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Preaching Port & Madeira in the ATL Print E-mail
Written by Roy Hersh   
Sunday, 18 March 2012 21:08

A couple of weeks ago, I lead seminars on back-to-back nights focused on the fortified wines of Portugal. The tastings were held in conjunction with Atlantic Wine Inc., a fine wine emporium in Atlanta. An educational Madeira event took place the first night followed by a comparative tasting of a dozen Vintage Ports the next afternoon into evening.

Atlantic Wine Inc.’s clientele comprised a nice mix of beginners, intermediates and a number of very serious wine connoisseurs. The Madeira seminar took place Friday evening @ Twelve Atlantic Station which is part of Atlanta’s 12 Hotel chain. It turned out to be a fine venue for a tasting event.

Upon entering the room, there was a well-appointed banquet table splayed with a variety of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. The room smelled beautifully once the Madeira was poured and the guests took their seats, raring to go. The Madeira lineup included a selection of ten bottles with several from The Rare Wine Company’s Historic Series and a handful of Vintage Madeiras dating back to 1912.

We discussed the vast array of grapes and styles that Madeira is known for including Sercial, Verdelho, Terrantez, Bual and Malvasia and also mentioned Tinta Negra Mole, Moscatel and Bastardo too. We then compared the island’s 5 key noble grapes and developed a clear understanding of their taste profile; ranging widely from driest to sweetest. This was an important dynamic for developing an understanding of the wines.

Here is the complete listing in order of our tasting:

1. RWC Historic Series Charleston Sercial

2. 1978 Barbeito Sercial Vintage Madeira

3. 1912 D’Oliveiras Verdelho Vintage Madeira

4. Henriques & Henriques 20 Year Old Terrantez

5. 1988 D’Oliveiras Terrantez Vintage Madeira

6. RWC Historic Series Boston Bual

7. 1968 D’Oliveiras Boal Vintage Madeira

8. RWC Historic Series NY Malmsey

9. Broadbent 10 Year Old Malmsey

10. 1950 Barbeito “FV” Malvasia Vintage Madeira

 

There was a brief explanation of the various categories like 3, 5, and 10 year old Madeira and we discussed the main differences between bottlings of Colheita and Frasqueira, (aka: Vintage Madeira). We explored the importance of America’s role in the scheme of Madeira’s financial success and detailed the specific shipping ports on the East coast which were key markets during the founding days of our country.

Additionally, there was a basic historical intro to Zarco’s discovery of the island and other critical elements such as the influx and devastating effects of oidium and phylloxera on the island’s vineyards and economy; details of the estufagem and canteiro production methods; and we ended up discussing storage, pricing and aspects of Madeira’s shelf life and ultimately, its invincibility.

Patrick B. the sponsor of these events and owner of Atlantic Wine Inc. thoroughly enjoys both Port and Madeira. It was a pleasure working with him and Jeff Madsen who helped coordinate the wines, glassware and the majority of the logistics.

 

The following afternoon, it was time to explore Vintage Port through a fascinating matrix tasting. Several of the guests who participated the night before showed up for this seminar too, which was held at Atlanta’s VALENZA, an impeccably run Italian restaurant (dinner after the seminar was fabulous).

The private room was cozy but made it easy for me to focus on all of the participants and respond to their excellent questions. I really enjoyed this group as they were clearly enamored with Port and serious about learning as much as they could.

In all there were three flights of four VP’s apiece. Each was aligned by vintage and it was important to focus on the single best harvest from each of the three consecutive decades. By choosing four dissimilar shippers, it was my mission to show how Ports progressed as they aged; while also exhibiting the differences in “house style.”

Additionally, there was detailed information on the growing seasons for each of the vintages as well as some basic historical info on each of the four Port shippers. The guests were introduced to Port’s history of course; as well as the essential five Port grapes and the others approved for production by the IVDP; the layout of the Douro region; the fortification process; bottle vs. wood-aged Ports; decanting and storage and we finally touched upon some of the other Port categories.

Below is the list of all Ports we tried that afternoon:

1. 1977 Dow

2. 1977 Fonseca

3. 1977 Gould Campbell

4. 1977 Graham

5. 1985 Dow

6. 1985 Fonseca

7. 1985 Gould Campbell

8. 1985 Graham

9. 1994 Dow

10. 1994 Fonseca

11. 1994 Gould Campbell

12. 1994 Graham

As chosen by the participants: Fonseca was the clear winner of the 1977 flight and also of the 1985 flight, but Graham’s was the favorite of the 1994’s.

