For The Love Of Port

Well it’s been just over a week since I returned home from the Harvest Tour 2006 with Roy, Mario, Eric, Jay, Christopher, Derek, Alex, David, and Stewart. I must say how great it was to finally meet everyone. Nothing like chatting for over a year online with people who share the same crazy addiction I have…The Love of Port!! Then finally getting to meet them and spending a week talking Port, drinking Port, and sharing in some very special memories. Yes, we all survived, although barely. When Roy joked on the forum about needing stamina he was not kidding. I think I’ve finally caught up on sleep, and my liver, well, lets just say it’s almost back from the dry cleaners. Before I go further I must apologize for being a bit vague in some areas. It’s not that I don’t want to share what occurred, but some things need to be left between those who experienced those special events.

First, I wish to thank all those wonderful producers, growers, master blenders, Quinta employees, and everyone else I met on the trip. Their generous hospitality was beyond anything I could imagine. They welcomed us with open arms, and had you been watching from a far, you would have thought we were old friends returning home. Many great conversations were shared while enjoying a great glass of port. Oh yeah, and that lone cigar.

Luckily for all of us Roy and Mario don’t like to force their guests to get up with the sun each morning. A typical day didn’t start till around 8-9 a.m. I figure you’re thinking, “What was a typical day?” Well, after breakfast we were whisked away for our first stop, which included a tour of the facilities, then a very good tasting line up, lunch, which of course included more wine and Port. Then off to the next stop where the ritual was repeated. Sounds kinda mellow, huh? WRONG, words cannot describe it. Nights usually stretched to midnight and sometimes, well beyond. After the first day, I realized Roy wasn’t joking about needing stamina. Actually, let me backtrack a day to Sunday, the day before the official tour started.

Since most of us arrived the Sunday prior to the trip we all met at our hotel, got the introductions out of the way, and then set off to check out the city. After an afternoon of sightseeing and a quick dinner we decided for a “Quick” stop at Vinologia Port wine bar for just a “drink or two.” I was excited to finally meet Gustavo, who works there, and who I’ve chatted with on FTLOP. Well, let’s just say our quick stop turned into a long night of great Ports and great conversations. I must say that 1952 Colheita was just spectacular. Gustavo and his step-father were very gracious hosts and I recommend stopping in to see them if you are in the area. They have an amazing amount of old and rare Ports and a huge selection of Ports by the glass.

I must admit I was not the most seasoned Port drinker at the start of this trip. However, that all changed by the end. I learned more in that one week than my entire Port drinking life. Not only did I learn how to taste very young port (like fresh 2006 samples) but also very old (early to pre-1900) Ports. I also learned an incredible amount about the Port trade, and that deals really are made by just a handshake in the Douro. I bet most of you didn’t know that there are over 30,000 independent growers in the Douro region. The Douro region is just huge, vineyards as far as the eye can see. I never imagined it was so big and with so many vineyards.

Ok, I know you want to hear about where we went. Roy keeps a lot of secrets (aka: surprises) so I will only mention a few places already listed in Roy’s published itinerary.

Niepoort: The cellars here are just amazing. They have an enormous amount of demi-johns stacked everywhere. After a bit of digging, I even found several from the 1973 vintage (my birth year). I tried to convince them for a taste, but darn, no such luck. Again the tasting was great. We got to meet their new, and in-training, master blender. He is the fifth generation of the same family to be Niepoort’s master blender!!

Grahams (Symington’s): Here we did a 1994 vs. 2004 cask sample tasting. It was incredible to taste these wines ten years apart. I must say the 1994’s are shaping up quite nicely and the 2004’s are pretty darn good.

Quinta do Vesuvio: Wow, what a gorgeous place. After a great tasting on the terrace that over looks the Douro River (yes the same one you can see on Vesuvio’s web site) we took a tour of the place. The view from the top of the vineyards is just breathtaking! Then, a quick change of clothes and into the lagares for almost an hour of treading grapes. What fun and hard work that was. I never imagined I would be treading grapes at Vesuvio. So, when you drink that 2006 VP, just remember that was our toes that crushed those grapes. Later that night at dinner we were very lucky to experience the end-of-harvest party of a nearby Quinta, bagpipes and all.

