Gateway Port - 6th October 2026?

[akzy]

I have always enjoyed Port (supermarket ruby and LBVs), but I really went down the rabbit hole in 27th March 2018 when I stepped into the Cockburn lodge in Porto and tried the 2011 VP. I was absolutely blown away and paid far too much on a bottle on the spot. This was my gateway Port.

I think it would be an excellent tasting if we could all bring our gateway Port and story to share with one another.
October 2026 is empty for tastings so would work well there.
Where? Boot and Flogger
When? - Confirmed 6pm, 6th October 2026
Who's keen?

1. ZDR - Ck2011
2. CPR 1 - T70 - Confirmed
3. idj123 - ??? - Confirmed
4. NigelM - F63 - Confirmed
5. PhilW - C63 - Confirmed
6. winesecretary - Ck67 - Confirmed
7. JDAW - T70
8. nac - D70 - Confirmed
9. flash_uk - W70
10. Alex Bridgeman - T63/V89/GM79 - Confirmed
11. hadge - G63 - Confirmed
12. M. Charlton - V92 - Confirmed

Unable

• mcoulson
• Glenn E.

[CPR 1]

Sounds fun, Taylor 1970 for me.

[mcoulson]

Excellent ... F77 for me ....

[idj123]

No idea what my gateway Port was but I’m sure I can provide a representative example.

[idj123]

No idea what my gateway Port was but I’m sure I can provide a representative example.

[NigelM]

Ooo what a great theme. What converted me to the dark side??? Well, who, was M Coulson, but the F63 Nectar did it, so stick me down for that!

[PhilW]

Looks like I'll need to bring a Croft '63.

[winesecretary]

Agreed a great idea for a tasting.

Cockburn 1967 for me. There’s one somewhere in the cellar. Or Warre 1970. There’s a fair bit of that!

[jdaw1]

Oh, yes please.

[nac]

Yup.

Dow 1970.

[flash_uk]

Yes please - W70

[Alex Bridgeman]

Yes please. Either Taylor 1963 or Vesúvio 1989 or Malvedos 1979 for me. All have a story. All were gateway Ports…

[akzy]

How does Tuesday 6th October sit? Please confirm if you're ok with it and with enough mass, I'll arrange a booking - guessing Red Room.

[mcoulson]

I'm afraid 6th does not work for me ... I'm away first two weeks do have a fun time tho ...m

[NigelM]

6th ok at the moment

[winesecretary]

I have 'Fonseca v Niepoort Vertical' in my diary for 6 October.

[PhilW]

I have 'Fonseca v Niepoort Vertical' in my diary for 6 October.

I'm afraid you may have forgotten this:

**Please note date change**
The date has now been set as 19th January 2027 ... <snip>

and this:

I am alas a no for the new day as I will be in court.

[Alex Bridgeman]

6th October is OK for me at the moment.

[CPR 1]

6th October is good for me - Thanks

[winesecretary]

@Phil_W - Thank you for reminding me. 6th October is good then!

[idj123]

6th October good for me also.

[akzy]

The red room is now booked for 6th October.

[Glenn E.]

Sadly, I am unable to attend.

My gateway Port was literally the first Port that I ever tasted - a Porto Rocha 20 Year Old Tawny Port. It was given to me for my 40th birthday in 2004, by one of my several friends who had been trying for years to find something that I liked to drink. Other than "anything that comes with an umbrella in it" aka Tiki bar drinks, they'd never been successful. Until that fateful half bottle.

Unless I'm somehow screwing up the filters in winesearcher.com, it appears that it is no longer available anywhere in the world. I would have happily ordered a bottle and had it sent to someone to add to this tasting.

[hadge]

why not, humm my gateway port, was a T27, but the night before there was a G63 which i enjoyed which made my host open the T27 the next evening. therefore i will bring a G63 which created the openning.

[akzy]

Sadly, I am unable to attend.

My gateway Port was literally the first Port that I ever tasted - a Porto Rocha 20 Year Old Tawny Port. It was given to me for my 40th birthday in 2004, by one of my several friends who had been trying for years to find something that I liked to drink. Other than "anything that comes with an umbrella in it" aka Tiki bar drinks, they'd never been successful. Until that fateful half bottle.

Unless I'm somehow screwing up the filters in winesearcher.com, it appears that it is no longer available anywhere in the world. I would have happily ordered a bottle and had it sent to someone to add to this tasting.

A lovely story - have you tried drinking VVO tawny with an umbrella in it?
I can't find that bottle but I will start searching. Would be a fantastic addition!

[winesecretary]

If Glenn’s gateway to port was Tiki bar cocktails, a whole load of his preferences immediately make sense, including the insistence on all port tastings being conducted while wearing a grass skirt.

[PhilW]

6th Oct fine for me.

[nac]

Date ok for me.

[M.Charlton]

This sounds great- please could I have a seat, Zak. I’ll bring a V92 down.

[winesecretary]

V92 - Mr Charlton, you are a man of taste and discernment.

[jdaw1]

The author read mathematics at Queens’ College Cambridge. It was there that I first tasted Port—that evening early in October 1987 I didn’t yet have the wit to note which, but from what I later learnt of what the cellar then held, it might have been Taylor 1970. Immediately I knew that Port was the wine for me.

[PhilW]

n.b. I'm in the attendees list twice, once with specified wine but unconfirmed, and once with unknown wine but confirmed. I'm not that confused.

[akzy]

n.b. I'm in the attendees list twice, once with specified wine but unconfirmed, and once with unknown wine but confirmed. I'm not that confused.

Fixed.