 

I look forward to revisiting Port & Madeira events in Atlanta, as it is one of our country's historically great cities and it possesses an amazing depth of fine dining options and an extraordinary concentration of wine enthusiasts per capita.  I've only been down to Atlanta on a handful of occasions and each time, I depart with great respect for the sheer quantity of incredibly knowledgeable and generous wine consumers/collectors I meet there.

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Last Updated on Sunday, 18 March 2012 21:33
 
Lei do Terço = Law of Thirds Print E-mail
Written by Roy Hersh   
Saturday, 11 February 2012 12:11

Decreto-Lei n.º 166/86 de 26 de Junho de 1986

Here is an excellent explanation of one of the least understood regulations bearing on the Port wine business, the Law of Thirds; which falls under the auspices of the IVDP.  I found this document while digging through my current computer's saved files in preparation for moving everything to a new computer that is on its way.  To be clear:  I was not the writer of the text below.  However, it is important to share this information to improve the understanding of one of the single most crucial and multi-faceted Port regulations, which has a bearing on so many aspects of what goes on inside the Port wine business.  I truly wish it was possible to find who the original writer was, in order to give proper attribution.  My sincere thanks to the author.

 

According to the Law of Third, every year exporters may only sell wine that corresponds to a third of their stock (i.e. to sell 1 barrel you must have 3 in stock). Primarily, what underpins this law is the need to ensure the quality of traders’ stocks of old wines and the farming business.

In order for an exporter to be created, it must have a minimum stock of 500 barrels. The initial sales capacity of traders is calculated in accordance with the movements of the respective current accounts in the new financial year, a third of the wines plus one increased in accordance with the volumes declared during the harvest by the operators.

After confirmation of these amounts by the CIRDD, the IVDP will determine the sales capacity to attribute to each operator:  In order to benefit from that set forth in the law of the third, in the previous year, port operators must have acquired wines in a quantity of no less than 75% of the sales two years previously, or have reached this minimum as a result of purchasing wines that only attribute 20% capacity.

* 30% of the wines acquired or produced in the last harvest, as long as they are between a minimum of 75% and a maximum of 125% of the sales made in the year before this harvest;

* 15% of the wines acquired or made in the last harvest, in the event that the 125% maximum mentioned in the previous paragraph is exceeded, in relation to the part exceeding this limit;

* The percentage of the formula A:B=30:X, if the wines acquired or produced in the last harvest do not reach 75% of the sales made in the previous year, A representing the 75% that the company should have obtained, B the quantity obtained and X the percentage of capacity that the acquired wines will attribute.

* During the year, port traders may also acquire sales capacity through the purchase, from producers, of wine likely to obtain the port denomination of origin, which, according to age, attributes the following sales capacity:

* Up to 3 years - 20%; * Over 3 years and less than 4 years - 40%;

* Over 4 years and less than 5 years - 60%;

* Over 5 years and less than 6 years - 80%;

* Over 6 years - 100%.

* At least half of the capacity awarded under these terms has to be obtained by the purchase of wines that attribute, as a maximum, 40% capacity.

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Last Updated on Saturday, 11 February 2012 12:39
 
JAN. 27th 2012 - International #PortDay Print E-mail
Written by Roy Hersh   
Tuesday, 10 January 2012 03:39

From the Center for Wine Origins:

This virtual event creates a unique opportunity to promote and celebrate authentic Port wines and raise awareness among consumers, sommeliers, chefs and retail stores about the Port region and name protection efforts. As you know, the Port name is misused on wine bottles across the world, particularly in the United States. It is not uncommon to find a Port from the U.S. next to a wine from the Douro Valley. The Center for Wine Origins works to educate consumers about authentic wines and the characteristics that make them unique.

Leading up to #PortDay the Center is working to raise activity on social media networks and we are encouraging wine enthusiasts to tweet, blog, post and share their love of Port wines and the region by using the #PortDay hashtag.

 

KEEP READING TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN WIN A WEEK LONG PORT EXPLORER’S TOUR TO PORTUGAL … AND MORE!

 

Additionally, we encourage retail stores, bars, restaurants, culinary schools and others in the wine world to host Port-specific events on that day. There will be a number of events taking place throughout the day and …

Roy wrote:

FOR THE LOVE OF PORT wants to lend its support in making the Center for Wine Origins's #PortDay a memorable one in support of the efforts to protect the name of Port, something that is meaningful to all of us Port enthusiasts reading this right now in over 70 countries, on five continents.

Read about the FTLOP event and contest that follows this text from the Center for Wine Origins:

We want to make #PortDay a memorable day in your area too. We urge you to get creative and think beyond the regular wine world! For instance, the Center recently conducted an online analysis and discovered that Port wines were widely discussed among cigar blogs. Thus, it might be worthwhile for you to reach out to cigar lounges/bars in your area to encourage them to do a Port Day special and tasting. Here are some other Port Day-related activities to consider:

* Distribute an email to your friends about #PortDay and encourage them to host events at their local wine store/bar/restaurant etc.

