For The Love Of Port

I thought that this was worth starting up a new thread, and I've started the thread with a copy of the posting that I dropped into one of the other threads a couple of days ago. The topic is something that gets me agitated and is one of those topics where I could easily degenerate into a (constructively intended) rant - what better place for it than here? :x

I haven't yet worked my way through the list of port producers websites that Roy included in his last newsletter, but I have looked at a few of them in the past.

I must admit that I have been rather disappointed by many of the websites. Quinta do Noval, for example, if you select the 1994 Nacional from their drop down list to read about the wine - the screen comes up blank.

I like the Symington's website and its ability to provide you with brief details of the weather conditions for the declared years back to 1900, but I find it disappointing that whenver I go to the site I get a pop-up promoting the "recently declared 2003 vintage".

So, having put my previous posting into a new thread with a new and appropriate title, here's today's addition.

I've just been offered the opportunity to buy an older bottle of a Niepoort port (no Roy, not the 1927 ) so I thought I would go to the Niepoort website and see what they have to say there about the wine, growing conditions, tasting report etc. What do I find? That there are data sheets for 1983, 1987 and 2003 This is the sort of thing that really disappoints me. I have a goddaughter born in 1991 and she has a case of the Niepoort in storage for her 21st birthday. It would be great if this wine was referenced on the website. What about the legendary 1963? What about Roy's latest Holy Grail of the 1927? Why aren't these written about and given details of? Surely, of all the places you would expect to be able to find out about such rare vintages, the producers own website is the one. Its unlikely that I will ever be in a position to taste or drink one of these legendary wines, so the closest I will ever get is to read about it and dream about it....but not using the Niepoort website.

And this rant is not just aimed at Niepoort's website (note that as a company, I think they are fantastic in the way they behaved over the faulty corks). Quinta do Noval's website is just as bad. Where is the mention of the 1931? Where are the data sheets for the 1963 Nacional?

So, here is my personal plea to all you large producers who read this forum, please think about us. You have probably tasted more of your wines that we will ever have the opportunity to do so. Please, please put more tasting notes, data sheets and weather reports on your websites because these are wonderful things to read through.

Thanks,

Alex

I could not agree more with what Alex has said. When I first caught the port bug I spent hours and hours on google trying to find shippers websites. When I did find them I was invariably disappointed.

The Symington site was about the best I found, mainly because the forum there is where I found that port nut from Montreal, Fred Blais, but even that site now seems rather basic in the modern internet world. I have registered for e-mail notification of declarations at least 3 times and have not yet received an e-mail from them despite a blanket declaration of 2003 :x

Worst of all is the IDVP site - nothing seems to work. These are the guys who should be promoting port to the world, not relying on guys like Roy doing their work for them.

There are some very nice designs out there but no real content. It would not take much effort to have more comprehensive vintage charts/reports and wouldn't it be nice if you ever got a reply to an e-mail enquiry from a shippers "Contact Us" page

There you go Alex, is that enough of a rant for you?

Derek

All the more reason to spend your time here! Wait until you see what Stewart has coming shortly, you'll never wanna leave again. Certainly not to a particular wine magazine's website.

Anyway, please do give the Niepoort site a break. It was only in existence for a month when I listed it recently. It is a work in progress. Unfortunately, most websites are created and released from Beta and go live ... before they have content in place.

During the FTLOP design phase, Stewart was very pleased that there was so much content already produced, for him to work with. Now that we are in just our 10th month ... the retrofit will make a big difference here.

BTW, my holy grail is not the Niepoort '27 which I have had, but the Fonseca '27 which I haven't. So if you are going out to buy one bottle ... please do pick the correct 1927 to get me to fly overseas.

As to other Shippers websites, you must also realize that some of the smaller companies based in the Douro ... do not have the technical resources at their disposal to create world class websites. Remember that some parts of the Douro only received electricity within the past 25 years!!!

Roy,

I hear what you say about the smaller shippers but the Symingtons, Noval, Taylor group and Sandeman are more than capable of funding a decent website. I'm sure there are half a dozen others that could be added to that list.

