What have you opened this week?

[Al B.]

I do like a young VP, LBV or good Ruby with a steak. I think it goes quite well. I wouldn’t go heavy on the pepper though. I usually only use sea salt on my steaks.

I agree with Andy about the pepper - some for seasoning is fine, but a "pepper steak" is probably too far. Black pepper can get pretty spicy if you use enough of it, and I find that spicy food doesn't pair well with Port. Keep the spice level down to where it's a seasoning, not a feature, and you should be okay.

So what do you have to accompany the steak?

A ruby, as you suggested. In my case usually an LBV from the drier side of the spectrum.

I've also found that a 10 year old white Port goes surprisingly well with a wide variety of food.

I also tend to drink a young port when I eat steak. I find the sweetness of the fruit complements the caramelized flavours from the seared surface of the meat. Think of it as being similar to duck with black cherries - lots of fruit and sweetness to bring out the sweetness of the tender meat.

[Andy Velebil]

1992 Dow’s Colheita. Bottled in 2004. I bought it so long ago it’s not in my inventory and I had long forgotten about it in my offsite storage. I found it recently while digging for something else. Still drinking nicely, but with a somewhat short finish.


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[Tom Archer]

Taylor 66

Nothing like as heavy as many '66s, but still a very elegant wine, 8-8

Next up, Dow 70..

[Alan McDonald]

A ruby, as you suggested. In my case usually an LBV from the drier side of the spectrum.

I've also found that a 10 year old white Port goes surprisingly well with a wide variety of food.

I meant what else do you eat with your steak when you drink Port.

I also tend to drink a young port when I eat steak. I find the sweetness of the fruit complements the caramelized flavours from the seared surface of the meat. Think of it as being similar to duck with black cherries - lots of fruit and sweetness to bring out the sweetness of the tender meat.

The idea of sweet fruit with meat rather puts me off the idea. I like my steak warmed through gradually so that the outside is not seared, but just browning when the middle is hot and still rather on the rare side. I like duck (more cooked than my steaks) but not with cherries, even Morellos. I have tried it. I believe in trying as many different foods as I can fit in before I snuff it.

Same question to you, what do you eat along with the steak if you drink Port with it? Do you also drink Port when eating duck? Port with chips or asparagus does not appeal. Fried onions I can see could fit your caramelised flavours.

Being in the UK you will have access to an enormous range of European dry reds that I think go far better with both steak and duck than a Port would, but as I said, I will try the Dry White - probably next week. There is bound to be a day of rain. We are flat out picking olives at present and my wife had prepared a variety of dinners and frozen them because we are short of time for her to prepare a fresh dinner by the time we get finished at nights. Lights in the grading and storage shed. Remove from freezer in the morning to defrost and just re-heat. Early finish due to rain today, "Rain stopped play" is an expression I am sure is familiar to you.

[Andy Velebil]

I enjoy fingerling baked potatoes with olive oil and sea salt, baked beans as my two favorites (other than asparagus).


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[Glenn E.]

A ruby, as you suggested. In my case usually an LBV from the drier side of the spectrum.

I've also found that a 10 year old white Port goes surprisingly well with a wide variety of food.

I meant what else do you eat with your steak when you drink Port.

Oh, right. I like roasted potatoes (with butter, garlic, salt, and pepper) and maybe some green beans (with a little bacon fat).

[Mike J. W.]

Well, at first I opened my very first ever Cockburn'83...and of course, it was corked.
Down the drain it went. I was half tempted to open another one seeing as I have 2 more
bottles, but I would have been too bummed out if it was also corked. So I decided to
open up a Dow '94. After a 14 hour decant, I'm just having a glass now.

When I opened it this morning to decant, it smelled more like a fragrant,
California cab. Tonight it smells like a fruity port. It still tastes so
young even though it's 24 years old. It has a medium mouth feel with a
little heat, but with a lot of young fruit. It's good, but it's better
days are still ahead of it.