* Send a bottle(s) of Port wine to a wine journalist in your area with a note about #PortDay and encouraging him or her to do a write up on the region;

* Work with local food and wine bloggers to have them attend and tweet, blog and Facebook about the events you are leading;

* Partner with a local chocolatier and promote Port at their shop;

* Reach out to organizations such as University Clubs to host a Port training seminar;

* Partner with a wine bar, restaurant, retailer or culinary school to conduct a staff training or Port seminar;

* Encourage the various food and wine establishments (restaurants, bars, retailers, etc.) in your area to spotlight authentic Port selections with exclusive Port Day specials.

 

International #Port Day will be tremendously successful if we drum up the online chatter. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to promote this exceptional wine in your local area. And if you are on Twitter please make sure to use the #PortDay hashtag and tweet at us @wineorigins. We are here to help you, so if you have a Port Day event idea and need resources, please ask. We also have FREE Port brochures that you can order. You can view the brochures and mini booklets which make perfect bottle tags at: http://bit.ly/fokbsZ   Order at any time by sending an email with quantities to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

FTLOP CHALLENGES FULL PARTICIPATION …

Roy wrote:

On our Forum, we’re currently discussing what can the Port Trade do to help promote Port and turn sales back into the black. Here was one of my own comments in the thread:

Re: How to turn around Port sales into the black again? by Roy Hersh » Fri Dec 23, 2011 3:46 pm:

"Yes, the IVDP can and should do far more to promote Port throughout the world. Hopefully, we are creating our own group of Port Ambassadors right here. I mean, from Glenn to Andy to Jeff to Moses to Eric and so many others that I could name ... they are putting on tastings during the year for friends and converting people to be Port enthusiasts. Our friends in the UK and elsewhere do the same. This may be a small community, but it is a powerful one in which we influence the palates of our friends during tastings by getting them to try Port, preferably to enjoy Port which is far more important. Think grass roots movement and in reality, that's what we are all doing. Just think to yourself how many people you've personally converted to Port, this year alone. Yes, very powerful indeed."

Please join the discussion: http://www.fortheloveofport.com/ftlopforum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13324&start=80

 

SO WHAT IS THIS CHALLENGE ALL ABOUT?

As you’ve read above, YES, we are all ambassadors for Port Wine. In support of the Port trade and to support the efforts of the Center for Wine Origins, it is time for YOU to organize a #PortDay event in your area … within your circle of influence. Let me tell you what Glenn and I and our wives are doing here in Sammamish, Washington on January 27th and you can copy our idea or come up with your own. We are organizing a “Pot Luck & Port” tasting event in a local hotel. Like a “cocktail” Port party with food. People just need to bring one nice bottle of Port and a food dish to share with friends and new people that will be welcome to join us. We’re still deciding on the specific Port theme and considering either LBV, Vintage Port, Tawny Port or just leaving it wide open.

The point is to attract as many new people to Port as we can, using social media, emails and by any means necessary. If all of you were willing to make a serious effort to hold a similar event or a Port event of any kind on #PortDay … in a restaurant, club, hotel, private home or wherever, think of the impact that #PortDay 2012 could have? How many new individuals do you think will learn about Port from “the ambassadors” organizing an event here? Our mission in this country and elsewhere is to spread your enthusiasm for Port wine on the upcoming #PortDay and in doing so, we will help support both the Port trade and the Center for Wine Origins’ initiatives.

 

WHAT ABOUT A FTLOP #PORTDAY CONTEST?

Organize an event however you would like to do so. Then as you’ve read above you can order materials on Port that can be given out to new people you meet at your event (I realize that offer is only good in the USA from the Center for Wine Origins). The goal is to bring as many people together to drink Port wine as possible (responsibly). If they are all friends, great. If you are able to figure out a way to use social media and other means to attract new individuals (SAFELY) to your event, then go for it!

In order to qualify for one of the two prizes (offered to winning Port ambassadors anywhere in the world) your event MUST take place on January 27th and must be in promotion of the Center's #PortDay. The individual behind organizing a #PortDay event that attracts the largest number of attendees will win the 2nd Place Prize. The individual organizing and holding the most unique Port related theme for their hosted event, will win The Grand Prize.

