For The Love Of Port

For those of us in the Washington DC area:

Arrowine (in Arlington) is offering the 2003 Niepoort VP 750ml for:

$49.99 ea. - Min. 3 bottles
$44.99 ea. - 6 or more (max. 12)

I think you will have to be able to pick up the wine in-store, but you could always inquire about delivery.

I saw this offer in their "Arrowine E-News Specials" email from April 1, and customers are instructed to call Arrowine at 703-525-0990 with credit card info.

If you're interested, call soon, though, because the wine arrives at the store this Friday April 4.

I do not know John, but I will thank him. He has been a "lurker" or occasional visitor in the past from what I can tell by his "born on dating" of last Sept. Just joking around a bit John. Please take a moment to post an introduction in the PORT BASICS Forum in the very first thread, where folks who join in our discussions for the first time are posting a brief bio/intro so that we get to all say hello and welcome you officially to FTLOP.

With your very first post, you have done this community proud. The 1993 Niepoort is a stellar VP and that price even has me thinking twice. :help:

Additionally, I know Arrowine very well and can personally vouch for its excellence. I was a regular customer back in the early to mid-1990s as it was 15 minutes away from where I lived in Reston, VA. Ann was the owner/manager and was absolutely a brilliant wine geek of a woman with almost no weaknesses around the globe. She stocked a very solid lineup of Vintage and other Ports and in pristine condition and could always tell me where she had scored them from. I don't believe she has been the owner there for some years, but only heard that from a friend back in VA who no longer is a customer.

Anyway, those of you NOT adverse to buying young VPs to put away ... need I say more. This equates to a "duh" from yours truly! Thank you John, I welcome you to For The Love Of Port with one of the greatest first posts I can remember. As our British friends would say, "Brilliant!"

Roy Hersh wrote: The 1993 Niepoort is a stellar VP and that price even has me thinking twice. :help:

Roy,

Are you still trying April Fool jokes 2 days late? :devil:

Derek

Guilty as charged your honor.

Thanks for the kind words, Roy. I have indeed been an occasional lurker – browsing, but never posting - for quite some time. The problem is, I read just one member’s tasting notes, and the uncontrollable desire to enjoy a glass for myself surges over me. So I sit down to savor a taste and… Well we all know where that leads.

I truly love the site, the forums, and your articles and newsletters, though. I will certainly post an introduction in the PORT BASICS forum, and make an effort to contribute more with tasting notes, etc. I know how important it is for everyone to contribute, so we can all benefit from a robust community exchange of information.

Roy, I had read in an article of yours somewhere that you used to live in Northern Virginia, so I am glad to know you had good experiences with Arrowine, and would love to hear if you have other suggestions for good suppliers in the area.

I think it was the same article that mentioned your experience at the Water Club in NYC, and I was delighted, because that is also where I first fell in love with port. It was the early nineties, I think, and my girlfriend (now wife) and I were visiting a friend who lived in the city. We splurged on a nice dinner out, and the friend suggested we enjoy a glass of port after the meal. He was a little older than I, and obviously quite “worldly,” living in the big city - just off Park Ave. in a tiny efficiency apartment. The Water Club sommelier offered us some enthusiastic advice, and even carried our port out to us, so we could sit in the recliners by the fireplace, outside the dining room. We had a splendid time, and really felt grown up and sophisticated.

When the check was brought to us by the fire, it was the first (and as yet only) time I had seen not just a line for us to enter the “waiter’s tip”, but also a section for us to tip the “host” or “wine steward” (I don’t quite remember how it was listed). We were surprised, but not unhappy to apply a little extra gratuity, considering the superb treatment we had received.

Aaahhh, the memories.