For The Love Of Port

Many of us who buy wines and Ports during the summer months keep them stored in temperature cooled cellars of the retailers and await for the cooler weather in October to ship. When these "bulk" shipments arrive all at once, it can be like Christmas for a wine lover and unpacking the delivery is always fun, as sometimes you don't even remember all that has been purchased. Whether that equates to a case or many, it is still a fun arrival day either way and I know I typically feel like .

I've started shipping and will continue through the fall and winter.

Roy, reading you on this post makes me remember kids on Christmas :)

If that is the case Hugo, then next week will be my Christmas celebration. Wait, there's no tree in my living room yet!

Last week was cold here in Las Vegas, down to the 60's, but this week has heated up again into the 90's. Will wait a few more weeks.

Last week it was in the 100's and this week is going to be in the 80-90F range. I'm thinking that it will be at least another week or two before I start shipping.

Marc J. wrote:Last week it was in the 100's and this week is going to be in the 80-90F range. I'm thinking that it will be at least another week or two before I start shipping.

While I was out of the country I heard the weather here was at both extremes. Seems October is a variable month here in So. Cal. so I tend to wait until early November before I start shipping. Although I have nothing to ship at the moment, having cut back on buying this year. Hopefully that can change in the near future.

Is there a critical temperature that you guys watch out for?

I like daytime highs about 70 F or less. In Las Vegas, that usually starts in Nov.

A number of merchants have told me they were going to start shipping, and BPW sent me a tracking number today. This might be our last week of warm weather here.

As for temps, 90s and up are really bad. I'd prefer to avoid 80s and even 70s if possible, but I figure 70s for a few days are like sitting on a store shelf--not ideal but not the end of the world either. Of course I have to cut off shipping in the winter, in particular from the west as I wouldn't want my wine to freeze in a truck stuck crossing the Rockies.