Drinking Port blind

[Roy Hersh]

Over the course of a given year, what % of your Port bottles are consumed blind?

[Moses Botbol]

Over the course of a given year, what % of your Port bottles are consumed blind?

1% at best.

[John M.]

I'd say about 35% to 50%.

[Alan McDonald]

None.

[Lars F]

None

[Mads Barnkob]

None.

[Eric Menchen]

Over the course of a given year, what % of your Port bottles are consumed blind?

In the last year I think it was 0%. The one big tasting I went to was the Taylor vertical, which wasn't blind. The previous year I supplied bottles for the 1983 horizontal which was blind, and two bottles for a local tasting as well, so that year was probably around 8%. As for the next 12 months, for my impending birthday I'm thinking of not doing Port for a change, but I'm considering a 1994 horizontal after that, which would be blind ...

[John M.]

So far I'm in the minority and many of you are zero.....so do you not like blind? Or is it just the way it works out for you?

[Paul Fountain]

None for me too.

I've got nothing against blind tasting, but I don't think novices get more out of a blind tasting than when they know what they are tasting, because you lose the ability to talk about the port and the shipper as you are tasting the wine. Everybody I have opened bottles for in the last 12 months has been a port novice.
Several years ago I did an Introduction to European wine course that focused on a different country, each week (no Portugal though). They brought in one of Australia's more respected wine journalists to present the Italian night. He chose to serve all the wines blind and people got quite angry about the fact that they didn't know what they were tasting.
I guess the problem for many of us is that if port is being opened, we are the ones opening it so we know what it is. It would also be unusual for me to be opening more than one port at a time. Only once did I open more than one bottle.

[Roy Hersh]

I will admit that I am very surprised by the responses so far. Not that there is a right or wrong way to taste, I just thought that at some more formal events or even while tasting at home, blind was somewhat pretty typical. Clearly I am wrong.

Good on you, John M.

I like blind tasting a lot. Not as a parlor game where guessing vintages or producer becomes the goal. I have been to tastings where that becomes the game. I am not as fond of that. But to eliminate label bias, tasting without knowing makes a huge difference. Label bias happens early and often in a horizontal, vertical or matrix tasting where the bottles are evaluated, sighted. I've seen stranger results that way, then when even novices were doing the blind tasting. I believe there is a lot to learn, especially about improving one's own accuity and ability to base impressions on their senses. Clearly I am in a minority here ... so far.

Again, there's no right or wrong way. I hope others will chime in as I find this very interesting, regardless of the result. Keep putting in your two cents please!

[Mads Barnkob]

I've got nothing against blind tasting, but I don't think novices get more out of a blind tasting than when they know what they are tasting, because you lose the ability to talk about the port and the shipper as you are tasting the wine. Everybody I have opened bottles for in the last 12 months has been a port novice.
I guess the problem for many of us is that if port is being opened, we are the ones opening it so we know what it is. It would also be unusual for me to be opening more than one port at a time. Only once did I open more than one bottle.

I agree with Paul here, it is not the blind taste in itself, but more on the lines of economy, someone to share it with and I am the only port interested among friends and family so it is me opening.

At my daughters naming day I had two bottles opened, still brought two half bottles home from a 50 people party.

Opening one bottle is more than I can drink within a short time frame, so there is no reason to open more, just to see them get destroyed from oxidation, I simply can not afford that.

[Andy Velebil]

I like and don't like blind tastings.

For certain events I think blind is the real way to go. Tasting a horizontal of wines from the same vintage, region, etc., it's best to do so blind to remove any label bias that may creep in. Doing professional reviews, etc.

For the average person, drinking blind at home or with friends probably isn't the best way, and I caution against doing it. Most people are not comfortable doing blind tastings and guessing at what it is. Most often they are widely wrong in their guesses and it can lead to uncomfortable situations among guests. Especially for the guest who is the unlucky person who brought the bottle that gets panned the most before the reveal. Also, most people aren't wine nerds and could give a rats behind about tasting blind.

It's important to know your audience when considering doing a blind tasting. You must consider their level of knowledge, ability to accept criticism when they fail miserably at identifying the line up (which they will), will it kill the social atmosphere (seen this happen a lot), and if it is even really necessary (I.E. vertical tasting of the same wine).

[Eric Menchen]

So far I'm in the minority and many of you are zero.....so do you not like blind? Or is it just the way it works out for you?

I like blind for the right occasion, but that usually isn't the way it works out. I taste wines with a group here and about half of our tastings are blind, but this isn't a Port focused group. I might bring a bottle for dessert, but there isn't so much of a point of serving that single bottle blind. Now that I think about it, I might have done 2007 Quinta do Noval and 2007 Quinta do Noval Silval blind earlier this year, and possibly a few other bottles. I do like to serve 1977 Smith Woodhouse blind

[John M.]

......... Most people are not comfortable doing blind tastings and guessing at what it is. Most often they are widely wrong in their guesses and it can lead to uncomfortable situations among guests. Especially for the guest who is the unlucky person who brought the bottle that gets panned the most before the reveal. Also, most people aren't wine nerds and could give a rats behind about tasting blind.

It's important to know your audience when considering doing a blind tasting. You must consider their level of knowledge, ability to accept criticism when they fail miserably at identifying the line up (which they will), will it kill the social atmosphere (seen this happen a lot), and if it is even really necessary (I.E. vertical tasting of the same wine).

I NEVER try to guess what I am drinking (that just seems like a no-win situation as you describe), I just set it up so we can honestly assess the wine, facilitate some nice conversation, etc. I think it is important, too, to make it clear that taste and enjoyment is a personal one.

Now as to the worst bottle---I was in that situation once and was quite relieved when the port I brought showed very well.

[R Bull]

Before moving to Oklahoma, I would say about 10% blind. Since then, the percentage is zero, possibly due to the limited number of friends here that drink port and the lack of port options.

[Moses Botbol]

I don't mind blind wine tasting. I would like some context to it. Something more than going to a place and sitting down to a place setting of wines with no other details. That idea does sound kind of neat, but unlikely considering my friends aren't so into wine like that.

Having a theme and going from there blind as Andy mentions is fine, and on the port tastings I have had like this the consensus was closer than further apart. Points are within 2 and best/worst is generally the same. Does that make us credible?

[Roy Hersh]

Andy wrote:

I like and don't like blind tastings.

Way to take a stand, carving a distinct line in the sand!

[Paul Fountain]

Funnily enough, I've just been invited to a blind tasting today. It is for Pinot Noir rather than Port but I thought it was worth mentioning as it is a really interesting concept. Two winemakers from the region I grew up in (the Mornington Peninsula, which is south of Melbourne) have put together a 6 pack of pinot where the premise is to look at site vs winemaker intervention. They have included a bottle each of their standard pinot. Then they have taken a parcel of fruit off each vineyard and divided it, so that both winemakers end up making a separate wine from each parcel of fruit and each vineyard. The bottles are only labelled with a letter and then there is a sealed envelope in the box that is to be opened after tasting to reveal all.

Maybe you could arrange something like that with Port for one of the Harvest tours, Roy (although it would require a fair amount of lead time).

[Alan McDonald]

Also, most people aren't wine nerds and could give a rats behind about tasting blind.

+1 on the assumption you meant "could not" and not "could". On the other hand I believe that anyone offering a professional opinion for publication should be tasting blind.

[Andy Velebil]

Andy wrote:

I like and don't like blind tastings.

Way to take a stand, carving a distinct line in the sand!

I explained my line in the sand