Report from Gaia

[Roy Hersh]

Today was the official first day of the trip but those of you who were part of the first Sunday last year ... know the drill. It rained again, but this year we are staying in Gaia at the beginning of the trip. By 12:45 a.m. this morning we were all back at the hotel and had a few hours of sleep before the official beginning today.

40 wines all-in-all, with the ´52 for the second time, a ´24 while at Taylor´s and a deep Kopke Colheita vertical back to ´37. Other highlights but I want to check the rest of the Forum before heading to bed. Everyone else except Chris and one other die hard were whining to get back to the hotel tonight. UH OH!

We leave bright and early for the Douro and a really fun day. We´ll be back in time to leave for Madeira after a couple of daze up there.

That is all the news that is fit to print. Boa noite!

[Alan C.]

Obrigardo

If you can, keep the updates coming. And how bittersweet they are. Juicy snippets of a trip you'd like to be on, mixed with mild frustration as you contemplate work and domestic bliss!

[Andy Velebil]

Have a great time and be safe....and tell them it is way too early in the trip to complain about lack of sleep due to drinking great Ports

[Todd Pettinger]

Today was the official first day of the trip

...

Everyone else except Chris and one other die hard were whining to get back to the hotel tonight. UH OH!

Lightweights! Tell 'em to suck it up Roy, or their place will have to be taken by Andy or I.

Todd

[Derek T.]

Roy,

Say Hi to Christopher :hello:

So who else is there? Any other Forumites?

If not, presumably they will be by the time they get back home :type:


Derek

[Andy Velebil]

So who else is there? Any other Forumites?

If not, presumably they will be by the time they get back home :type:


Derek

I do hope so, the more the merrier

[Alan C.]

Do you think Roy has fallen down that Black Hole that Marcia falls down???
Or in his case, could it be a Black Pipe!

[Roy Hersh]

Nope, we had no connectivity (nor did I check) while up in the Douro. We averaged 40 wines per day over the last 3 days. Colheitas since my last post include a very rare, 1917 stunning white Colheita Port from Dirk that beats out the 1952 Dalva if you can believe that. We also had a vertical at another producer, two other 1937 Colheitas and some incredibly good Douro reds and whites from cask, bottle and Mags galore. Fun to say the least.

We landed in Madeira this a.m. and are giving the troops some time to relax until we head to a producer tonight, once they close to the public. I am pretty psyched for the next few days here on the island. As you know, I love this juice.

Boa tarde!

[Roy Hersh]

As great as the Port side of the trip was, I enjoyed the Madeira part every bit as much. We had our share of 19th century bottlings opened for us, a slew of cask samples of some beautiful juice including some stuff never before tasted by Americans. We also visited one small gem that had only been visited by 3 people from the USA ... EVER! What a fantastic time and I really can't wait to get back there. We were truly spoiled and I am most thankful for the hospitality and great wines that were shared with us.

I hope some of the others from the trip will put in their 2 cents without spilling too much of the story, as I do plan to do justice to this trip with a great write up in a couple of months.

Lots of tasting notes to type up in the mean time.

I don't know if there would be enough interest, but I may consider offering a Madeira ONLY itinerary early next year.

[Andy Velebil]

Welcome back, glad to hear it was a good time....so how's the liver 8)

[Derek T.]

Welcome back, glad to hear it was a good time....so how's the liver 8)

What liver

[Eric Ifune]

I hope some of the others from the trip will put in their 2 cents without spilling too much of the story, as I do plan to do justice to this trip with a great write up in a couple of months.

All I can say is that I'M NOT WORTHY!
I also found out, when rereading Liddle's book, that he's from Scotland so there might have been only 2 prior Americans to that legendary place!
Oh! I also need to bring more shippers next time. As you said it was a Sophie's choice deciding what to bring back. Right now I'm thinking I needed more of that 40+ year old verdelho.

[Roy Hersh]

Amen brother, that was incredible Verdelho and I am thrilled to have nabbed two bottles, yet I was somewhat sorry I did not have a 2nd shipper. But it really becomes cumbersome when we are on the move so much as we were, with 3 distinct destinations during this particular tour of duty.

Eric was the other gent along with Chris who was able to handle everything tossed his way. He IS worthy and now is a member of the "inner circle" of tour "survivors" as he did so bravely without a peep about the quantity of wines and sleep deprivation.

Actually he was a pleasure to have along and his knowledge of wines, viticulture and Madeira are most impressive!

[Alan C.]

Gentlemen,

How do you plan to bring your Bottles back???

I'm planning on the Suitcase method, but I've had the odd disaster. Is there anything you can buy that is specifically for this purpose, and remember, we are in Portugal.

Alan

[Andy Velebil]

Alan,

IIRC, the post office sells individual little tube like containers for bottles. Buy a bunch, tape them together, and check them onto the plane as checked luggage. Just don't exceed the stupid weight requirement.

[Alan C.]

Andy,

Thanks. I'm giving that a go in the morning. The nuisance is if you'd seen me in person, you'd know I'm an Excess Weight Disaster!

Alan

[Andy Velebil]

Just don't check yourself in as luggage

[Eric Ifune]

Actually he was a pleasure to have along and his knowledge of wines, viticulture and Madeira are most impressive!

No, I'm just too geeky.

[Andy Velebil]

No, I'm just too geeky.

Eric,
You are not alone my geeky friend...this whole forum is full of geeks