Pre-Taylor Offline, Friday Feb 28, 2014

[Andy Velebil]

I believe I shipped out a 1960 Niepoort Colhieta. I'll have to check with Andy, since it has been a couple of months.

Close, it was a 1970 Niepoort Colheita.

[David Spriggs]

I'm planning on bringing:

2003 Vale Meao Douro Red
1963 Grahams VP

[Bradley Bogdan]

IIRC, as I packed up the box like a month ago:

2008 Heart & Hands Blanc de Noirs, Finger Lakes, NY

2008 Hermann J. Weimer Riesling "Magdalena Vnd", Finger Lakes, NY

2008 Standing Stone Riesling "Ice", Finger Lakes, NY

I never did check, I assume all arrived safely Andy?

[Andy Velebil]

IIRC, as I packed up the box like a month ago:

2008 Heart & Hands Blanc de Noirs, Finger Lakes, NY

2008 Hermann J. Weimer Riesling "Magdalena Vnd", Finger Lakes, NY

2008 Standing Stone Riesling "Ice", Finger Lakes, NY

I never did check, I assume all arrived safely Andy?

New York wines huh? We're trying to break Roy of his old home state you know and this may send him back into regression. Actually, I look forward to trying something new.

Yes, sorry. To all who have shipped wine all has arrived safely. Please email me specific instructions on what to do with the non-taylors stuff (do you want it refrigerator cold on friday, just cool, etc) and I'll make sure it's done.

The Taylors stuff for Saturday is standing upright to settle.

[Tom D.]

IIRC, as I packed up the box like a month ago:

2008 Heart & Hands Blanc de Noirs, Finger Lakes, NY

2008 Hermann J. Weimer Riesling "Magdalena Vnd", Finger Lakes, NY

2008 Standing Stone Riesling "Ice", Finger Lakes, NY

Nice to see some white wines in the mix.

[Steve Pollack]

It wouldn't be a proper meal without some good Burgundy. I'll see what I can do!

[Eric Menchen]

Oh, and there will be a bottle of Belgian-style frambozen/kriek to get us started. Think of it as a bubbly alternative

[Andy Velebil]

Everyone, if you have not done so already. If you are needing the free hotel shuttle to and from the Ontario Airport, please call the hotel to set up pickup and drop off times. They need to know asap so they can plan accordingly.

Kellogg West Conference Center & Hotel
800-593-7876

[Glenn E.]

Got mine arranged for 5:00 pm on Friday. Thanks for the heads up, Andy!

[Glenn E.]

Also, have finally chosen what to bring with Andy's and David's help:

1999 Bodegas Uvaguilera Palomero Ribera del Duero
1966 Porto Rocha Colheita, if I can find it. Cellartracker claims I have 2 x 750 and 3 x 375, but I can't think of where they are in my fridges. Backup plan is a 1968 Noval Colheita, if I can find that.

[Bradley Bogdan]

Also, have finally chosen what to bring with Andy's and David's help:

1999 Bodegas Uvaguilera Palomero Ribera del Duero
1966 Porto Rocha Colheita, if I can find it. Cellartracker claims I have 2 x 750 and 3 x 375, but I can't think of where they are in my fridges. Backup plan is a 1968 Noval Colheita, if I can find that.

Wait, not only is that first wine not a Colheita, its not even Port! I wasn't sure you owned anything that wasn't fortified.

[Andy Velebil]

Also, have finally chosen what to bring with Andy's and David's help:

1999 Bodegas Uvaguilera Palomero Ribera del Duero
1966 Porto Rocha Colheita, if I can find it. Cellartracker claims I have 2 x 750 and 3 x 375, but I can't think of where they are in my fridges. Backup plan is a 1968 Noval Colheita, if I can find that.

Wait, not only is that first wine not a Colheita, its not even Port! I wasn't sure you owned anything that wasn't fortified.

Bradley don't tell him that. He thinks its Port and the Duero was just a typo.

[Glenn E.]

Hey now, I have to keep a few bottles of that nasty dry stuff around to keep Kari happy!

[Tom D.]

Okay, I seem to finally be putting the last traces of lingering sinus infection behind me. Haven't been drinking much wine at all for the past couple months, so I'm going to be ready to go this weekend!

