For The Love Of Port

Dear all,

I've just returned from my first trip to Porto and Villa Nova de Gaia. It was a fantastic experience and I learned alot from the visit. I visited the lodges of Croft, Taylors, Grahams and Sandeman and paid a brief visit to the tasting centre of Quinta do Noval. For those who only have time for one tour/visit, I highly recommend Grahams. The tours provided there are very informative and if, like myself, you walked there (which is quite far) you are rewarded with 6 ports to taste. Gustavo, a good friend of Roy's and a highly knowledgable chap led my tour so try to get him if you can. He spoke highly of Quinta do Vesuvio, so I am going to try to pick up a few bottles of that in the UK. If anybody can recommed some merchants that have a good price for it, I would be much obliged.

I also visited Vinologia. I'm sure all you experts know full well what it is so as a mere beginner to port, I wont explain. I had a range of tastings here and bought a bottle of Sao Pedro das Aguais 2000VP. I went quite early in the season and i'm not sure how busy it gets, but we never had to que for any lodges/tours, maybe we were lucky.

I also noticed a few individual shops selling some good bottles of port. I refrained myself from buying a VP from these shops as I wasn't sure of how they had been kept etc. I did spend 11 euros on a Niepoort 2003 LBV.

Any information about sourcing Quinta do Vesuvio in the Uk and on Sao Pedro port would be great.

Alex

AJ,

Glad to hear you had a good time and it's great to hear you got to meet Gusatvo. He is a super nice guy and extremely knowledgeable about Port. Vinologia is awsome and a must stop for anyone heading to Oporto/VndG.

When you can I'd love for you to post your tasting notes in the TN Section. They don't need to be anything elaborate, but I am quite interested in reading what you thought of them. Thanks

(btw, I am moving this to the Port Forum, as more people will see it and it will be better served there.)

Dear Alex,

Glad to hear that you had a good visit to Porto and thank you for recommending our Graham’s lodge and visitors centre.
We are very pleased that you enjoyed both the tour and tasting!

With regard to buying Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage in the UK, you can buy it at the following merchants:

 Berry Brothers
 Justerini & Brooks
 Adnams
 Wine Society
 Cambridge Wine Merchants
 Clarion Wines
 Ellis of Richmond
 Tanners Wines
 Lay & Wheeler

By the way the Quinta do Vesuvio 1994 Vintage has just been awarded a Gold Medal (“Best in Class”) at the 2008 International Wine and Spirit Competition and a Gold Medal and the Vintage Port Trophy at the Decanter Awards.

Kind Regards,
Henry Shotton

Dear Ajmarshall ,

First of all, thank you for such kind words about not only my work but specially about all the Graham's team of the visitors' center. I'm pleased to hear that you have much enjoyed not only the tour but as well the tasting, as I say we know at Graham's that if our visitors and friends are walking all way up there, we need to work and to be even more "different" and kind to everybody. I honestly must say that, and it's not because I'm working there now and I want to be kind, I've worked on some others Port cellars and always visit all year after year, and I'm truly happy to be part of such enthusiastic and friendly team!It has been the time of my life, not only for the experience but the pleasure of working on a lodge builted in 1890 and many brands and a family with so many charisma and devotion to Port.
I'm not sure, but I suppose that you were with another dutch couple that were big fans of Tawnies Ports and that at the end I convinced them and it seems you as well, on how speciall are the VP from Vesúvio, and the Quinta itself!
I'm glad to hear that you make it to Vinologia, unfortunatelly I was not there to suggest you something, but I see that my father made a good job on suggesting you the VP from São Pedro das Águias 2000. :) That's a really good 2000, and it was 1st on Decanter Mag. on September 2004 on the best wine competition of Single Quinta VP. I love that one, but I would recommend to drink it now or even in the next 10 years!So you already know, please call me if you need some :help: to finish the bottle, as that it's a VP that I really love to enjoy it! You should also try the Magalhães VP 2000, that's exactly the same price and it's even more tanic and explosive!
About the LBV 2003 from Niepoort, I know it, we already had it at Vinologia to taste, but it's very very special, it's the kind of LBV that or you LOVE it, or you HATE it! But for 11€, go for it, of course!
So, thank you once again for such kind words, I hope to welcome you once again not only at Graham's but in Portugal as well!

For all my friends, I'm very embaraced as I'm not spending any time here sharing ideas and Port knowledge, (I've got some reallllllllllly good TN and photos from many VP I've been tasting specially at Graham's and at Vinologia, including 2006 cask camples!) :twisted: I always keep an eye on the forum but unfortunately I've always many things to do, not only at Graham's but still at Vinologia! I still have some emails about Port Tongs to answer, but I must say that Port Tongs are invading the US and Canada!!!

Best Regards

Gustavo