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The date for the TPF 3rd Annual Christmas Offline is Thursday December 18, 2008. Subject to confirmation, the venue will be the Bell Public House in Wenden's Ambo, Essex.

The theme will be the same as last year "The Unknown Shipper and His Peculiar Friends" with the addition of a mini-horizontal of the 1908 vintage, just to see what these wines are like at 100 years of age.

The idea of the theme is that this is an opportunity to open those bottles which are unknown and unidentified. Last year there were some wonderful gems opened and we may be just as lucky again this year.

If anyone would like to attend but is having difficulty in sourcing a bottle, then post here and I am sure that we will be able to organise some bottle adoption.

CONFIRMED ATTENDEES (maximum of 12)
Uncle Tom
AHB
DRT + guest
CG + guest
KillerB

EXPRESSED AN INTEREST BUT NOT YET CONFIRMED
The Lord & Lady Roots of Belgium
JacobH
Axel Probst
Simon Lisle

EXPRESSED AN INTEREST BUT WIFE SAID NO
Ben Read

Lists updated by DRT on 20 July 08

The Bell is booked for Dec 18th, approx 12 people.

Tom

uncle tom wrote:The Bell is booked for Dec 18th, approx 12 people.

Tom

Have you put in an order for the fillets of 3 cows?

Time to start negotiating a pass for the night I think!

benread wrote:Time to start negotiating a pass for the night I think!

Yes. Not to be missed!

Does a leaky Azzie Imposter from 1888 buy me a ticket?

Spooky moment last night. Never heard of Wendens Ambo before yesterday. Two mentions in one day - must be fate.

It is in a magazine called Essex Life (or something like that) as the second most Idyllic village in Essex, behind Finchingfield as number 1 and just ahead of Rayne (where I grew up) at number 5.

I'm in. Does a bottle of Fonseca White Port, bought at John Lewis in High Wycombe about ten years ago, count as unusual?

KillerB wrote:I'm in. Does a bottle of Fonseca White Port, bought at John Lewis in High Wycombe about ten years ago, count as unusual?

Unusual - yes.
Peculiar (as in the theme) - no, and since it has a label you can't claim that it is an unknown shipper.

Remember, port is basically a red drink.

I've now added the confirmed attendees to my first post. Please review and let me know if I have anything wrong.

Thanks,

Alex

AHB wrote:

KillerB wrote:I'm in. Does a bottle of Fonseca White Port, bought at John Lewis in High Wycombe about ten years ago, count as unusual?

Unusual - yes.
Peculiar (as in the theme) - no, and since it has a label you can't claim that it is an unknown shipper.

Remember, port is basically a red drink.

Seems peculiar to me. I can always take the label off.

KillerB wrote:

AHB wrote:

KillerB wrote:I'm in. Does a bottle of Fonseca White Port, bought at John Lewis in High Wycombe about ten years ago, count as unusual?

Unusual - yes.
Peculiar (as in the theme) - no, and since it has a label you can't claim that it is an unknown shipper.

Remember, port is basically a red drink.

Seems peculiar to me. I can always take the label off.

My understanding is that each bottle needs to fall into one or more categories. The categories for this off-line being:

1. Unknown Shippers
2. Peculiar
3. Centigenarians

Your bottle seems to qualify under Category 1.

Derek

I protest! Fonseca is not an unknown shipper.

Please don't make me drink White Port...

...or I shall bring an unknown Pink Port!

Oops. I meant Cat 2.

benread wrote:Time to start negotiating a pass for the night I think!

FAILED!

It seems the 18th clashes with a marital obligation - the Bjorn Again Christmas gig at Hammersmith Apollo! I started the tradition when we got married.

(BTW, no news to report yet, but progress seems to be happening - names still to be decided. Must open a bottle tonight in expectation!)

Might I add myself to the “expression of interest† list? All being well, I should be able to make it, (in my newly financial-solvent state ), but things are still a bit up in the air; I should have a better idea of what I’m doing in December in a month or so.

I think I’d have to acquire/adopt something for the occasion, as disappointingly I don’t think I have anything that falls into categories 1 and 3, and reassuringly nothing that falls, KillerB-style, into category 2!

-Jacob

Interest is there, but time cannot be confirmed yet.

Axel

Put me on the maybe list.Thanks

I have updated the first post in this thread to show the current attendees.

I can confirm our place on the maybe list.

We hope to be able to make it. There is a wedding in the Netherlands on the 20th that we'd love to attend but all depends on:
- the abilitiy of LadyR to take leave
- whether or not we have guests at that time (which is very much possible)

And, unless anything unknown or peculiar crosses our path, we opt to chip in some money. Does Porto Droz count as peculiar? It's a cheap, sweet white with a french label (probably some b-brand of Cruz).

RonnieRoots wrote:I can confirm our place on the maybe list.

Excellent.

RonnieRoots wrote:And, unless anything unknown or peculiar crosses our path, we opt to chip in some money. Does Porto Droz count as peculiar? It's a cheap, sweet white with a french label (probably some b-brand of Cruz).

Money will do nicely, thanks.

DRT wrote:

RonnieRoots wrote:I can confirm our place on the maybe list.

Excellent.

Unfortunately, we know now that we will not be able to join the Christmas offline...

Time to move forward on this one folks..

Attendees, please affirm!

Tom

Are we goign to have a xmas virtual offline?

Yes, Skype-enabled, at my apartment, shortly before new year.

Definitely not able to attend 18th December.

A virtual off-line is of interest! I shall be traveling on 28th December and from then on splitting the East & West Coast chapters of TPF in time terms, somewhere in Houston or San Antonio. My brother does however enjoy a glass of port so all is OK!