[Andy Velebil]

Well, at first I opened my very first ever Cockburn'83...and of course, it was corked.
Down the drain it went. I was half tempted to open another one seeing as I have 2 more
bottles, but I would have been too bummed out if it was also corked. So I decided to
open up a Dow '94. After a 14 hour decant, I'm just having a glass now.

When I opened it this morning to decant, it smelled more like a fragrant,
California cab. Tonight it smells like a fruity port. It still tastes so
young even though it 24 years old. It has a medium mouth feel with a
little heat, but with a lot of young fruit. It's good, but it's better
days are still ahead of it.

Ugh, the curse of the ‘83 Cockburn

It’s amazing how youthful so many of the ‘94s are. As you mentioned, just babies even at 24 years old.


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[John M.]

On the slate tonight for a small Port Club gathering:

97 & 00 Gould Campbell
97 & 00 Vesuvio
92 Smith Woodhouse LBV.

[Alan McDonald]

My wife and I tried Port with steak as I said we would.

We began with an aperitif of 1994 Lajido (from Pico where we intend to live when we sell our present property).

The fillet steak was accompanied by onions fried in butter, mushrooms and chips. The Port was a Burmester Extra Dry White. We gave it a fair trial, using about two thirds of the bottle. The onions are a sweet variety and we both agreed that the Port was acceptable, if an unusual taste for us, with these onions. We also agreed that it was definitely not acceptable with a steak; or the mushrooms or chips. It simply did not suit our palates. If others disagree and like Port with steak, then we are quite happy with that, nobody can tell you what you should and should not drink with any meal.
We had a Barros Ruby with the cheeses, and a 1981 Palmela Moscatel de Sétubal with the dried fruit and freshly shelled almonds (our own).

Last night, given there was about a third of a bottle of the white Port left, I decided to try it with fish. My wife declined and stuck with a dry white. Same aperitif etc., just a different main course and garden peas instead of onions. Cannot remember the species name of the fish but it was one of the Merluccius family from the South Atlantic and lightly baked in the oven. Again, not for me. I only had one glass and then some of the dry white too – nothing special just a Léziria cask (5L for €6.99) that we find accompanies most meals that warrant an everyday white wine.

As has also been suggested, I will try Port with duck, although we very rarely eat it. We will try any combination of food (at least food that is plain and not spiced up) and drink that somebody else enjoys. We always take the view that we might be missing something we consider really special and will enjoy immensely. If you do not try it you will never know.

[Tom Archer]

Duck has too much fat for fine wines..

Just my

[Eric Menchen]

Duck has too much fat for fine wines..
Just my

And my is that duck can be great with Port, like when you make the duck with a Port reduction. A few years ago I hosted a vertical Taylor tasting with something like that, 1955-200x Taylor, duck breasts with Port reduction. Just a few weeks ago I hosted a dinner of old wines, e.g. 1934 Colares to 1970 Torres Gran Coronas Reserva Mas La Plana, eight wines in all, with a leg of duck confit as the main. Excellent IMHO. I think the acid in wine helps cut through the fat, and that the duck itself is not so strong in flavor so it doesn't overwhelm more subtle flavored wines.

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[Andy Velebil]

Back on topic...a 20 year Offley Tawny bottled in 2018. Very nice!


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[Gerwin de Graaf]

Quevedo 20 YO Tawny (Bottled 2012)

[Al B.]

We had a few wine people over in the UK from Portugal last week so I opened Warre 1997, Maynard 1992 LBV, Graham 1970, Dow 1960 and Rebello Valente 1945. Some were better than others!

[Andy Velebil]

1991 Krohn Colheita (B. 2011). Not as sharp as it was when released. Now's a good time to enjoy them if you still have them.

[John M.]

2008 Quinta do Crasto LBV is standing up for the day before Thanksgiving.

[Claus P]

2008 Quinta do Crasto LBV is standing up for the day before Thanksgiving.

Have a case of these in the cellar ; if you have time please drop a quick note on how it is doing

[Eric Menchen]

1991 Croft VP for this evening.
Pulled 1941 and 1964 Kopke Colheitas for the weekend.

[Mike J. W.]

'77 Fonseca for after Thanksgiving dinner...corked