Do you belong to a Port or wine tasting group?

[Roy Hersh]

As some folks are looking to expand their horizons by putting together a tasting group, it would be great if you'd give some details about your own.

Insights into how often you meet, who brings what (food, glassware etc.), how many wines and at what quality level, all this would be very helpful. I get requests by email FREQUENTLY on this specific topic.

[Andy Velebil]

Not really a group with a name, but there are a handful of people that live around me who come over to the house periodically for Port night. I used to cook, but it just got to hard trying to cook, taste, and entertain all at once. Ok, plus I'm not a great cook. So now we usually do Pizza and Port night. Everyone brings a bottle of Port and we all chip in $10 a head for pizza. Sometimes we have themes, like "any 1970 Vintage Port" or "bring whatever you want", etc. They are fun because it's totally low-key, where we can sit around, talk, eat, and drink. Oh, and sometimes the cigars come out at toward the end

It is always open to anyone who is in the southern California area. So if you live around here, or are coming to visit, drop me a email and I'll add you to the list. Just a few weeks ago I got to meet a relatively new poster here on that came over for one of the Pizza and Port nights. Now if I can just get him and others to post some thoughts on the ports we had :hello:

[Steve Pollack]

I hope to join Andy for Pizza and Port very soon.

In addition, I am in a group of people that gets together for wine and dinner once a month at a nice LA area restaurant. Each member takes a turn hosting. The host selects the restaurant, and brings all the wine for everybody. In many cases the host works with the restaurant to select a menu to go with the wines. All the other attendees split the tab. The main interest of this particular group is Burgundy. At the last dinner, our host graciously provided 3 Batards from 2004, and three red grand crus from 1996. It is not always that spectacular, but it is always fun!

[Andy Velebil]

Steve I leave for the airport in an hour, but when I get back I'll be working on the next date. I'll let you and everyone else know soon.

[Glenn E.]

I informally belong to a New York City tasting group, but obviously have to pick and choose which tastings I will attend.

I don't know of any Port-only tasting groups in Seattle, but if one exists I'd love to join!

[Moses Botbol]

I drink Port with a regular core of people. They go from just two to six people at most. Too many people makes for too many glasses. Generally it is 1-1.5 bottles a person, sometimes going to 2 bottles a person. Not kidding either, ask some of our guests Throw in an fancy Burgundy or BDX too. A friend deals in a lot of high end stuff and he'll bring some top shoulder stuff that he wouldn't sell and about 50% of the time it's drinkable. Lot's of mature first growths or other heavy hitters.

If it's at my house, cigars come out right after we take notes, and similarly at Sean's. I don't mind smoking indoors at my place. I keep about 60 IDVP's at my house.

As for food, we both bought Weber Smokey Mountain BBQ Smokers, so it's been ribs, pork shoulder, yardbirds, linguica on the smoker every weekend.

Last weekend I had the smoker going at 4:00 AM for the pork shoulder. We were drinking port at 3:00 PM and had dinner 7:00.

We pick port based on what we both have and/or any leakers that need to be drank first. Sometimes base the Port on what a guest is bringing and figure complimenting Port to go with it. Very very rare is a Colheita or Tawny served. Garrafeira we've had a few times .

[Al B.]

There's a group of us who meet up about once a month usually in London at The Crusting Pipe. Most of the time we are fairly relaxed but we do always try to run with a theme - last meeting was "An Eighties Night" and a common and well liked theme is "Bring a Bottle Worth Sharing". Sometimes we taste blind and other times sighted. Numbers run from 2 (the minimum required for a quorate offline) and can go up to about 8.

2-3 times a years we also try to organise a major event with up to 14 people. Last year we did deep horizontals of 1966 and 1970 ports (30-35 of each) and a deep vertical of Cockburn ports (1896-2007). This year we have lined up a vertical of Warre ports and also a comparative tasting of some Symington ports and some Taylor Fladgate ports

And the best bit - anyone can come along and join us. Just post here or PM me that you are interested to know more and I'll make sure that you find out about the next get-together (currently planned for w/c 24th August).

[Roy Hersh]

I am wondering if we could organize regional Port tasting groups with themes?

[David Sweet]

Unfortunately no--but would love to start one!! Anyone in Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, Rockford, even Quad Cities interested?

[Roy Hersh]

David,

Nice to see you back and posting again!

I know of 3-4 people here who either participate directly or lurk ... who are from MI and not more than a few hours away. We only have a couple from WI, but they don't really come by often. Also there are closer to 15 that live in Chicago and are regulars on the site as lurker, although only two really post here with any type of frequency. Hopefully, they will be reading this thread and you can start up your own small regional group of Port lovers. I would be happy to come visit and join you, once this group has been assembled.

[Derek T.]

I am wondering if we could organize regional Port tasting groups with themes?

Roy,

This is a worthy idea but it does rely on committed individuals in each territory to organise and galvanise the troops into action. We have a very active group in the UK, predominently in London, but very few who go out of their way to make these things happen. That is in no way a critisism of those who do not, simply a fact of life that some have the time and inclanation to drive such events and others do not but are keen and willing to participate.

