A UK chap from FTLOP got lost and ended up on my door step

[Andy Velebil]

Ok, he didn't really get lost but he did end up on the front porch with a bottle in hand. Yesterday I braved the heavy rain and made the drive to LAX to pick up Chris G. as he arrived fresh off a long flight from London. As luck would have it, when I got to the airport the rain had started to subside and some sun started to poke through. Chris survived US Customs and we headed back to my place where I already had a 2004 Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte and a 1966 Graham's VP in decanters. Since we had a some time before our dinner reservation, and finding out that Chris had never had the 2007 Pombal do Vesuvio Douro wine, I grabbed one and cracked it open for to enjoy before dinner. The Pombal do Vesuvio was a very good bottle and it really started to show itself about an hour after opening it.

After finishing the bottle we headed off to a relatively new restaurant (Seta) that I've been meaning to try. The food was wonderful and so was the service. Although Chris wasn't fond of the garlic on the fries, even though I tried to convince him it was an American thing and all the rage. We took the Vinha da Ponte along to drink with some tasty 28 day aged New York steaks with a smoked salt rub. Decanted for over 5 hours by this point this was still a touch closed up on the palate, but oh that nose, wow! By the end of dinner this had opened up and was a smoking good wine.

After dinner we headed back to my place and dove into the 1966 Graham's VP. Since it was still a nice evening, and since Chris like all the other UK'ers who have been stuck inside due to the snow storms for the past few weeks, we sat on the front porch sipping this wonderful VP, smoking some really nice cigars, and catching up on all the gossip. This was a great '66 and one any Port lover should have in their cellar. Alas the evening had to come to an end and Chris' taxi arrived to take him to his hotel. It was great to see Chris again and I look forward to meeting up again later this year when I head to that side of the pond.

(*I'll get TN's up soon)

[Derek T.]

That wasn't the only strange thing that happened last night - at around 00:30 this morning UK time I had a phone call from a friend who wanted to gloat about the fact that another friend had turned up on his doorstep in LA with a bottle of Port and that they were about to have a nice dinner and some 2004 Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte, 2007 Pombal do Vesuvio Douro and a 1966 Graham's VP whilst I was drinking a Croft LBV 2004.

A very strange coincidence

[Roy Hersh]

Funny, I had an email that was very similar to your phone call.

Damn, how come C.G. never makes it up to the PNW?

[Moses Botbol]

We took the Vinha da Ponte along to drink with some tasty 28 day aged New York steaks with a smoked salt rub. Decanted for over 5 hours by this point this was still a touch closed up on the palate, but oh that nose, wow! By the end of dinner this had opened up and was a smoking good wine.

Nice. I've been dry aging meat at home for years. I've made smoked salt a couple times as well; I use it all the time. Caper salt is nice to have too.

[Andy Velebil]

That wasn't the only strange thing that happened last night - at around 00:30 this morning UK time I had a phone call from a friend who wanted to gloat about the fact that another friend had turned up on his doorstep in LA with a bottle of Port and that they were about to have a nice dinner and some 2004 Quinta do Crasto Vinha da Ponte, 2007 Pombal do Vesuvio Douro and a 1966 Graham's VP whilst I was drinking a Croft LBV 2004.

A very strange coincidence

Who would have done that at that hour