 

Before we get into the rules for FTLOP’s contest, here is what you can win:

The Grand Prize – is an all expense paid week long vacation for one person to join us on FTLOP’s April 2012 Port Explorer’s Tour to Portugal. Airfare is not included, but you’ll find out exactly what is, here: http://www.fortheloveofport.com/explorers-tour/2012-port-wine-explorers-tour.

The 2nd Place Prize – is your choice of either a MAGNUM of 1977 Gould Campbell Vintage Port, or a MAGNUM of 1994 Niepoort Vintage Port delivered to you, from my cellar.

 

RULES & REGULATIONS:

* You must be of legal drinking age (21 or over).

* Your event is your own and FTLOP bears no responsibility for the actions of any guest or outcome at your party.

* The winner of the Grand Prize, will host the most unique Port related theme. This is not necessarily the deepest vertical/horizontal or matrix tasting; although that can qualify too. Think out-of-the-box: decorations, seminars, costumes, cool venue, best use of social media to attract people, introducing special guests, your own contest, Port dance party, fashion the best Port cocktail … whatever floats your boat. Get creative!

* The winner of the 2nd Place Prize will be able to document the quantity of people attending their #PortDay event. The organizer/host with the most attendees wins the prize.

* Documentation for the Grand Prize will require making a 3-4 minute youtube video which clearly shows the number of people at your #PortDay event, plus clearly depicts the uniqueness of theme in images and words. You may also write an addendum or photos and submit them in addition to your video.

* Documentation for the 2nd Place Prize will also require a 3-4 minute youtube video in which it clearly shows the quantity of guests and them participating at your hosted #PortDay event. It must be an event that you have organized (i.e. it cannot be corraling a crowd inside a club or all guests at an unrelated party); it must be an actual event organized in advance to promote #PortDay.

* All video and accompanying documentation is to be submitted by email/attachments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it) no later than Sunday, February 5th 2012.

* Judges will include Roy and Dorene Hersh, Stewart Todd, David Spriggs & Andy Velebil. Prize winners will be notified by email, no later than February 13th 2012.

* Winning video content must be granted permission to be utilized on FTLOP either by including a link to the youtube video in FTLOP’s video gallery and/or a link in a future newsletter.

Good luck to all and thank you for your support of #PortDay the creation of the Center for Wine Origins on January 27th!

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 January 2012 04:23
 
The Douro -- So Happy Together Print E-mail
Written by Roy Hersh   
Friday, 09 December 2011 11:04

In the November issue of the For the Love of Port newsletter, there was a potent, A Question for the Port Trade. It raised a very simple question, without judgment.

Paraphrasing, it asked members of the Port (and Douro wine) trade to discuss ways in which the industry as a whole, or they as individuals or their companies, could work more closely together for the betterment of Port, Douro wine, tourism and most of all ... to promote the Douro region so that the average wine drinker will realize that Douro and even Portugal is not part of Spain. In all sincerity, and this is just my opinion ... the single greatest challenge that faces the Douro region ... Port, DOC wines and tourism -- is NOT the lack of promotion and education of the wines, however critical those are, too. No, in fact those two dynamics are down in the pecking order at least a notch or two.

The single greatest challenge that faces the Douro region and its wine today is the dysfunction that surrounds cohesive marketing due to the lack of any singular unified effort to promote Douro and Portugal on a grand scale. I am not looking for a scapegoat for the turbulence in Port's sales or declining worldwide market share, lack of more Portuguese wine available in the USA, or even the quagmire that is beneficio rights.

Please don't read into this that I'm wagging my finger at the likes of the IVDP, AEVP or ViniPortugal. Privately, nearly everyone is willing to admit those entities could do more to bring prosperity to the region. However, the solution is far simpler than those complex entities' efficacy.

For a change, this is not about the government or agencies that represent the disparate groups within Northern Portugal's wine business. The real affliction is that the vast majority of company's do not see it in their best self interest to work more closely as an industry. They pay lip service to being engaged in doing so, but in reality ... many large/medium/small companies don't practice what they preach. There are exceptions of course, but as an industry ... the wine industry ... it is too fraught with disparate interests; growers vs. shippers, small vs. large producers, Port shippers vs. DOC wine producers. I wish the incoming new President of the IVDP, Mr. Manuel Cabral the best of luck in unifying the various groups and focusing on core issues like this.

Some producers who I have a long term relationship with, may see this as a stab in the back. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is aimed at no one in particular and at the very same time, everyone in particular. In a perfect world, all entities would find a way to improve the collaborative joint marketing efforts with their "competitors."

It may sound naive, but in reality, it is all about putting out a unified message: that the diversity of the Douro, from the Port that is its tradition, to the red wines which have become its renaissance, and more lately to the crisp whites which are improving all the time ... as Miguel Braga of Quinta do Mourao, said so candidly in Zev's film, Life on the Douro: "We have everything here." Maybe that is the perfect tag line for the region!

