Port and literature

Anything to do with Port.
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djewesbury
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Port and literature

Post by djewesbury »

Name the novel:
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DRT
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Re: Port and literature

Post by DRT »

The "Wensley!" gives it away: Wallace and Gromit :D
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
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djewesbury
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Port and literature

Post by djewesbury »

Almost. The first prize of a pallet of Graham's Stone Terraces is still out there for the first correct guess.
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PhilW
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Re: Port and literature

Post by PhilW »

Obviously the record from a very poorly organised tasting - the Chief misspelt Warre.
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jdaw1
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Re: Port and literature

Post by jdaw1 »

Our Man in Havana?

PS: please do post literature mentions of specific VPs.
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djewesbury
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Re: Port and literature

Post by djewesbury »

Hooray! JDAW, the man with the forklift is on his way to south London.

Yes I think we should collate these. And they do make an interesting little teaser.
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jdaw1
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Re: Port and literature

Post by jdaw1 »

An easy one:
  • Det fanns tvättstuga, bastu, gym, förrÃ¥dsutrymmen och ett badrum med ett badkar i King Size-klassen. Där fanns till och med en vinkällare som var tom sÃ¥ när som pÃ¥ en oöppnad flaska portvin Quinta do Noval Nacional! frÃ¥n 1976. Mikael hade svÃ¥rt att föreställa sig Lisbeth Salander med ett glas portvin i handen. Ett kort angav att det var en stÃ¥ndsmässig inflyttningspresent frÃ¥n mäklaren.
I have to hand one the first few sentences from the official English translation:
  • There was an enormous balcony with a fantastic view. There was a laundry room, a sauna, a gym, storage rooms, and a bathroom with a king-size bath. There was even a wine cellar, which was empty except for an unopened bottled of Quinta do Noval port Nacional! from 1976.
Of course, NN76 was never released.
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djewesbury
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Re: Port and literature

Post by djewesbury »

Ah yes. The Girl With The Fictional Grand Cru Vintage Port.
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Re: Port and literature

Post by TLW »

Although not a specific vintage, Sherlock Holmes solves the mystery at the Abbey Grange with his knowledge of port sediment.
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Re: Port and literature

Post by TLW »

Also, whilst I do not remember the vintage (I think it was mentioned), Lord Darlington serves vintage port to Ribbentrop in "The Remains of the Day".
LGTrotter
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Re: Port and literature

Post by LGTrotter »

I have to mention Dorothy L Sayers. At various times Lord Peter Wimsey is drinking port, usually Cockburn. There is one ('Clouds of Witness'?) where Murbles the solicitor is left a case of the Cockburn 1847 by a grateful client in their will. Drinking the wine in the 1920s they pronounce it dead; 'a ghost merely', however Andre Simon reports it alive and well in 'Vintagewise' in the 1930s. I have a feeling that Ms Sayers and her ficticious paramour Lord Peter liked their port younger and fruitier than I do.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Port and literature

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

There is no specific vintage mentioned in The Warden, by Anthony Trollope, but Septimus Harding is described as reaching for the "green foil" when he needs a glass of port at the end of the day - green foil capsules being used only by Taylors at the time the book was published in 1855.
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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jdaw1
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Re: Port and literature

Post by jdaw1 »

AHB wrote:green foil capsules being used only by Taylors at the time the book was published in 1855.
Seal colours were not widely recorded at that time. However, the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers’ stock list of January 1876, includes 4 dozen and 11 of ‟Beachcroft” 1847, ‟Green Seal”, purchased in 1875.
Image

Of course, perhaps Beachcroft was a BOB for Taylor, and ’47 would have been rather young in ’55.
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Alex Bridgeman
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Re: Port and literature

Post by Alex Bridgeman »

jdaw1 wrote:
AHB wrote:green foil capsules being used only by Taylors at the time the book was published in 1855.
Seal colours were not widely recorded at that time. However, the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers’ stock list of January 1876, includes 4 dozen and 11 of ‟Beachcroft” 1847, ‟Green Seal”, purchased in 1875.
Image

Of course, perhaps Beachcroft was a BOB for Taylor, and ’47 would have been rather young in ’55.
Only on TPF could we enjoy discussing such details. I did laugh out loud when I read this response to my post. :lol:
Top Ports in 2023: Taylor 1896 Colheita, b. 2021. A perfect Port.

2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
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g-man
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Re: Port and literature

Post by g-man »

i had to wipe purple off my screen
Disclosure: Distributor of Quevedo wines and Quinta do Gomariz
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AW77
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Literature quiz

Post by AW77 »

Dear all,

here's a literature quiz for sunday:

"Has a good palate for port".

1. What's the name of the book?
2. Who's the author?

Best wishes
Andre
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The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt know thy Port
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djewesbury
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Re: Literature quiz

Post by djewesbury »

Forster..?
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djewesbury
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Re: Literature quiz

Post by djewesbury »

We recently had a literature quiz and it was felt sufficiently worthy to be moved to Port Conversations rather than Meaningless Drivel. Perhaps an admin could unite these two threads..?
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AW77
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Re: Literature quiz

Post by AW77 »

No, but he might have known E.M. Forster personally...
The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt know thy Port
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jdaw1
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Re: Port and literature

Post by jdaw1 »

Threads merged.

The Ministry Of Fear, Graham Greene.
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djewesbury
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Re: Port and literature

Post by djewesbury »

Hmm. Evelyn Waugh.
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djewesbury
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Re: Port and literature

Post by djewesbury »

jdaw1 wrote:The Ministry Of Fear, Graham Greene.
Ah. Yes indeed.
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jdaw1
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Re: Port and literature

Post by jdaw1 »

Our second Graham Greene port reference. Have any TPFers read a biography of GG: was he a port enthusiast?
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AW77
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Re: Port and literature

Post by AW77 »

Congratulations jdaw1
It's Graham Greene's "Ministry of fear".
I'm not really familiar with Greene's biography, but think he just used the references to Port as a way of saying that someone was an "orthodox" Englishman. After all, Port is the Englishman's wine.
The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt know thy Port
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djewesbury
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Re: Port and literature

Post by djewesbury »

More from Saintsbury, nicely summing up the joy of collecting and drinking port:
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