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Just saying hello...

Posted: 18:49 Sat 14 Oct 2017
by Hopkino
Evening all. Just thought I’d drop a brief hello, having been orientated to this site through both my love of Port & my local supplier - Vintage Wine & Port.
As a relatively young 40 something, I’ve grown to both appreciate and respect Vintage Port; and with a mere 20 odd bottles gracefully maturing, this forum was recommended as a great social and educational starting point by Dia.
I’m not rich by most standards, but looking to expand my collection, take part in tasting sessions & learn more about the wonderful world of Port - everything else comes as a bonus!

Re: Just saying hello...

Posted: 19:23 Sat 14 Oct 2017
by Doggett
Welcome to the Forum! Enjoying port is all you need regardless of how many bottles you have. I hope to see you venture up for a tasting sometime soon, where you will definitely enjoy some great company, good juice and learn so much from the tasting and the wealth of knowledge that the welcoming members have always been kind enough to share with me. You are lucky with the range of your local supplier and with Dia's council too. All the best, and see at a tasting sometime in the future.
Simon

Re: Just saying hello...

Posted: 22:45 Sat 14 Oct 2017
by Hopkino
Thanks ever so much Simon. I’m looking forward to rubbing shoulders with great company in the near future.

Re: Just saying hello...

Posted: 19:49 Tue 17 Oct 2017
by Alex Bridgeman
Welcome to the forum. You'll fit in well here - you love port!

As Simon (and no doubt Dia) has said, we like drinking port and we like sharing port with others. Please don't feel shy about putting your hand up (metaphorically) and asking to take a place at one of our evenings in London. We all started that way, asking if we could come along and being welcomed when we arrived. We'd love you to join us. We'd love you to share the bottles of port we bring. The format is usually that we each bring a bottle of port which fits with the theme chosen by the evening's organiser. We meet (usually in London and the Boot & Flogger near London Bridge station, quite convenient for Waterloo if you use the Jubilee line) around 18.30, have dinner about 19.30 and leave about 22.00. You'd be asked to pay your share of the costs of the room hire, glass hire, food and service (currently this works out at £50) for the evening.

Alex

Re: Just saying hello...

Posted: 19:15 Wed 18 Oct 2017
by Hopkino
Thanks ever so much for the reply Alex. I’m really interested in putting my hand up for the tasting sessions in London. Unfortunately though, due to working commitments, I’d need to plan at least 6 weeks in advance to ensure I could arrange the time off. I’d be looking to stay overnight in London too, so I can ensure I don’t have to worry about travel etc. I see there is one in a few weeks, which unfortunately is to soon to be able to reschedule my diary for, but I’ll keep an open eye for any future dates

Re: Just saying hello...

Posted: 17:53 Sat 21 Oct 2017
by Alex Bridgeman
Hopkino wrote: 19:15 Wed 18 Oct 2017 Thanks ever so much for the reply Alex. I’m really interested in putting my hand up for the tasting sessions in London. Unfortunately though, due to working commitments, I’d need to plan at least 6 weeks in advance to ensure I could arrange the time off. I’d be looking to stay overnight in London too, so I can ensure I don’t have to worry about travel etc. I see there is one in a few weeks, which unfortunately is to soon to be able to reschedule my diary for, but I’ll keep an open eye for any future dates
Or, if it works better for you, feel free to start a thread with a suggested date or two when it would be convenient for you to be in London overnight. We have little planned for January or February but inevitably we organise something in those cold, winter months. If you suggested a date which worked for you, you might well find that something coalesces around your diary.

Re: Just saying hello...

Posted: 22:55 Fri 09 Feb 2018
by jdaw1
Nudge — please do show some enthusiasm for any date, but specify which.

Re: Just saying hello...

Posted: 23:06 Mon 19 Feb 2018
by Hopkino
My apologies to all - ive been so incredibly busy with both work and life that I’ve hardly had a time to breathe since the Christmas run up. I’m visiting London on the 28th April for the Vintage Wine Festival @ Billingsgate, but was thinking about travelling up on the 27th if anything is going on?
Otherwise my diary says I’m into June or July before I can realistically commit to anything. More than happy to meet up with enough notice to book a suitable hotel & make travel plans.

Re: Just saying hello...

Posted: 00:20 Thu 22 Feb 2018
by jdaw1
Fridays are difficult: the venues are full and less desirous of our custom, and many of us have weekend commitments. Could you stay in London such that the tasting would be on Monday 30th April?