ThePortForum.com

My social media advertisements just started showing me this port Advent calendar from Quevedo and Vintage Wine & Port: https://www.vintagewineandport.co.uk/pr ... ndar-20000

With shipping to the US it pushes it beyond what I'm willing to pay, but it seems like an interesting kit (that is, if Quevedo is any good - I've never tried them).

Lovely idea, but the price is off the scale..

I don't think the price is that ridiculous to be fair.

If you were looking for sheer volume then yes its a bad price but that is besides the point. For a paid Port tasting, would you expect to pay the volume price of the Port? Of course not. Same rules apply here I believe.

Added to that, it's a really fanstastic gift.

I don't think the price is that ridiculous to be fair.

The going rate for port miniatures is around the £1.50 mark, add the neat packaging and maybe 24 would retail for £49.95 - I doubt many people will think £84.95 a bargain..

Quevedo Ports are excellent, so you'd have nothing to worry about there.

I wish there weren't 4 x Dry White Port, though. Perhaps that's a typo in the listing? The last two entries are both 2 x Dry White Port, and there are no other White Ports included. In addition to the dry white, Quevedo makes a White, a Lagrima White, and a 30 Year Old White. If I had to guess, one of those was probably supposed to be the Lagrima White to display the range available in whites?

Glenn E. wrote: ↑16:25 Fri 25 Sep 2020 I wish there weren't 4 x Dry White Port, though. Perhaps that's a typo in the listing? The last two entries are both 2 x Dry White Port, and there are no other White Ports included. In addition to the dry white, Quevedo makes a White, a Lagrima White, and a 30 Year Old White. If I had to guess, one of those was probably supposed to be the Lagrima White to display the range available in whites?

From the photo, it looks like a typo since I can see both a bottle marked “White” and another marked “Dry White”. The idea is a great one but I think it is a touch on the expensive side for my tastes considering that there are two bottles of everything, and seems to be about 50% basic Ports (ruby, white, rose, tawny, dry white and reserve tawny*). For example, having tried the Quevedo Rosé once this year, I’m not sure I really fancy another glass, let alone two miniature bottles. If it were 24 different Ports, I would be tempted, even if it included stacks of cheaper Port so wouldn’t look like a bargain on paper: I expect these things to include a big premium.

[* I appreciate reserve tawny is supposed to be a special category of Port wine and so my definition parts ways with the IVDP!]

JacobH wrote: ↑17:05 Fri 25 Sep 2020 From the photo, it looks like a typo since I can see both a bottle marked “White” and another marked “Dry White”.

Ah, good, I couldn't see sufficient detail in the photo.

JacobH wrote: ↑17:05 Fri 25 Sep 2020 * I appreciate reserve tawny is supposed to be a special category of Port wine and so my definition parts ways with the IVDP!

The IVDP has a strange definition of "special", which as near as I can tell means literally anything that's not base-level. I.e. if it isn't simply "Ruby Port" or "Tawny Port" or "White Port" then it qualifies as special. Bleh.

uncle tom wrote: ↑15:51 Fri 25 Sep 2020

I don't think the price is that ridiculous to be fair.

The going rate for port miniatures is around the £1.50 mark, add the neat packaging and maybe 24 would retail for £49.95 - I doubt many people will think £84.95 a bargain..

Ah, at full price, yes they're expensive. When they got released, they were £69 which is more palatable.

I agree that many ports there are run of the mill, £1.50 bottles. There's a few aged tawnys which brings the price average up a bit. In the future, a VP for Xmas eve would be greatly welcomed.

Speculation...perhaps the increased cost is due to shipping a non-standard shaped/sized box set. And the fact it’s probably hand assembled, a time consuming endeavor with that many small bottles.

Glenn E. wrote: ↑18:53 Fri 25 Sep 2020The IVDP has a strange definition of "special", which as near as I can tell means literally anything that's not base-level. I.e. if it isn't simply "Ruby Port" or "Tawny Port" or "White Port" then it qualifies as special. Bleh.

I think that is literally what it is: only basic whites, rubies and tawnies are excluded from the definition. Curiously, in the UK it is almost impossible to buy these since even the standard supermarket Ports are reserve versions. But of course the target market for them is France, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands where they drink stacks and stacks and stacks of the very cheapest Ports!

I don’t have a particular problem with ruby reserves being regarded as “special” since some of these are no worse than filtered LBVs and some reserve whites are very good Ports (e.g. Churchill or Quevedo). It’s the reserve tawny which I don’t understand, although it’s probably the category of Port I drink the second least of after garrafeira.

I think that is literally what it is: only basic whites, rubies and tawnies are excluded from the definition. Curiously, in the UK it is almost impossible to buy these since even the standard supermarket Ports are reserve versions. But of course the target market for them is France, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands where they drink stacks and stacks and stacks of the very cheapest Ports!

Port is to the French what tea is to the British - they have the largest consumption but also the lowest quality expectation.

There's a fair amount of standard ruby sold in the UK, but not much standard tawny. However French supermarkets usually have more standard tawny on the shelves than all other types combined.