ThePortForum.com

Hi everyone!

My name is Jo. I've been to a few tastings as the guest of George (winesecretary) and have had the pleasure of meeting some of you so thought it was about time I signed up for the forum, albeit as somewhat of a dilettante in the world of port. I believe I currently own precisely one bottle

I've lived in London for the last 20 years but got married to my American girlfriend in November, and am planning to move to Pennsylvania in 2023, to a place near Pittsburgh. Unfortunately Pennsylvania seems to be a little puritanical regarding alcohol and has a state booze store, "Fine Wine and Good Spirits", which reminds me slightly of experiences visiting Scandinavia. Their definition of port is generous to say the least and I'm now learning to distinguish my Taylors from my Taylor (in my defence, the latter was a gift...)

As regards other wines, I have stocks of Burgundy but it's beginning to get out of my price range. I'm looking forward to exploring the Finger Lakes, Ontario, California and Oregon in more detail when I move, and it seems that rye whiskey and bourbon are considerably better value on that side of the pond

I'm looking forward to the 1985 tasting in a couple of weeks and am very grateful to George for letting me tag along as his guest.

Welcome, old friend!

OJW wrote: ↑21:02 Sun 27 Feb 2022 it was about time I signed up for the forum, albeit as somewhat of a dilettante in the world of port. I believe I currently own precisely one bottle

Hi, and welcome to TPF , and don't worry, given you've chosen to join the forum I can't imagine that your solitary bottle with remain solo for long; and then you will likely discover, as so many of us before, that once you have more than six bottles you find a few months later that you somehow now have more than a dozen, and then... Hope you enjoy the '85 tasting.

Luckily for you, the East Coast of the USA is fairly dense population-wise, which means that you may have alternatives that you can get to.

Unfortunately for you, Pittsburgh is on the wrong (West) end of the Pennsylvania, meaning that it is much closer to Cleveland than it is to Boston.

There is a small but thriving Port community in New York City and parts of New Jersey, so you may be able to hook up with them for a weekend trip.

There is a group New York tasters. It used to be that messages went to that group quite frequently, but it has become quiet. Feel free to join the group, and to send it messages re events. Messages encouraging, requesting, or advertising.

Hi Jo, there are a few of us here in western NJ, but that remains about a 6hr haul from pittsburgh. That said, should you be planning a trip out this way please let us know as it makes a good excuse for a tasting.

Oh! and I thoroughly recommend exploring the fingerlakes; be sure to stop by Konstantin Frank, Weimer, and Anthony Road. I'm actually headed up there in the coming months, and hope to have some additional recommendations.

The Finger Lakes does indeed offer wonderful pound for pound value. We have a knowledgeable mutual friend who lives in the Finger Lakes with whom we have stayed in the past and with whom we toured a dozen or so of the region's better wineries in 2017. H J Weimer, Ravines, and Red Newt/Kelby James Russell were the top picks from that trip; didn't make it to Konstantin Frank then although have much enjoyed some of the wines especially the Blanc de Blanc Methode Champenoise with a few years more age on it. We've both been back since for more focussed trips...