I'd be interested in your views on the IDVP site - this is a government sponsored organisation that exists to control and pormote the port industry across the world. Isn't it about time they employed someone like Stuart to allow them to spread the word through this "new" medium of the "Information Super Highway" ( R Reagan (I think?) 20 years ago!!!)

Derek

The IVDP is a large quasi-governmental agency of the Portuguese government. Their funding is not large, yet their powers are. I would bet that the Shippers and producers feel that they put enough money towards the IVDP that their representation and promotion efforts should even be stronger. Should they have a more thorough website? Absolutely.

However, I am not sure if the IVDP has even one full-time person dedicated to the website. I am sure Mario will stop in here and give us some more information about this.

I do understand your frustrations about the Port website's not being what you'd expect. Some have their importer's websites to fall back on. For example, the Fladgate Partnership relies heavily on their US importer's site which is http://www.kobrand.com. Although you may believe that the Port trade is raking in the big bucks due to their 2003 release prices or whatever else may have you thinking in those terms, but the vast majority are not super rich wine conglomerates, and if you look closely, besides AXA almost every Port firm (even the larger groups like Barros and Sogrape etc ...) is family owned.

Trust me, the producers are ALL reading our website on occasion and the odds of even this one thread being seen ... is pretty good. I get email comments all the time about a specific posting or thread. Sometimes I wish they'd participate and add their expertise, but I certainly understand why they prefer to keep anonymous. To be honest, I don't blame them!

The Niepoort site would be better if the pictures were in compressed JPG instead of TIF. Those 150 MB files take a l...o...n...g time to download.

I will pass that info on to Mr. Niepoort. Thanks!

I hadn't realised about the Niepoort site being new, and I certainly don't want to put any port producers off spending time and effort on developing their websites. A good website is a very cheap way of getting your message out to a section of the market that is literate, interested (otherwise they would not have looked at your site) and probably affluent enough to afford the product.

So in an effort to be even more, constructive, I generously offer the services of all those on the FTLOP forum who have the time or the inclination to any and all port producers who are developing new websites. We will be happy to look at, explore, test and feedback on the websites that are in existence or are being developed.

Any producers who would like to take up the offer could either post here or could get in touch discretely with Roy.

And its not difficult to get the labour to build a good website - our local schools all run projects for the 14-15 year olds who need experience in business and also need a project for their IT exams. Small local businesses "sponsor" a group of 2-3 children from a local class. The children go out to the business, meet a few people, learn what the business does, develop a design with the business for the website and then build the website. The business gets a new website every 2-3 years. The children get something good on their CV and the school gets a very modest donation towards the cost of their IT equipment.

Alex

I would be happy to join the FTLOP web testing teamand, now that I've had my rant, I can even promise to only give constructive feedback

As a start perhaps FTLOP members could post ideas here of what they would like to see on the "ideal" port shipper's website - all you lurking shippers out there could think of this as some free market research 8)

Derek

Good suggestion, so I'll start with what I would love to see on every port shipper's web site. Purely my personal opinion.

1) Nice pictures of the shipper's property or vineyards

2) A history of the shipper (whether started in 1648 or 2002, I'm interested to learn about the history of the wines that I drink)

3) A summary of the styles of wine that the shipper produces

4) A list of agents representing the shipper in different countries - although I am mostly interested in the UK representative

5) News bulletins and announcements, weather and harvest reports going back as far as possible, but interesting even if these reports only start today. How many shippers still keep field notes in a book? Many won't and will keep their notes on a computer - we'd love to read how the wines and vines are doing.

6) Tasting notes on each of the current wines.

7) Tasting notes for as many as possible of the vintage wines that the shipper has made. (For example, the comments about the 1941 Noval Vintage Port that Cristiano were interesting. I've never tasted and probably never will taste a 1941 but it is interesting to read what others think of it.)

8) Special offers for FTLOP members to buy old wines from the quinta at bargain prices (Well, Derek did say the "ideal" port website.)

But 1-7 are serious suggestions.

Alex