Andy, are you sure there will be enough wine?

I'm counting on Roy to throw a few surprises in his luggage

[Andy Velebil]

Oh and I forgot Dress Code.

There is none. Though please wear something, the hares and Arabian horses at the college will appreciate it Seriously though, dress for Friday is casual. I will be in blue jeans and a FTLOP polo shirt if that gives you any indication.

Saturday is at my house, that means casual as well. Anyone shows up in a tie it will be removed the hard way.

It's also forecast to rain a lot starting wednesday or thursday thru part of Saturday. Good Port drinking weather for sure. Translated that means we'll get a light sprinkle, the sun will come out, and everyone will crash their cars into each other. So be warned.

[David Spriggs]

Unfortunately I have been sick for a week which has left me with a sinus infection (It's nothing that anyone can catch). I can't see doing two tastings in my state. I believe that I can get myself "fixed up" for a single tasting. Thus I regret that I will have to bow out of the Friday tasting. Sorry guys! I'll reserve myself for the Saturday tasting.

[Andy Velebil]

Sorry you won't make Friday, but very happy you'll still be there on Saturday. Get better and look forward to seeing you soon!

[Roy Hersh]

David, I hope you start to feel better!!!

Andy, thanks for doing the heavy lifting. I'll see you and all of the other gang in less than 48 hours.

[Andy Velebil]

Tomorrow I'll be running around town for last minute errands and getting the house ready for Saturday. If anyone needs to reach me for any issues please call or text me if it's urgent, my cell # was in the email i sent out. Otherwise I'll be checking email once in a while but probably not super regularly.

I should be at the hotel by 3:30.

If anyone needs to decant anything for the dinner. Once I get there we can head over to decant then head back to the hotel for a pre-drink until 6pm when we head over.

Bring your rain slickers, forecast is for a major rain storm tomorrow night..."Any Port in a storm" will be our motto

We've got a couple of other late add on Port/wine lovers joining us for this evening. Jim Dietz and Mark Hubbard which some of you probably know in person or online at WineBerserkers Forum. Wines/Ports not finalized from them but looks like a top end Spanish, a 1976 Colheita, some other red wine, and maybe an older Madeira. Will update when I hear more or at dinner.

[Roy Hersh]

Well if I had ANY luck with airlines ...

!@#$%^&*()_+_)(*&^%$#@!@#$%^&*()_ My flight was bad enough at 5:20 a.m. on Friday. But at 10:30 tonight I get an email from Orbitz that my UAL flight (2nd of 2) has been canceled, leaving me stranded in the Bay area as they have no other flights into ONT with open seats.

It never fails!

So I find the ONLY other airline that can get me from Seattle to Ontario in time for dinner with seats available. Of course I have to go to Salt Lake City to then head SW to get there, but hey ... desperate times call for desperate measures. The only good news is that I will be there and will make it in time for dinner and don't have to fly from here to Dallas in order to get to Ontario.

I do hope to see Jim and Mark both of who I know from Ebob and WB, so that will be great. Sorry to miss David, but he has made a good decision to save his strength for Saturday's onslaught. Heard there will be torrential rains in So. CA tomorrow. Love the diversity of wines coming. Eclectic is a good thing ... sometimes.

Anyway, Bradley mentioned some NY producers. One is VERY famous and I thought everone knew this guy:
Weimer is a native of Bernkastel, Germany who emigrated to the Finger Lakes in the 1960s, Hermann J. Wiemer was uniquely qualified to help establish and create a wine region now known for its Riesling identity. His mother’s family had been making wine in Germany’s Mosel Valley for more than 300 years. His father, Josef, a skilled nurseryman, had been in charge of the Agricultural Experiment Station in Bernkastel and was responsible for restoring vines in the Mosel region after WWII. As a result, he recognized the importance of grafting vinifera on American rootstock. Ultimately, this conviction led Hermann’s father to convince Dr. Thanisch – who maintained the most famous Riesling vineyard in the world – to graft Mosel Rieslings onto American rootstock.

For Friday I have a worthy, Douro wine that should fit in and a 1960s Port in seemingly pristine condition.

Keeping my finger's crossed that everything goes well for everyone and that we all arrive safe and on time! See you tomorrow folks. Thanks Andy!!!