting a selection of less stratospheric wines would help to identify 'everyday' wines.

Would also help justify the cost of travel and accommodation.

Llyn

[Barry Sunderland]

Whatever my $0.02 are worth...

I personally tend to find myself in agreement with Alan's comments about perhaps sacrificing the "accessible" aspect of the tasting, and giving a bit more weight to the idea of "uniqueness" in the bottles offered.

The price of admission (including airfare, hotels, etc)for someone might increase further by raising the bar to unique bottles, but I believe the overall QPR (quality/price ratio) for the event would drastically improve. (Thus, making it more "worth the cost of all that travel" in order to taste a truly unusual or rare collection of wines normally unattainable.)

The other possibility is to have TWO events (I am hesitant to open this can of worms, but here goes):

Friday night:
1) a very high bar.... very unique bottles from collections... contributions accepted

Saturday night:
2) a medium high bar.... more accessible bottles on the market... contributions or set admission price accepted.

This way, the BIG madeira drinkers can travel just ONCE, incurring one travel cost for potentially TWO events. However, those who are not able to contribute rare bottles can contribute more accessible bottles to the second tasting.

This, of course, would depend on the amount of interest for both of these events --- we wouldn't want to dilute the events so much that we only have a handful at each. However, I would like to think that such a two day event, one more accessible than the other, would draw a good amount of attention and interest from both newbies and long collectors alike....


Cheers,
Mark

Mark stole my idea.

[Peter T.]

For any of us who might be traveling on Friday, would it be possible to have the Main Event on Saturday and the lower-priced tasting on Friday?

[Alan Gardner]

Reidar (up thread) has already indicated Sat or Sun are better (as he arrives on Friday). So I think Saturday pretty much has to be the 'main event'.
If there is a second tasting (still not scheduled, or definitely agreed to), it seems to me we have a choice of Fri, Sun, or perhaps an earlier (?lunch) tasting on the same day (Saturday).
From a cost (and organizational) perspective it might be cheaper/easier to use the same venue twice on the same day? The concern there is that we might just end up with the same people at both (which might happen on consecutive days also!).
Now let me see - two madeira tastings in a day - could I handle that?

[Steve Pollack]

I think most people would attend both tastings, should we decide to have two. I know that I would. Personally, I think that two Madeira tastings in one day is too much, with significantly less wine appreciation and enjoyment by the second tasting. Two in one weekend would still be a challenge, but one I'm willing to accept!