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For The Love Of Port Dear friends of Port wine,
I welcome you to
the very first on-line issue of FOR THE LOVE OF PORT©
, my
e-newsletter that takes life as of today!
I am excited about writing once again, especially about my favorite topic, Port wine! This inaugural edition of the newsletter features an informative article on a very special tasting of Quinta do Noval Nacional vintage Ports, that has just been released today. First, I would like to provide a brief introduction. My New Year's resolution was to begin writing a wine newsletter again. For a number of years I penned a weekly wine column on AOL's THRIVE "channel" called, "Much Ado About Grape." It started along with a weekly "wine chat room" back in 1995. It was quite popular and this continued through the early part of the new millennium in the form of a monthly wine newsletter. Momentum was lost when my new family took precedence and I gave up my wine writing, except for Port related articles which I have continued to write. This past summer I returned to Portugal, the land of "my roots & vines." I had the opPORTunity to visit many Quintas in the Douro and Port lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia and reconnected with good friends while there. I also received a great honor and was selected as one of just two Americans in 2003, to be "enthroned" into the (Instituto do Vinho do Douro é Porto) Port Wine Institute's "Confraria" (brotherhood) attended by Portugal's President Sampaio. I took a solemn oath to continue to "lend my support to the Confraria and to continue fighting for the dignification of Port wine." As I have been in love with Portugal, her history and everything that is related to Port wine for two decades now, this was an easy commitment to make. With some time on my hands and lots of new developments happening in Portugal and around the globe regarding Port Wine, I felt it was time to start my writing again. My entire focus will be on Port wine and on rare occasions, Portugal's other majestic fortified wine, Madeira. My goal is to present timely information about new developments in the Port wine industry, focus on promoting and providing educational information on Port and sharing "specials" on great Port bargains or new Ports that occasionally present themselves. Additionally, I will provide access to the articles I write on Port wine, share Port related websites and articles from others, as well as organizations that I believe will be interesting from a Port lover's standpoint. For years, I have had an open e-mail policy where I have received e-mails from around the globe; in which I supplied information on various facets of the industry, purchasing of specific bottles, identification of rare bottles, cellaring and decanting information and much more. That said, there is no charge for this newsletter. It is a totally free offering for anyone that cares to read it. I have kept track of those that I know are either Port aficionados or eager to learn, as well as folks from numerous continents who have contacted me to inquire about specific Port topics in the past. As time goes on, I may set up a website to allow more interactivity which I thoroughly enjoy. There is nothing better than conversing with people who either share the passion of Port, or are seeking more information about the topic and wine. I have studied the history of Port and take pride in having tasted many great Vintage Ports (VPs) going back to 1830. My Port library consists of over 60 Port books and I have read almost every single one of them. I look forward to sharing my passion and knowledge in any way possible.*** FEATURING ***
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