The challenge to those reading this thread is: are you someone who could take on the mantle of "event organiser" in your part of the world? If so, step up and make it happen - you have nothing to lose in trying

Derek

[Todd Pettinger]

I do not belong to any sort of group, but have been trying to organize a tasting with a group of people I have talked to in the past two years who are interested. Unfortunately, when it comes right down to it, there ends up being too few hours in the day for me to do the organization or my availability became compromised by working after hours or being on-call. I have a new job now which eliminates the on-call to very very rare circumstances and late hours to a handful fo days "as needed." Hopefully this means this will finally get off the ground.

My biggest challenge is that the majority of the people in mind are newbies to Port, which will mean more of an educational tasting of different styles, etc rather than pure enjoyment tasting. That and most of them need the "hook" before they start buying the really good bottles!

I'm working on it though!

Todd

[Moses Botbol]

I would like to have a more regular drinking group. It's like pulling nails to get my port buddies together. They can't make a decision and are the ultimate flip floppers. The wine drinkers I know are not that into port nor would they go through the formality that I think a tasting deserves.

Can't make a horse drink water as they say...

[Moses Botbol]

My biggest challenge is that the majority of the people in mind are newbies to Port, which will mean more of an educational tasting of different styles, etc rather than pure enjoyment tasting. That and most of them need the "hook" before they start buying the really good bottles!

I'm working on it though!

Todd

Also, it can't be Todd suplying all the port each time too. Especially at Canadien prices.

[Todd Pettinger]

My biggest challenge is that the majority of the people in mind are newbies to Port, which will mean more of an educational tasting of different styles, etc rather than pure enjoyment tasting. That and most of them need the "hook" before they start buying the really good bottles!

I'm working on it though!

Todd

Also, it can't be Todd suplying all the port each time too. Especially at Canadien prices.

LOL - that thought has come to mind!

When I get one going, after the initial hook, which would likely be me openeing a bunch of bottles from my own cellar as an excuse to get together, I have considered hosting the tasting and everybody commiting a set # of dollars... I would pool that cash and buy all the bottles so that one person does not feel the pinch of buying the most expensive one. Until they are ready to take the plunge themselves and but the bottles out of WANTING to rrather than obligation.

We'll see if that works.

[Daniel R.]

[/quote]
... I have considered hosting the tasting and everybody commiting a set # of dollars... I would pool that cash and buy all the bottles so that one person does not feel the pinch of buying the most expensive one. [/quote]

Fascinating, I would love to try something like this to get my friends more involved in Port. Unfortunately, I do not see this working in Portugal.

Social form requires one to be generous, which means in practice that people are either generous or not at all. This type of organization would seem awkward, I think. I only see this working if the objective is to define and keep to a budget and the buying decision is made together..

[Moses Botbol]

Perhaps having the event somewhere else with a fixed price will make it fair and make it look like you are not being stingy? I agree about being generous at one's home, but since it is not "at home" the expectation is also different.

Then again, I think it's a but crude for guests to think the host should open 5 bottles of port and everyone shows up empty handed. Not saying everyone should bring a vintage, but at least something to offset the price of the event. Ok, if the host is rich and has a huge collection, that is one thing... This "rich person" is rare...

You could assign each person a specific port that you just happen to have. Maybe they can find one and bring it? If not, you just happen to know where to get one "sell it to them". Unfortunately, most of us do not have unlimited bottles and it has to be a little give and take. I don't mind opening bottles until we're all sick, but it's not going to be epic bottle after bottle. We all have our limits.

Another option is to start your friends off with a Scotch or something so they are not as "thirsty" once the port is poured...

[Eric Menchen]

I had a thought I've not yet proposed to my local Port drinking friends, but I'll see what you here think. These are friends that enjoy Port, but don't regularly buy VP like we 'ers do. I was thinking this: I supply the bottles for the tasting, you bring whatever bottle of VP you can find, and here's a list of good deals to be found in the local area (with me supplying a list). This wouldn't keep my cellar stocked just as it had been, but would reduce the pain of supplying every bottle. What do you think? For my next tasting I'm thinking a vertical of Croft, 1970, 1977, 1991, 1994. Maybe if I use this approach I'll could get some Dow 1985 ($50), Vesuvio 2003 ($60), Roriz 2005 ($20), and/or Barros 2005 ($50), which are things I'd be buying locally if I weren't so busy buying other stuff over the internet.

[Moses Botbol]

I had a thought I've not yet proposed to my local Port drinking friends, but I'll see what you here think.

Sounds like you charge per head and that would work. You wouldn't really lose as they are paying. I know we throw in money if someone has a bottle that is more expensive than the rest of the line up or one person is providing the majority. Heck it's easier for me to pay someone who has something than me jumping through hoops looking for it.

As long as it is reasonable.

[Roy Hersh]

Moses,

So what are you going to do now that Sean is going to be moving?

Are you going to start up a new Port wine tasting group in MA?

If you ARE going to do that, I am willing to help.