ThePortForum.com

I recently noticed that on WVP, when you buy a case (or single bottle) of Quevedo 2018, you get a free 90cl sample.

I would like it to be publically known that this is a fantastic idea that all producers should be adopting (even if this particular case is a happy little accident of Quevedo sending too many samples to VWP).

A common conundrum faced by wine lovers. You have just bought a case of something wonderful. Do you
a) Keep in your onsite stocks or
b) Place it in storage

Each have negatives. With the former, you can drink one bottle now and you're left with an uncomplete case which many storages place won't take. You have now filled up useful space for auction purchases with something that won't be ready for 20 years. The latter obviously means you can't taste that beautiful, punchy fruit that some of us really love in young VP especially.

Including just a small, 90cl sample is a perfect solution to this giving you the option to try and then decide on storage without ruining your OWC. Not everyone is fortunate enough to go to a tasting horizontal! The cost premium of adding it is surely next to nothing on a (half) case of VP?

Producers please do this more. Please. Pretty please.

Another option would be to have such sample bottles available across a range in order to try 'on approval'. You could then be credited against the cost of the sample (which shouldn't cost much any case) if you go back and buy the full size bottle or case. Strikes me that this approach would likely work best for wood aged Ports although in saying that, the Quevedo 2018 showed itself nicely in miniature.

We all know the only proper way to do a sample with a cask of VP is when you buy a case of Qd Noval and get a bottle of Nacional, as I think they did in the early years!

idj123 wrote: ↑09:39 Sat 01 Aug 2020 Another option would be to have such sample bottles available across a range in order to try 'on approval'. You could then be credited against the cost of the sample (which shouldn't cost much any case) if you go back and buy the full size bottle or case. Strikes me that this approach would likely work best for wood aged Ports although in saying that, the Quevedo 2018 showed itself nicely in miniature.

The lockdown has demonstrated that you can do releases of new wines without having to get the critics / buyers in a single room and I don’t think many are keen to go back to the old days. That would create a bit of a industry for the production of samples which could also be offered to consumers (assuming the IVDP can be persuaded not to engage in some nonsense with regulation).

I would always happily pay the going commercial rate for a chance to taste new VP on release and have always been sad that there is no-one who will take my money to do so!

I don't think an exercise like this needs to be down to the producers.

Once bottles have been shipped and are outside the control of the IVDP / producers you can decant into different formats as you please. I own the only three Tappit Hens of Quinta do Vesuvio 2011 that exist. I own them because I had three empty 2.1 litre Tappit Hen bottles and bought 2 cases of bottles. I carefully cleaned and sterilised the empty Tappit Hens, opened several bottles and filled my tappit hens before corking and waxing them.

There is nothing to stop an enterprising UK agent or wine merchant from doing something similar but into smaller bottles.

AHB wrote: ↑23:12 Sat 01 Aug 2020 I don't think an exercise like this needs to be down to the producers.

Once bottles have been shipped and are outside the control of the IVDP / producers you can decant into different formats as you please. I own the only three Tappit Hens of Quinta do Vesuvio 2011 that exist. I own them because I had three empty 2.1 litre Tappit Hen bottles and bought 2 cases of bottles. I carefully cleaned and sterilised the empty Tappit Hens, opened several bottles and filled my tappit hens before corking and waxing them.

There is nothing to stop an enterprising UK agent or wine merchant from doing something similar but into smaller bottles.

As it looks increasingly unlikely that we will be able to taste the 18 vintage in the format that we have done the last couple of years, maybe the producers can supply us with a couple of bottles each and they then can be decanted into these 90ml bottles and we can then have an on-line tasting of them? I'd be happy to pay the costs involved, for the privilege.

Love this idea -- what a great way for the consumer to get an idea what the bottle(s) they are laying down for 15-30yrs are like. Go Quevedo! Marketing brilliance there.