OK Guys, it's time to wake up and realise that Christmas is only 4 weeks away
What are we all planning to open on Christmas Day this year?
Will I be watching my Father gulp down a whole glass of Dow's 1966? :x Will Tom be serving Cockburn's Special Reserve out of a decanter to his less refind guests and keeping the good stuff to himself? Will Alex be giving Elizabeth a glass of Krug Champagne to make sure she doesn't want any of his Nacional 63? :twisted:
What are your plans? What are you having? and who are you sharing it with?
Not sure what I will be drinking yet...but it won't be on Christmas day as I gotta work. As for my family, none are Port drinking fans so I'll probably be drinking that VP with friends the day after.
I will also be having my Christmas Port the day after Christmas Day. For reasons best not explained here I never have Christmas dinner on Christmas Day. So we can both be miserable on Christmas Day and celebrate in style the day after 8)
I'll be having dinner at my father in laws house in Minnesota starting around 2 PM. Champagne and still apertifs, undoubtedly a nice selection of wine during dinner, then a Warres vertical tasting!
I was going to pop a Single Quinta or second wine but as the only ones that are really ready are Fonseca Guimaraens 1988 and Malvedos 1987. Actually, as I was writing I just remembered that I have two bottles of Terra Feita 1988 - think I'll do one of those.
Derek, You peak our curiousity but if it is sensitve we understand. Boxing Day is a suitable alternative.
My family loves VP. All the brothers and inlaws and signifcant and insignificantt others line up for it but for this Thanskgiving , I opened NV Ware's and Taylor's.THey didn't seem to notice.
Christmas may call for an 83, maybe Cockburn's.
My Christmas Days have followed the same routine for a good number of years now. I always prepare our Christmas lunch and we eat around 1pm as a family of four - Elizabeth, myself and our two children.
Mid-afternoon, around 4pm, I will drive us to my parents in law where we will have Christmas Tea together. My in laws live only about 30 minutes drive away.
Then I will drive us home around 9pm.
With the driving - even if it is only a modest amount - I prefer not to drink alcohol at all.
So, to answer the question Derek has posed, I will be drinking Noport on Christmas Day. Probably on Boxing Day I will open my surprise bottle of Fonseca Guimaraens 1987 that I helped Elizabeth to choose for me.
But the prize for the most impressive Port Christmas has got to go to Jay and his Warre vertical.
Suffice to say that Christmas dinner is best served with those you love most in the world - which is why I have mine of Boxing Day
I usually find myself surrouded by people who like port but cannot tell the difference between Fonseca Bin 27 and Fonseca 1927 :? My usual approach to this is to have 1 special bottle (1963/66) and one good bottle (undeclared 80's or 90's) to make sure that eeryone at the table has something to enjoy and I can keep most of the good stuff for me and the 1 or 2 others who know the difference 8)
This year I think I will go with a bottle of Dow 66 and a bottle of Crasto 96 - everyone wins
My Christmas plans are in flux at the moment. Normally I would head up to my brother's (currently, a country house in Norfolk), but I have a bit of an issue with my sister-in-law, who is setting 'ground rules' that are more than a bit problematic...
Hopefully, things will resolve themselves - as I had planned to crack a rare Taylor '22 on Xmas Eve - but if not, it might be 'have fine wine - will travel!'
However, on Christmas Day I have to be back in my home village to open the local pub at 8pm - I have opened the pub on Christmas night (and only then) for the last 26 years
Derek,
If you noted my Thanksgiving reference, I opened NV ports, good stuff but ---
My family loves the better ports but never buy or bring any!
Tom ,
Those sound like run aground rules but--that '22 sounds great!
It has been some years since we have been in Cambridge but the memories are all fond. There was a great tea room near the market across from King's College that had the best scones for high tea, I think it was called Annie's Tea Room.
bridgema wrote:
Probably on Boxing Day I will open my surprise bottle of Fonseca Guimaraens 1987 that I helped Elizabeth to choose for me.
Alex
A few weird coincidences here, I also helped my wife buy me some FG '87 for an Xmas pressie last year and decdided to save it for this Xmas.
And, like Derek's father, will be gulping down some Dow's 66. Reason being is that it is probably my all-time favourite mature port that is not so old as to go off the radar price wise. I have one bottle left and drinking it will force me to buy some more when (hopefully) the prices drop next year as the birthday/anniversary market moves form the 66s on to the 77s.
Mind you, maybe BBR will tempt me into buying something at their annual port wallet-lightening session tonight.
Last Year it was a 55 Taylor that was one of the best Ports I've ever had. It was drinking beautifully and seamlessly....very classy drop indeed. I'm out of the 55's in my measley little cellar, so I suspect it will be onto one of the 63's.
Will Alex be giving Elizabeth a glass of Krug Champagne to make sure she doesn't want any of his Nacional 63? :twisted: 
