Who is currently putting Ports away for their children?

[Roy Hersh]

Of course I am talking about cellaring Port, for when their children are grown and of legal drinking age!

Seriously, the British tradition is fantastic and some of the old stories from books in my library inspired me early on to put bottles away for my daughter to enjoy some day. By the time she is of drinking age, she will have a great cache of blue chips. By the time she is my age, she will be a very lucky woman.

What about you? Do you stash a few gems away with the dutiful intent of bequeathing them to your heirs?

[John Owlett]

What about you? Do you stash a few gems away with the dutiful intent of bequeathing them to your heirs?

Well, yes we do, though for grandchildren rather than children. When our own children were small, my wife and I were young, in love, and broke. We put aside a couple of bottles of decent claret for each of them, but could never have afforded a case, let alone a pipe, of port.

Our grandchildren were born in 2000 and 2004, so, to minimize sibling rivalries (any parent with more than one child will understand!) we looked for an exactly similar good port from each year. In the end we bought them each a case (12 bottles) of Taylor Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha. The first bottle will be drunk at the 21st birthday dinner - Grandad is not going to be cut out of this - and the rest handed over then.

It seems that some fortunate children are indeed bought a pipe of port. One 31-year-old, who was given a pipe (56 cases) of 1977 Dow, has recently sold 54 cases to Berrys', most of which it has since resold.

Later,

Dr Owl

----------------------------
John Owlett, Southampton, UK

[Frederick Blais]

No children yet but I hope my Godson will like Ports one day!

[Stewart T.]

I am actively collecting bottles of Port for my son (1997).

I am acquiring mostly the "good" producers from that year, but have also started to gather a 1997 Horizontal from as many producers as I can.

My daughter is 2001, so my wines for her will unfortunately have to consist mostly of non-ports.

[João Rico]

I do collect everything i can from 2004 Vintage. But those are for my Son to drink with me

[Adam F]

I have ports from the years they were born but to drink with them. Not actively buying ports with them in mind but you never know its hard to control how much port one buys :)

[Jay Powers]

My kids are '85 and '97, so I have an ample supply of both. The '85 moves around a lot, but she knows she has it when she settles down, and everytime she visits we open a different '85 (strictly for her you know)

Jay

[Andy Velebil]

The '85 moves around a lot, but she knows she has it when she settles down, and everytime she visits we open a different '85 (strictly for her you know)

Jay

SURE

[Luc Gauthier]

Have a few bottles for my son born in 2003 and a few bottles for my daughter born in 2001 .

[Jan-Tore Egge]

Most of the vintage ports I have are from 1997, 2000 and 2003, so they should be fine when my children (1998, 2001) become of age, but I haven't bought cases specifically for them.

[Marco D.]

I'll be putting away 2 six-paks of the 2005 Quinta do Vesuvio. One six-pak for my son (who was born in 2005); and the other six-pack to drink as a family for special events.

[Lars F]

I have bought some (not cases) for my daughter who is a 2003, and will pick up whathever 2006 will be released for my son. BUT they will only get it if they develop a serious interest in or respect for wine. It would be too much waste to hand over the bottles to see them being gulped down as a replacement for a Barcardi Breezer . If they turn out not to be into wine at all, well then, more for me :)

-Lars

[Jan-Tore Egge]

My philosophy exactly.

[Roy Hersh]

I love this thread. It was reading like this that first attracted me to building a 70-deep book library on Port wine. So many great British and Portuguese reconteurs who touched on this topic. It is a pleasure to read all that has been written here. I am really enjoying this and I hope that your children and your children's children toast to your health with every bottle they open that was intentionally bought with them in mind ... or at least bequeathed to them!

With that in mind, I must laugh when my very own brother (who owns more old GC Burgundy than should be allowed by law) states: "Yeah, I guess they'll inherit some of these gems (he has two young girls) but I am going to do my best to make sure that I personally drink as many of them as I can."

[Derek T.]

My son was born in 1993 :help:

At this point he has 24 x half bottles of Quinta das Liceiras 1993 to see him through his birthdays. By the time he is okd enough to drink he will hopefully have many more of these as it was, to my knowledge, the only VP released in that year.

If we can't source any more 1993, he will have to survive on 1991 (bottled in 1993) of which I have an ample supply

He will of course benefit from all of the other VPs that I do not manage to drink from my cellar before I die. At the current growth v consumption rate he will have a significant amount of port to drink after I'm gone

[Todd Pettinger]

My daughter is 2001, so my wines for her will unfortunately have to consist mostly of non-ports.

My wedding year was 2001 so I know that Fonseca Guimaraens was the winner (of big names, I actually have yet to try one of the dozen that I managed to get my hands on) from that year!

Todd

[Todd Pettinger]

I love topics like this that I can relate to!!! :)

I am putting away Port for my kids. I do not really have the financial means to do so, but I am tryingto build a cellar that will include several producers (some biggies, some smaller, SQs that may end up being major players years down the road) from each of the birth years.

My eldest son was born in 2003, so no worries there. My daughter was born in 2005, so less selection but some solid SQ 6 paks such as Roriz and Vesuvio have already found their way into the cellar. The latest addition (and last, thank you very much) Jr. Pettinger was born this January, so he will follow what looks to be a tremendous generally declared year (if the pundits including our very own Mr Hersh are to be believed) so he may go with several SQs and the occasion bottle of 2007 VP - after all, he was conceived in 2007! :twisted:

It is exactly the British tradition that Roy talks about in the opening post of this thread that got me interested in Port in a major way.

Todd

[Ronald Wortel]

My daughter is 2001, so my wines for her will unfortunately have to consist mostly of non-ports.

My wedding year was 2001 so I know that Fonseca Guimaraens was the winner (of big names, I actually have yet to try one of the dozen that I managed to get my hands on) from that year!

Todd

Stewart, there is a lot of good port to be found from 2001. Fonseca Guimaraens is fantastic, just as Vargellas. I also like Quinta de Roriz and Quinta do Vale Meao a lot from this year. In time, other single quintas will be available, such as Malvedos, Bomfim and Cavadinha. And isn't there a Vargellas Vinhas Velhas or Noval Nacional from that year?

[Ronald Wortel]

My son was born in 1993 :help:

At this point he has 24 x half bottles of Quinta das Liceiras 1993 to see him through his birthdays. By the time he is okd enough to drink he will hopefully have many more of these as it was, to my knowledge, the only VP released in that year.

Derek, is it your intention to put your son off from drinking port? You'd better have some back-up! 1993 was great for Tokaij, so you'll need at least one bottle of Aszu Essencia for every bottle of Liceiras.

We don't have any kids (yet), so nothing to store (yet). Instead we'll do with the year we met (2000) and hopefully our wedding year (2008) will turn out ok.

[Derek T.]

Derek, is it your intention to put your son off from drinking port? You'd better have some back-up!

The back-up is that there will also be a hefty supply of 1991s, bottled in 1993 (not to mention whatever is left in the rack when I die