How about a Boxing Day (26th December) virtual? (I shall still be in Surrey on GMT)

uncle tom wrote:Time to move forward on this one folks..

Attendees, please affirm!

Tom

I'm in.

uncle tom wrote:Time to move forward on this one folks..

Attendees, please affirm!

Tom

Aye Sir! Affirmed. I have even booked my room at the Saffron Hotel. Not sure what port to bring, though. Are we still intending to go for the Unknown and the Curious with a mini-horizontal of 1908 thrown in for good measure?

Alex

uncle tom wrote:Time to move forward on this one folks..

Attendees, please affirm!

Tom

I can affirm, but, short of steaming a label of a bottle, I'm afraid I don't own anything unknown. And the only peculiar stuff I own consists of things I wouldn't want to inflict on the rest of you! Is anyone torn between two bottles and could therefore offer one up for adoption?

JacobH wrote:I can affirm, but, short of steaming a label of a bottle, I'm afraid I don't own anything unknown. And the only peculiar stuff I own consists of things I wouldn't want to inflict on the rest of you! Is anyone torn between two bottles and could therefore offer one up for adoption?

Jacob - if you are still stuck then drop me a PM and I'm sure that we can come up with something that is either unknown, peculiar or both at an appropriate cost.

AHB wrote:

JacobH wrote:I can affirm, but, short of steaming a label of a bottle, I'm afraid I don't own anything unknown. And the only peculiar stuff I own consists of things I wouldn't want to inflict on the rest of you! Is anyone torn between two bottles and could therefore offer one up for adoption?

Jacob - if you are still stuck then drop me a PM and I'm sure that we can come up with something that is either unknown, peculiar or both at an appropriate cost.

Many thanks. I will get in touch!

Ray "Cookie" Cook has confirmed that he wishes to return, complete with a bottle from the year when Newcastle beat Manchester City 3-1 in the FA cup final.

Meanwhile I have a bottle (believed..) from a year when Newcastle also won the FA cup, but against Aston Villa 2-0 - plus a very ancient half bottle, possibly Croft, but otherwise unknown..

Alex is also promising some very ancient treats, and is in cahoots with Jacob..

I would like to make the numbers up to about 12 for the event, so if you havn't yet declared - please do so!

Tom

uncle tom wrote:Ray "Cookie" Cook has confirmed that he wishes to return, complete with a bottle from the year when Newcastle beat Manchester City 3-1 in the FA cup final.

Meanwhile I have a bottle (believed..) from a year when Newcastle also won the FA cup, but against Aston Villa 2-0 - plus a very ancient half bottle, possibly Croft, but otherwise unknown..

Alex is also promising some very ancient treats, and is in cahoots with Jacob..

I would like to make the numbers up to about 12 for the event, so if you havn't yet declared - please do so!

Tom

This sounds like an excellent line-up; I'm very much looking forward to the night!

Is there any chance of some directions to the Bell from Audley End (which I think is the nearest station)? It looks like a mile or so from the map, which I assume makes it walkable...

Are we going to have place mats for the tasting? If so, should we post here the ports that we know we will be bringing - at least as far as we can given that many of them will be "Unknown Shipper, Unknown Vintage".

Alex

Is there any chance of some directions to the Bell from Audley End (which I think is the nearest station)? It looks like a mile or so from the map, which I assume makes it walkable...

Less than half a mile in fact - leave the station by the approach road, at the end by the garage turn left and carry on until you reach the pub - the road zig-zags quite sharply just before you get to it - the roadside doors to the pub are not normally in use, so go round to the rear.

Tom

AHB wrote:Are we going to have place mats for the tasting? If so, should we post here the ports that we know we will be bringing - at least as far as we can given that many of them will be "Unknown Shipper, Unknown Vintage".

Alex

Perhaps we should just have placemats with numbered circles and no identifying marks? I will work on something and try to post it here.

Derek

Went to The Bell today to firm up - usual steaks requested.

Derek - could you contact the possible attendees to yea or nay and text me a tally? - Dave Mitchell and Paul Jacobson are probably game again if there's space, and I have another friend who would be good company, however, I will be away from my 'puter for a few days now..

Ta.

I have emailed those who have expressed an interest but not yet confirmed.

I'm afraid I won't be able to attend one of these I will make time

Unfortunately, Christopher & Guest have also had to pull out.

Kick-off will be 19:00 for 19:30

I wish you all a very, very pleasant evening and I'm sure you'll have lots of fun. A pity LadyR and I can't join this time. Maybe next year...

Oh whoops, I forgot all about this. Am I down as confirmed?

Am I making placemats?

OK, the current line-up is:

THRA
DRT
AHB
KillerB
Jacob
Ray 'Cookie' Cook
Dave Mitchell

This leaves plenty of scope for friends and relatives, as we can seat 12

Julian,

If you could produce a 'generic' placemat, simply numbered perhaps 1-12, that would be useful, as at this point i only know what half the bottles are going to be, and some of those are 'unknown' - Thanks!

Tom

Placemats to be printed on A3, not duplex.

jdaw1 wrote:Placemats to be printed on A3, not duplex.

Thank you, jdaw1. Unfortunately, A3 printing is a challenge too far for me between now and Thursday. Simplex would be possible, but only on A4.

Placemats to be printed on A4, as requested.

jdaw1 wrote:Placemats to be printed on A4, as requested.

Thank you.

If we would prefer to have A3 placemats, I could print these today.

Also, Tom, would you like any help with the decanting before the evening starts?