Obviously I would love to see the region flourishing and I don't mean to paint a dismal picture here. For all intents and purposes, there are many things to look at with a very positive point of view. The quality of the wine in the region has never been better and that goes for Port too. Slowly but surely, the tourism infrastructure has grown in a grass roots fashion without allowing it to turn into a Funchal, or Napa-run-wild. The region continues to attract many a talented young winemaker, both men and women who have a deep love for the vineyards, people and wine itself. So I remain very bullish on Douro!

Nonetheless, it is my mission to use my voice to call for better cooperation between rivals and competing companies. As short term thinking and quarterly reports are not the driving force of wine in Northern Portugal, it is imperative to put out a united message beyond what separate companies can do, or even progressive groups like the Douro Boys, or events like "The New Douro" can achieve.

Should this very simple philosophy be embraced (by the various sized companies) that all benefit to some degree from wine produced in our favorite region ... there will be a far greater chance that the world will learn the truth about what the Douro has to offer ... everything!

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Last Updated on Friday, 09 December 2011 11:16
 
Reflecting on Portugal Print E-mail
Written by Roy Hersh   
Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:42

Flying back home after a week and a half in No. Portugal and having traveled with a diverse group of Port enthusiasts, I'd like to share some memories from our recent trip while they are still fresh. For many reasons this was one of our best trips ever. Our group bonded very early on and although we had guests from Norway, Canada, Australia and the USA -- the "group dynamic" was quite strong and everyone got along really well. Additionally, we designed more down time into the schedule and also planned later start times for most visits, (allowing for more sleep) with one fewer appointment during the week and a slight reduction of wines overall. The less frenetic pace really seemed to resonate well with our guests.

The 2011 Port Harvest Tour seemed far more relaxed than usual and the six people who re-joined us this year, pointed this out a couple of times, while our new guests seemed to adapt to the schedule quite quickly. My observation was that the inclusion of touring four new properties, staying at a new hotel in the Douro and dining at several new restaurant venues also helped to refresh the nature of the tour. In fact, I dare say we ate better on this trip than any previous tour, with a solid mix of new eateries in addition to meals enjoyed at some quintas and producers' homes and an excellent wine dinner held in a private banquet area within The Yeatman Hotel, overlooking the pool, the Douro and a full panorama of Porto's skyline at night.

Another facet of this year's tour that made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our guests, was the sheer quantity of ancient Ports we were able to drink. We were blessed by an embarrassment of riches: from historic Colheitas dating from 1857 and 1882, plus a pair from 1900 on back-to-back evenings, replete with a 90 year old White Port, in addition to 1909 and 1924 Colheitas, an ultra-rare 1931 Garrafeira followed by another from 1940. We also enjoyed some ridiculously old Vintage Ports from 1812 and 1827, interesting barrel tastings and just-bottled cask samples, not to mention several impressive verticals of Port and the finest lineup of Douro wines I've ever tasted. I'm truly humbled when looking back at this crazy list and I realize this was over-the-top even for one of our tours.

This year we chose to include a unique visit to a top Vinho Verde producer (Quinta de Gomariz) for a break in the action, one hot afternoon. It was nice to see the Minho again and show a completely different wine region to our guests. Last but not least we were very fortunate to have the opportunity to tread grapes in a lagar at Quinta do Crasto just when we thought the harvest was all over and we'd miss the chance to do so. It was a ton of fun and capped off a great day into night spent with the brothers Roquette. I'll admit that this was the very first time I've ever swam in their infinity pool and as it was nearly 35 degrees C. that afternoon, it was a most welcome dip!

In reality, there were so many highlights on this trip that I can't wait to look through photos and savor our good fortune and have it sink in. Mario and I will be planning three tours for 2012 and one of them is already overbooked even prior to the actual dates being announced. We will likely move the Port Explorer's Tour back from February to April so that we can hopefully provide better weather for our clients (although in 2010, we were surprised in the Douro by 70+ degrees F. in Feb.). The upcoming Fortification Tour in May promises to rival the best we've ever achieved with some unique "first time" visits to producers and some special tastings to be included in Madeira and since the 2012 Port Harvest Tour already has a waiting list, we may have to add a second week.

Due to the candid and helpful feedback of our guests, we're able to remain flexible and continue to create unique itineraries and innovative experiences for our guests. We look forward to meeting many new Port, Madeira and Douro wine friends in 2012, along with some return clients for what promises to be three fantastic tours to explore Portugal's fortified wine regions.

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 11 October 2011 16:51
 
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