For The Love Of Port

Is there a VP vintage chart anywhere on FTLOP site?

Sorry--this has probably been asked many times before...

Derek has compiled the most comprehensive list I've ever seen. I'd email or PM him and ask if he would be willing to share it or give you what specific info you may be looking for.

Although the list here is not 100% complete, it is a decent list from the IVDP Check out this old thread here

Some thoughts after reading the thread:

Paul_B., what ever happened to that Excel list? If it exists, maybe it could be provided as a download with instructions to PM you, or whoever is prepared to take on the maintenance, with additions or corrections. This sounds like an appropriate project for FTLOP, since the Port governing body doesn't seem willing or able. I'd volunteer, but I don't have enough background knowledge to be able to tell if items make sense or not. I'd be willing to take on the spreadsheet part of the work, if someone else could vet the submissions and pass them on to me.

I would suggest some naming conventions: maybe "Noval, Quinta do"; and maybe a separate column for the holding house and year: | Symington | Warre | 1966 | so that searches and sorts can be more versatile. It probably is almost complex enough to be put in a relational database, but using Excel as a "flat" database will probably suffice and is much more accessible to more people.

(The advantage of a relational database is that any piece of information is held in only one place: if it is decided to change a naming convention and revert to "Quinta do Noval", that would only have to be changed once - no risk of it being changed for some entries and not others. Management is much easier; creation is much harder.)

Don't let everybody correct the list; have people send item changes. That way a Version Control nightmare is avoided. It is VERY important that there is only ONE master copy of such a list (with backups, certainly), but it is very important that changes are not made to multiple copies of a list like this.

It seems quite likely that the phpBB system has a fairly versatile file management module. I don't see it implemented, but whoever manages the system should be able to configure it to accept uploaded files from one group of users, and allow downloads by a different group of users.

Matters are already in hand. Derek T. and I are building such a list, as complete as possible. Research is still underway.

If you have a specific question to address to our thoroughly-but-still-incompletely researched database, we’re happy to help. E.g., did house Xxxxxx declare year YYYY? But if your question is ‘please may I have a copy of all your data’ then, for the moment at least, our enthusiasm for helping will be much lower.

J. D. A. Wiseman wrote:Matters are already in hand. Derek T. and I are building such a list, as complete as possible. Research is still underway.

Perfectly happy to see it happening.

My comments were directed at the possibility that it was languishing because of no input or volunteers. Also, some opinions based on having been involved in a few similar exercises.

I look forward to seeing the results of your efforts. Too often, people don't get the atta-boys they deserve for work like this, so:

J. D. A. Wiseman wrote:Matters are already in hand

Nice! We are all looking forward to this!

If anyone out there has data relating to vintage declarations, particularly those prior to 1900, please feel free to contact Julian or I to share and enhance the data we have already collected. We are being rigorous in out attempt to validate all entries in the database so please, if you are sending us data, include details of the source.

Derek

Thank you so much JDA and Derek--look forward to all your work!

I tried to get such a list earlier this year and look forward to it. I won't bug anybody yet. I read one historical book from 1910 and have a digital copy of Oporto, Old and New which was published in 1899. If I can add anything on the older years, I will.

Derek is in charge of books. I of auctions. Other sources—many!—yet to be divided.

Peter W. Meek wrote:Some thoughts after reading the thread:

Paul_B., what ever happened to that Excel list? If it exists, maybe it could be provided as a download with instructions to PM you, or whoever is prepared to take on the maintenance, with additions or corrections. This sounds like an appropriate project for FTLOP, since the Port governing body doesn't seem willing or able. I'd volunteer, but I don't have enough background knowledge to be able to tell if items make sense or not. I'd be willing to take on the spreadsheet part of the work, if someone else could vet the submissions and pass them on to me.

Yes, I did start some 2.5 years ago a large Excel list using all my Port books, google skills, emails from producers, emails from other members especially Mario how had direct contact with some smaller producers... countless hours of effort. I had reached a good level some 2000 bottles I think... up to and including 2003. And being in Excel it was easy to pivot the data by year or by brand... then it happened, PC crash and lost the file. Then about 2 years ago my spare time dropped considerably for professional and personal reasons and I simply was not able to invest the time something like this requires. I did start a second time a few months ago as I felt I still owed this but it sits at 600 bottles and I don't see how I could commit to this since my spare time has not improved yet.
I think if you guys have a decent list then once it is shared the other members can just make corrections or minor additions to refine it it will progress quickly at that point as more people involved to share the load.
or maybe this will be offered as a read-only web based pull service by FTLOP available only to subscribers. Every published list is strong in one period of time and weak in others so this might be the best list out here.

cheers
Paul

Derek T. wrote:If anyone out there has data relating to vintage declarations, particularly those prior to 1900, please feel free to contact Julian or I to share and enhance the data we have already collected. We are being rigorous in out attempt to validate all entries in the database so please, if you are sending us data, include details of the source.

And if you don’t have data, please help us find it by retweeting this tweet.