For The Love Of Port

Used to be I could get Port on TAP easily. Seems the past couple years I've asked they never have it. I've been pretty lucky on Virgin Atlantic in business class (or their version of it, whatever it's called) and have gotten an LBV (Graham's IIRC the last time). Not been so lucky on other airlines, but I also don't fly a ton as others do.

So what airline have you been able to get Port on, in the past and currently?

United longhaul BusinessFirst serves Noval Ruby with its cheese course; on three class airplanes it's Graham's 20 year old tawny. (This I know only because they ran out of the ruby on a flight I was on, the FA apologized for the lack of port with the cheese when I asked, then snuck back to me later with a glass of the tawny! I won't mention the route so I won't get the FA in trouble!)

I recall getting ruby in coach on an Air France flight, probably 2007 or 2009. I don't know if they still offer that.

http://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2014/02/ ... s-revealed

Best First Class Fortified/Dessert ...
3. (JOINT) All Nippon Airways ? W.& J. Graham?s 30 Year-Old Tawny Port, Portugal; TAM Airlines ? 2005 Croft Late Bottled Vintage Port, Portugal
Best Business Class Fortified/Dessert ...
1. Emirates – Graham's 20 Year-Old Tawny Port, Portugal

1974 Kopke Colheita got me through a 6 hour delay in the Qatar business class lounge. They had it in the plane as well.

Ronald Wortel wrote:1974 Kopke Colheita got me through a 6 hour delay in the Qatar business class lounge. They had it in the plane as well.

Wow!

Ronald Wortel wrote:1974 Kopke Colheita got me through a 6 hour delay in the Qatar business class lounge. They had it in the plane as well.

Wow is right!

Janet Ainsworth wrote:United longhaul BusinessFirst serves Noval Ruby with its cheese course; on three class airplanes it's Graham's 20 year old tawny. (This I know only because they ran out of the ruby on a flight I was on, the FA apologized for the lack of port with the cheese when I asked, then snuck back to me later with a glass of the tawny! I won't mention the route so I won't get the FA in trouble!)

I had a similar experience on a Virgin America flight once. I asked if they had any port and was brought a real glass from first class with an unknown port (and a second refill). It sure hit the spot and I was very grateful.

That has never happened since

Maybe an aside, but do you all think that we will EVER be able to bring wine back into our carry ons someday?

BA have Warre colheita in their business lounges and in first class (I think). On board aircraft I think it is Graham LBV in business and the Warre colheita in first class, but it's a while since I travelled with BA in first class.

Roy Hersh wrote:Maybe an aside, but do you all think that we will EVER be able to bring wine back into our carry ons someday?

I do, actually, as I think were fairly close to the TSA being able to scan liquids and have an idea whether they're bad news or not. Now, the real question is whether blasting your bottle with that kinda x-Ray or whatever is good for the juice.

Bradley Bogdan wrote:

Roy Hersh wrote:Maybe an aside, but do you all think that we will EVER be able to bring wine back into our carry ons someday?

I do, actually, as I think were fairly close to the TSA being able to scan liquids and have an idea whether they're bad news or not. Now, the real question is whether blasting your bottle with that kinda x-Ray or whatever is good for the juice.

Honestly, not for a long long time. Really all these restrictions are simply smoke and mirrors. They are there to give the masses peace of mind and to deter the wanna-be idiot who is acting alone and not very sophisticated. If someone wants to sneak something on board and do damage, it's pretty easy. Actually, scary easy. Take a bunch of 3oz bottles in a carry-on zip lock bag within TSA regs. Once on board, get a large cup you obtained after security which you've now emptied. Fill all contents into one and voila, you've got your larger IED. Pretty simple isn't it. That way is pretty well known but it's impossible to eliminate all liquid carry ons. The backlash from the public, and more so the airline industry, would be huge. I won't share other means which are lesser known but equally easy and deadly. TSA doesn't like you to know about that. It defeats their allusion of security.

The other scary part is the actual TSA agents themselves. I'm talking the ones which are basically security guards, not the Boarder Patrol, or other upper echelons of Department of Homeand Security (DHS). While there are some very good, well educated ones, a good chunk would never pass a real law-enforcement background check. They are basically glorified security guards. I can't tell you how many I've run across who've committed crimes or have connections to criminal enterprises (gangs, dope rings, etc).

Andy Velebil wrote:

Bradley Bogdan wrote:

Roy Hersh wrote:Maybe an aside, but do you all think that we will EVER be able to bring wine back into our carry ons someday?

I do, actually, as I think were fairly close to the TSA being able to scan liquids and have an idea whether they're bad news or not. Now, the real question is whether blasting your bottle with that kinda x-Ray or whatever is good for the juice.

Honestly, not for a long long time. Really all these restrictions are simply smoke and mirrors. They are there to give the masses peace of mind and to deter the wanna-be idiot who is acting alone and not very sophisticated. If someone wants to sneak something on board and do damage, it's pretty easy. Actually, scary easy. Take a bunch of 3oz bottles in a carry-on zip lock bag within TSA regs. Once on board, get a large cup you obtained after security which you've now emptied. Fill all contents into one and voila, you've got your larger IED. Pretty simple isn't it. That way is pretty well known but it's impossible to eliminate all liquid carry ons. The backlash from the public, and more so the airline industry, would be huge. I won't share other means which are lesser known but equally easy and deadly. TSA doesn't like you to know about that. It defeats their allusion of security.

The other scary part is the actual TSA agents themselves. I'm talking the ones which are basically security guards, not the Boarder Patrol, or other upper echelons of Department of Homeand Security (DHS). While there are some very good, well educated ones, a good chunk would never pass a real law-enforcement background check. They are basically glorified security guards. I can't tell you how many I've run across who've committed crimes or have connections to criminal enterprises (gangs, dope rings, etc).

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't think the TSA does much at all when it comes to preventing actual terrorism, especially after the one flight I forgot about the small 10 inch folding saw in my backpack, which they apparently didn't notice. I do think that the gradual easing of restrictions (like the baby liquid bottles, box cutters, etc) will eventually swing back to wine though.

Also, I'm not sure I'm familiar with "boarder" patrol, are they the southwest folks checking to see if you're in the right order for boarding, or the folks from American (or any other airline) that get angry when you accidentally walk over the preferred flyer floor mat when boarding? :-P

Well they do help board once in a awhile. Lol.

Our airport security is a joke. Anyone with half a brain could do extremely serious damage.

Luckily 99% of would-be terrorists don't even have half a brain, as demonstrated by the fact that they're terrorists. Only a very few have even the very basic intelligence needed to defeat our airport security, but having that level of intelligence makes them too smart to want to do it.

Hint: the target is not and should not be an airplane. What bin Laden pulled of on 9/11 was both masterful and incredibly stupid at the same time. With that kind of organization and commitment they could have done far, far worse.

But back on topic... I've had good luck on British Airways and Air France on trans-Atlantic flights.

I've heard good things of BA in business and first class. Still never flown on that airline yet.

A related question--other than the TAP lounge in Lisbon, any airport lounges serve port?

Janet Ainsworth wrote:A related question--other than the TAP lounge in Lisbon, any airport lounges serve port?

Most of the British Airways lounges that are actually run by BA serve either a recent Warre colheita or an LBV from the Symington Family Estates. I've had port in Heathrow, Gatwick, Singapore, JFK and Jo'burg and probably some other places I don't remember.