The 2007 Debate Revisited - Again!!

[Glenn E.]

Now I'm scared, I think I'm starting to understand British humor. I understood the joke before I got to derek's post.

Ah, but you've missed the irony that "British" humour doesn't exist; like culture it only exists in English, Welsh and Scottish forms

Yes, but the oxymoron is itself part of "British humour."

[Alex Bridgeman]

...compared to finished product filled by machine under a vacuum.

Roy,

Are you serious? Is the finished product run really bottled under vacuum or was it just a turn of phrase?

I never knew that. This is something that I've got to find out more about. Interesting to consider the changes that must occur to the port when it is put under vacuum. A large proportion of the dissolved gases must come out of the liquid and there may even be a loss of alcoholic content - I wonder how long the vacuum lasts and how pronounced the changes are. Interesting.

Do you know if this is general practice or is it one or two of the larger producers who do this?

Alex

[Alex Bridgeman]

When it was just Andy V and Uncle Tom being rude about me, it could be ignored another random far-away policeman doing what they do. But now Roy Hersh, member of the Confraria do Vinho do Porto, the man whose face appears on the pages of , has joined this impertinent and disrespectful folly. Even though continued silence might be more dignified, it is the moment for a public rebuttal: a reply, in common parlance.

There is nothing wrong with sucking up to the port industry. For us lowly enthusiasts, not owed any favours by the great, the good, or those with the best-furnished cellars, for us humble enthusiasts, owners of a few modest cases, there is no downside to sucking up to the port industry. So don’t disrespect it.

Very droll.

Nicely phrased. Building up the tension with a steady introduction, directing the reader to jump to a conclusion and then hitting them with an unexpected twist. Good delivery, good pace, nice misdirection. I'll award 89/100 for the construction of this unit of humour.

[SushiNorth]

...compared to finished product filled by machine under a vacuum.

Are you serious? Is the finished product run really bottled under vacuum or was it just a turn of phrase?

Another option to consider is that, rather than vacuum, they may simply pump it from the casks using a neutral gas (i.e. Nitrogen) to fill the empty space in the bottles (placeholder) and casks (volume replacement).

[g-man]

...compared to finished product filled by machine under a vacuum.

Are you serious? Is the finished product run really bottled under vacuum or was it just a turn of phrase?

Another option to consider is that, rather than vacuum, they may simply pump it from the casks using a neutral gas (i.e. Nitrogen) to fill the empty space in the bottles (placeholder) and casks (volume replacement).

or they could fill the empty bottles first with a neutral gas as the cask themselves should be fairly air tight. You would simply pump from the air tight cask into this nitrogen filled bottle and apply stopper on top.

But I thought that was the point of adding sulfur dioxide to the wine. Are cask samples pre sulfited?

[Glenn E.]

or they could fill the empty bottles first with a neutral gas as the cask themselves should be fairly air tight. You would simply pump from the air tight cask into this nitrogen filled bottle and apply stopper on top.

Something has to enter the cask as the Port leaves or you'd end up with a vacuum. They may be reasonably air tight for storage purposes, but when emptying and filling they can't be.