Quinta do Noval: A very special guest was there to meet us and show us the time of our lives. The property is just beautiful, and those infamous large “NOVAL” letters, need I say more! But, there is something spiritual when you realize you are standing in the middle of Nacional vines and holding grape clusters in your hands. We had a great tasting and dinner that included my very first Nacional bottle. The night stretched on to the wee hours of the morning, filled with great conversations and Ports. A truly remarkable night indeed!

As the trip came to an end on Sunday we said our goodbyes, boarded planes, and headed home. I will admit I was very sad to see it end. I forged some very good friendships and was bummed we couldn’t spend more time together, enjoying each other’s company while sipping a glass of Port. But, I guess all good things must come to an end. Then again there is always next year, right?

Andy, Many thanks for the above post. As a younger port drinker (36) it is nice to have someone else admit that they weren't an expert prior to going on a trip like this. It would be a dream come true if I could eventually go on a trip with Roy and the gang, but was feeling intimidated since my experience with port only goes back 3-4 years. I love port so much that it is the only wine (95%) that I usually consume. My current cellar is made up of 99% port.

Raj,

You certainly shouldn't feel intimidated and I would advise you to go on one of these trips if you get the chance.

Whilst I have been drinking port for a considerable number of years I have only taken it seriously for the past 3 to 4 years. My experience of the trip was that there was absolutely no snobery amongst the group or our hosts. There was a wide range of experience in our group from those such as Roy who drinks port for a living to people like me who do it for fun and can barely detect a corked bottle :?

The key is to just go and have fun and not take life too seriously. It's worth the trip just to see the spectacular scenery, the culture and the tradition that fills every inch of the Douro.

Derek

Thank you for your post Andy. I found it very interesting to notice that you were very enthusiastic during the whole duration of the Trip. Actually, the whole "gang" were enthusiastic alike. I was a great pleasure for me (I'm sure for Roy too) to coordinate this Trip for you all. We all had fun and Thank You for your enthusiasm on visiting my country, Portugal. Um Grande Abraço. Mário.

Despite being the technology guy behind the scenes, until this trip I also considered myself a Port newbie. I've been drinking Port for a long time, just didn't know what I didn't know and wasn't drinking the good stuff.

A week in the Douro with Roy, touring the Quintas (the vineyards and production facilities as well as the tasting rooms), conversing with the owners & wine makers at intimate dinners and lunchs, comparing tasting notes with Roy and the others as we were tasting the wines, tasting both young exciting Ports AND some legendary old Ports from our gracious hosts, being able to bring home bottles that I'll pull out one day and say "This is the bottle that I pulled from the dusty cellars at Niepoort...", was an education like no other I could ever have.

Roy should have given us all diploma's at the conclusion of the trip :)

Raj,

You're experience and drinking habits are actually very simillar to mine. I assure you, don't feel intimidated about going on the trip. As others mentioned, the trip had a very mixed group when it came to wine/Port drinking experience. I learned a lot from the more experienced guys on the trip and there was NO snobery at all. Everyone that we meet was very willing to answer any question we had without hesitation, even if the question was very basic.

Actually, you are at the point that the trip would be very benefitial to you. I know my palate experience has gotten so much better during that one week. You drink so much stuff, from VP's to basic tawny's to white ports, that you get real good at picking out the little things that make one year better or worse than others. Plus, as in our case, we tried a few of the same things from different bottles that had been open for different amounts of time. Now that was very educational and showed how Ports can get better or worse with too much air exposure.

Looks like I'm going to need to start saving up. I'll have to clear it through the wife and babies as well

Raj-

it is nice to have someone else admit that they weren't an expert prior to going on a trip like this. It would be a dream come true if I could eventually go on a trip with Roy and the gang, but was feeling intimidated since my experience with port only goes back 3-4 years.

I will also admit to feeling a bit inexperienced before I went on the trip. I'm very glad I went. I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of their level of experience or knowledge. Everyone on the trip was great, and I learned a great deal. The opportunity to taste both very old ports and extremely young cask samples was invaluable. I also learned from experience exactly what it means when a wine is corked. But the most important thing I got out of the trip was an appreciation that can only be gained from walking in the terraced vineyards, meeting the winemakers, and being up to your knees treading the grapes in the lagar. Each bottle I open up now just seems a little bit more meaningful.