POLL re: Port Preferences in a Restaurant Environment

[Roy Hersh]

Having spent the vast majority of my professional career working in the foodservice industry within hotels, restaurants, airports, casinos, ski and golf resorts ... I have created a couple of dozen wine lists over the years. I always find it interesting to learn about the preferences and rationale of wine consumers, when making their Port buying decisions in a foodservice environment. That is the reason for creating the poll, but I'd also like to hear the "why" behind your poll response.

For the moment, so that the vast differences in types of eating establishments won't become a point of discussion ... let's ONLY discuss what you'd order after dinner in a nice restaurant.

[David G.]

I order the tawny not just because I like them so much but also because a vintage port likely either has been open for too long and gone stale or has just been opened, and in either case not properly decanted. The 10 year tawny in contrast does not suffer anywhere near as much for being open a long time.

Of course, once I ordered a 20 year Dow tawny at the table and then saw the bartender open a new bottle of a 1983 Dow for me.

[Frederick Blais]

My first choice is obviously a young vintage. It is a show off wines that I always like to make discover to friends. Normally I choose a young single vintage port from 95, 98 vintage. It is cheaper than classic Vintage, especially at restaurant.

But as David said, ofently, you have to ask if the bottle has been opened recently. I've seen some restaurant lying on this. If I have doubt, I'll probably take a Taylor 20 year old tawny, vastly available here in Quebec in many bars and restaurants.

[Andy Velebil]

I usualy get a 10 yr tawny as they are what is carried more by restaurants around me and are a safer bet than a VP that has probably been open for several days, at least, and more likely several weeks

But if I know for sure the bottle has not been opened or has just been opened in the last day or two, I will go for the VP, just to try something new, if I have not had it before.

[Marc J.]

I'd vote for either a 20 or 30 y.o. tawny. If I'm ordering a port after a meal in a nice restaurant I would probably not order a 10 y.o. or LBV(great for everyday drinking, but not exactly special) nor a 40 y.o. (too expensive - $80.00/glass in local restaurants, plus I'm certain that these bottles have sat around for QUITE awhile). Typically a VP in a restaurant environment isn't exactly at its peak (at least that is my impression). I just don't see a need to order a port that might be sub-par (in particular older vintages) and also pay a premium to drink it. Generally a tawny will tend to hold up better over time which is as a major factor for a wine that might not "move" as quickly as some.

[Russ K]

10 to 20 yr tawny is the way to go, prices are usually not unreasonable whereas 30+ and vintages can get a little carried away for a couple of ounces.
Also LBV's are also good option, but I would usually go with a tawny.

[Stuart Chatfield]

I'd go for the 10yo. It is less likely than any other to be served badly or having been open for too long and will be reasonably well priced compared to the others. I wouldn't have a VP eating out as I'd feel cheated paying per glass what I know I have paid for a bottle in my own cellar!

[Points Mean Prizes]

Depending on teh restaraunt I tend to go for an early vintage if I am convinced it has not been open long. If I don't get a 'warm feeling' from the response that i get then I go for a Tawny as they seem to last longer once decanted IMO.

[Al B.]

Hmm. I guess the first thing I should say is a point that I made somewhere else on the forum a while back - if eating out with friends or family I would not feel that I could only order port after the meal. I will often order one with the main meal.

Normally I will always go for the VP. I am perfectly happy with a VP that has been open for a number of days so I am usually quite relaxed about ordering VP by the glass, especially if I am in a restaurant where I know that they sell a fair amount of it so turn it over relatively quickly and where I know that they are honest about their decanting times. I recently drank the Niepoort 2000 which was fiercely tannic and thoroughly enjoyable even after 4 days in the decanter.

Similarly, if I am not on my own (or if bottle prices are keen) I will also order a full bottle of an older wine. On a recent trip to Smith & Wollensky I bought a bottle of Warre's 1977 as the wine to accompany the meal driven by two facts - (1) this was a wine that I had not tasted; and (2) the price was within the upper range of the retail price.

If there isn't a VP on the list, I could be tempted by an unfiltered LBV but would normally choose an alternative desert wine of some type.

Alex

[Eddie]

I'm a sucker for a tawny - 20 or 40 years.

[Roy Hersh]

I find that many restaurants do not handle Port well, although it is not always their fault.

IF I owned a restaurant, I would ONLY sell Vintage Port by the bottle unless I had a great Cruvinet system. Too often, VP gets opened and then sits for weeks and in some cases, for months until it finally gets emptied or tossed.

I ONLY order Tawny Ports or very rarely, LBV Ports. I am a 20 year Tawny fan and rarely order anything else in a restaurant. If they do sell VP by the glass, I will only buy it in a restaurant, if they'd open the bottle in front of me OR if it was in a very few places that I trust enough to believe the bottle was "just opened last night." Otherwise, I might ask to have a small taste to ensure the wine is drinking well. But 95% of the time, it is 20 year Tawny for me.

I have worked around enough food service operations to know that bartenders and even restaurant managers do and will LIE about having just opened the bottle of VP.