Do you prefer Tawny or Ruby Style of Port

[Roy Hersh]

I have a feeling there may be some surprises here. We'll see. Please feel free to elaborate after you vote. I intentionally left off the "both" option, as i'd like a clear cut answer to be apparent.

[Glenn E.]

The gap has narrowed for me, but I still prefer aged Tawnies and Colheitas to Rubies and Vintage Ports. I can drink tawnies any time - with our without food - while to me a VP needs to accompany something.

[Scott Anaya]

Okay I voted tawny/colheita because I am in a fairly decent colheita exploration phase at the moment and have kinda recently depleted my stash of 30 and 40 yr tawnies as I am out of value ports of all kinds these days. So I would ideally have voted both or 50-50 since nothing is finer to me than a beautifully drinking VP of the 50's or 60's. AND the same goes for me discovering what an awesome colheita from the 20's through 60's can be as well. I go thru stages with each style and very often have one of each style open at a time too.

Bottom line: I love BOTh styles of Port.

[Eric Ifune]

I love both also, but having to choose, I'll go with the wood aged.

[Roy Hersh]

I had a feeling it would be surprising, but 6-0 at this early stage ... unbelievable!

[Derek T.]

I will chip in a vote for the Rubys. I prefer these to Tawny style ports by a mile. I much prefer the fruit tastes and the smoothness of a VP to the woody, nutty taste of a wood aged port. I often find the wood aged ports to have more alcohol evident which, for me, is distracting.

I wonder if the voting pattern is simply a product of availability in the respective markets? Quality ruby ports seem to be very price prohibative in the US and Canada whereas they are widely available at much lower prices here in the UK. The US and Canada seem to have open access to a wide array of wood aged ports at reasonable prices when compared to the VPs in the same market. Conversley, you have to search long and hard to find quality Tawny ports in the UK unless you know exactly where to go. The majority of wine stores and supermarkets will store mass produced Taylor and Graham aged tawny but even then only up to 20 yrs old. I would estimate that wood aged ports probably get less than 10% of the overall shelf space allocated to Port here.

Let's see how the vote swings when my UK chums chip up and vote?

Derek

[Moses Botbol]

I voted for tawny and colheita even though I drink 4x as much vintage and LBV. Not sure why I voted that way, but maybe it's because later included ruby which I am not a fan of? I just love port and will drink what ever is on hand. I do not like young vintage port, but 10 year tawny is fine.

[Luc Gauthier]

Member Luc of group Québec votes for tawny / Colheita .
As member Derek of the UK squad stated , there are plenty of 10 / 20 yr old tawnies at fair prices .
VP' because of their ludicrous prices ( maybe 4 / year )

[Andy Velebil]

Wow! I am quite surprised by the responses so far.

Although I really love Tawny's for their big acidity and complexity, my first love is aged VP's. So looks like Derek and I are the only hold outs (although who is the mysterious 3rd person that voted for Rubies?? Please do speak up.

I wonder if the voting pattern is simply a product of availability in the respective markets?

Derek, you are probably right here. Colheita's are pretty easy to find here and are much cheaper than VP's of the same age range. So I'm sure that has something to do with it. I mean, I can get a 40+ year old Colheita that rocks for $80. Pretty darn cheap when a VP of the same age range here is typically well over $150 now. So for 1/2 the price, tawnys are a much better deal.

[Gary Banker]

An advantage of the wood-aged ports is that they are ready to drink when you buy them at lower prices than VPs. I also tend to take more than a few days to drink a bottle, so the tawnies work better for me.

[Mike McCune]

Fruit and primary fruit derivitives for me!

I've never had a Colheita I liked.

Some of the younger Tawnys are ok only. Too much caramel, nuts and other stuff I don't seek out.

Oh and don't waste your good madiera on me either.

[Morten O]

I voted Ruby style.

I usually prefer the fruit bombs over woody/dried fruit ones. Availability and price is definitely important. Colheita and LBV seem to be the easiest to buy in Denmark.

I believe it's easier to buy a great and relatively fair priced LBV/young VP that will many times better than any tawny/colheita with the same price stamp. So far, I've only tasted rubies that could deliver in both nose, body and finish. Unfortunately, I haven't been as lucky with tawnies/colheitas. I've come somewhat close to, but then the price is way higher than the rubies.

Another reason for voting rubies is that I can keep drinking these whereas I do get slightly tired of drinking tawnies/colheitas after a few glasses.

[Derek T.]

The tide seems to be turning

[Roy Hersh]

Possibly, but at least here, you overestimate the power of the Brits. Most have remained on their own island.

[Luc Gauthier]

Where's the Canadian content ?
I would say If price was the only criteria , 8 out of 10 votes would go to tawny/colheita .

[Derek T.]

Possibly, but at least here, you overestimate the power of the Brits. Most have remained on their own island.

Roy, that's because, as you know, us Brits are so shy and reserved - and because one is in Spain, on has been in Cornwall, one hasn't had internet access for a week and the Canadians voted 3 times each for Tawny because they can't get hold of a decent VP for love nor money

Derek

[Roy Hersh]

OK, that was a mighty funny post!!!!!!!!!!!!

So now you have to really amuse us and let us know who is who from your last post.

[Derek T.]

OK - Uncle Tom has been in Spain and Portugal; Al-B was in Cornwall for Easter and Alan C. has had Broadband Trauma - I'm guessing that those three would all vote red rather than brown

Still need more votes to get in front of those pesky Canadians :help:

Derek

[Al B.]

I've just voted. I voted red. I have some friends with me who also vote red so my one vote should really count for 5. That makes the ruby styles come ahead of the colheitas.

Seriously, other than years when Roy is 50, I drink ruby ports all of the time with one or two exceptions a year. Earlier this year I had a mighty fine Andresen 1982 colheita and I usually grab myself a glass of Warre 1988 colheita when going through the lounge at Heathrow airport. Apart from that, I drink exclusively red port.

Alex

[Todd Pettinger]

Sorry Derek, I've been busy... AWOL for a few days... missed out giving ya more backup!

This Canadian member has attempted to turn the tide back to what he voted for: Ruby

Derek and Luc are correct though - if price were the only consideration, tawnies would probably be all we could bloody afford! :devil:

Although I have had more older tawnies than VPs, I greatly prefer the VPs. Notice I didn't say Rubies. Yeah, I'm having a snob moment!
Like Scott and Moses, I really enjoy both varieties and drink whatever is at hand and is affordable. VPs would be consumed a lot more around this household if it were more affordable (or if a Canadian guy could figure out how to make a buttload more money and pay his house off... mortgages take up so much available cash flow that would be better directed to growing one's Port cellar!) A trip to the US should help increase the stocks, although I saw a couple of smoking deals on 20-, 30-, and 40-year old tawnies that might very well be too good for me to resist.

(And my wife prefers the tawnies by far. I guess opposites truly do attract!)

Todd