The Price of Port

[Tony]

Hello all,

I am fairly new to Vintage Port as in the past I have been put off by cost. But i am amazed by the variance of prices once you search the internet for a bit, is it really just a matter of shopping around for a good price or are there great high street retailers out there that I cannot seem to find?

Tonight for example I was searching for Grahams 1983 and it went from £70 down to £35 (both available over the counter in London).

[jdaw1]

Prices, eh? Wine-Searcher is great at checking prices. Near my home in New York is a wine merchant selling Sandeman Vau 1997 for $110 a bottle. And another merchant, selling now at $60 but formerly at $100, a magnum of same. And a magnum is always better than a piffly ¾-litre thing.

Yes, there is real variation. (And the G85 is better than the G83.)

[Alex Bridgeman]

There are some bargains around at the moment, and likely to continue for the next six months or so as people look to liquidate their stocks to raise some cash. Wine-searcher.com is great at helping you to find a local or internet based retailer who can offer the best prices - there really are people who seem to successfully sell bottles at twice the lowest price to buyers who do not do their careful research.

In addition, if cost of bottles has put you off from port, I can thoroughly recommend Single Quinta Vintage Ports such as Croft's Roeda - which tend to be a little cheaper as they come from years considered to be lower quality, but rarely have I been disappointed by one - or second label ports such as Graham's Malvedos, or traditional / unfiltered Late Bottle Vintage ports such as those from Warre or Noval.

All of these are much cheaper than a full blown vintage port and often deliver 95%+ of the complexity and enjoyment, especially if you have the patience to buy a few bottles and lock them away for 10-20 years.

Alex

[benread]

One of the bargains available right now (in my opinion) is from Virgin Wines. They are selling Delaforce Quinta da Corte 1987 at £17.49 a bottle. And if you are prepared to join their wine bank scheme and wait 3 months that can come down to £13.11 for a Single Quinta that is great to drink now.

Everyone posting here is always keen to know of any bargains, so please post any you find lurking. JUst make sure you get what you want first because supllies have been known to be exhausted by TPFers!

[ac-fast]

In Denmark you can buy a Sandeman vau 1997 for 20 Dollars, If you buy it private.

The prices of port i going DOWN..... Private people is selling for low prices on auktion.
It just bought 6 bottels of Graham 97 for 290 Eur. -Normal price in a store is 550-600 Eur