For The Love Of Port

What are your most frequently used components of fortheloveofport.com?

Are you a tasting notes database junkie? Do you cruise around the forum long after you should have gone to bed?

Reply to this post and let us know
1) What things about the ftlop site do you find indespensible?
2) What parts do you rarely use?
3) What three things would you like to see added to ftlop?

Feel free to add any additional thought / comments!

For your convenience and to kickstart your feedback, here is a rought list of some of the main components of the site:

Forum
Wine Travel Page
Tasting Notes Database
- Roy's TNs (for subscribers)
- User TNs
PORTraits Image Library
Newsletter Archive
PORT FAQs
List of Port Producers
Archive
FTLOP Shop

Thanks

Primarily the Forum, plus specific look-ups in the Tasting Notes.

Reply to this post and let us know
1) What things about the ftlop site do you find indespensible?
2) What parts do you rarely use?
3) What three things would you like to see added to ftlop?

1. General forum and the TNs. Love the links to wine searcher, too out of the TN database.

2. Travel sections. But someday hope to be able to use it

3. Seem to have been a fair number of questions about pronunciations over the years. How about a glossary with pronunciations?

Peter W. Meek wrote:Primarily the Forum, plus specific look-ups in the Tasting Notes.

Pretty much the same. Just like talking port, wine and the like... Tasting notes are cool, especially for the dry wines.

My use in the order I use most:

1. Forum - I read the new post every day.

2. Tasting Notes - Roy's. I check here before I buy any port.

3. Newsletter - I read it as soon as it comes out.

4. FTLOP Home page. I would visit here more often if the Feature and Newest articles were updated more often. Not complaining, it just seems the same articles stay on the home page for months with no new updates.

Peter W. Meek wrote:Primarily the Forum, plus specific look-ups in the Tasting Notes.

+1

I do use the TNdb reasonably frequently. I sometimes look up my own tasting notes when trying to decide what to open (to see when I last opened it), or when trying to remember something about a specific tasting.

In addition, I do sometimes read the articles on the main page. And of course I use the main page to download the newsletter.

I am in general agreement with the comments above. Some of the "main components" listed I was not aware of, such as PORTraits. If you are looking to expand, I would think the logical area would be other fortified wines, but I am not sure how far "for the love of PORT" wants to go outside of Port wine. Otherwise, I appreciate the general Lusophile theme in addition to the port conversations.

Thank you all for the comments thus far. Please keep them coming. Your comments will help us in making it a better experience for all.

I tend to use the Madeira Forum and the Port and Madeira Marketplace forum... but I'm relatively new here to FTLOP so I can imagine getting more involved with TN, etc.

I will also note that I've been checking the Marketplace forum more in recent weeks due to the 2011 Port (pre)releases.

Similar to some statements above.
1. Forum - I check this most days.
2. Tasting Notes - I consult before buying something I'm not familiar with, and sometimes to pick something to open or to determine a decant time.
3. Newsletter - I download them when they come out, sometimes I manage to read them, sometime not. I have an archive to catch up on.

I sometimes visit the home page, but not often. I rarely visit the PORTraits section.

I wish it were easier to add images to posts, and perhaps have them show up in the PORTraits as a result. The current image-in-a-post mechanism puts the image in a frame or something and doesn't let it flow as nicely. I can upload the pictures somewhere and use IMG tags, but that is a bit of a hassle.

Eric Menchen wrote:Similar to some statements above.
1. Forum - I check this most days.
2. Tasting Notes - I consult before buying something I'm not familiar with, and sometimes to pick something to open or to determine a decant time.
3. Newsletter - I download them when they come out, sometimes I manage to read them, sometime not. I have an archive to catch up on.

I'll second every thing that Eric has said there, as that is pretty much sums up my habits too. The only other thing I'll add is that I use the archives link to find the Vintage reviews. These were especially useful when I was establishing a cellar as I was buying a lot from the 2000s.

Eric Menchen wrote: 1. Forum - I check this most days.
2. Tasting Notes - I consult before buying something I'm not familiar with, and sometimes to pick something to open or to determine a decant time.
3. Newsletter - I download them when they come out, sometimes I manage to read them, sometime not. I have an archive to catch up on.

This sums it up for me, as well.

I like PORTraits, but I still struggle like an idiot trying to use it to post pics to the forum, so I usually use Photobucket.

I go directly to the forum , why ? I like to be reminded that our beloved drink can be had for a reasonable price compared to Québec .

I use the forum and tasting notes by far the most. I like the accessibility of the newsletters as well. I'd love to see the articles up front rotated more, as well as the PORTraits perhaps reorganized into a more friendly format for those that don't know necessarily what's in there. Perhaps indexed for searching?

Stewart T. wrote:What three things would you like to see added to ftlop?

Oh Genie of the lamp, here are my three wishes...

1. A button that orders 12 bottles of Croft 1945 delivered to my home but doesn't charge my credit card.

2. A button that orders 12 cases of Fonseca 1970 delivered to my home but doesn't charge my credit card.

3. A button that orders 12 bottles of each 2011 VP that has been declared delivered to my home but doesn't charge my credit card.

Please make it so. Please!!!!!!

Eric Menchen wrote:Similar to some statements above.
1. Forum - I check this most days.
2. Tasting Notes - I consult before buying something I'm not familiar with, and sometimes to pick something to open or to determine a decant time.
3. Newsletter - I download them when they come out, sometimes I manage to read them, sometime not. I have an archive to catch up on.

I sometimes visit the home page, but not often. I rarely visit the PORTraits section.

I wish it were easier to add images to posts, and perhaps have them show up in the PORTraits as a result. The current image-in-a-post mechanism puts the image in a frame or something and doesn't let it flow as nicely. I can upload the pictures somewhere and use IMG tags, but that is a bit of a hassle.

I agree with virtually everything here.