Port + Cheese Tasting night Tues 19 December, Astoria, Queens, NY (dm for waitlist)

I’m proposing a Port & Cheese tasting nighton Tues 19 December, in Astoria, Queens, NY.

Requirements: Bring at least one bottle of good:
Vintage Port, LBV Port or Tawny Port. (two different 375ml bottles are definitely preferable to 1x750, but it’s all good!)

If you want to bring White Port, non LBV/Vintage Ruby Port, or a weird port-like analog, feel free!, but bring one of a Vintage, LBV or Tawny too!

Edit: We have 9 responses, so I will set up a waiting list. DM me to get on the list
This “dinner” will be at 630pm-930pm CONFIRMED DATE TUES 19 Dec.
I will confirm with the restaurant and post here ASAP. :

at one of these three dates:

Sun 10 Dec, Sun 17 Dec, Tues 19 Dec

If you want to come, fill in the doodle poll. We will go with the most popular date

Doodle

We have a cap of 8 people for this dinner, as we’ll be inside at the Bier and Cheese Collective in Ditmars, Astoria.

The owner of the collective, Rick, is a port lover. His place is a cheese+beer shop with an excellent and reasonably priced cheese selection.


We’ll get enough cheese for a modest eat (minimum 1.5 Oz cheese each maybe a little more, sliced baguettes, butter) :

Some Stilton (strong blue) - that goes with LBV/Vintage port
Some Cambozola (mild creamy blue) - that goes with everything
Some Comte (classic alpine hard) - that goes with Tawnys and Dry White Port
& maybe some others…

Food cost: Less than $40 per head including tax+tip!

Corkage: $15/bottle. Unlimited bottles (within reason!, let’s say 6 if you want to go bonkers). Bring your own stems (they have glasses if we run out, but it’s a beer focused place).

If people want more or different cheese, they can buy by the 1/4lb or more to share (between $4-$15 for a 1/4lb) If people want more crackers, breads, jams, condiments, charcuterie: ditto! These are all at shop prices. The restaurant stops serving at 845pm but we can hang out till at least 930.

Here is the restaurant location at 35-11 Ditmars Blvd, Queens, NY 11105 right by the NW subway or a short taxi from midtown.

Again that doodle link

I will leave this open till 9pm of Sunday 26 November or if we get 8 responders that agree on one night before then.

Please only use the doodle poll for scheduling; don’t start a discussion on this thread or an email chain, don’t reply to this post with dates you can/can’t come.

On that doodle link: You can change your selections up until the poll is closed without notifying everyone; everyone can see who can come when. It really is the way to schedule stuff!

If you know non-wine berserkers who can bring Port and like to talk about/taste interesting wine, they can come, but you must mention them on this thread (so we don’t get randos from the link above).

Looking forward to some delicious wine & cheesing!

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Also: We held a superb Botrytized wine tasting there in October and want to continue the series of sweet/fortified wine tastings. Ask the attendees what they thought of it - that thread is here…

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Phil is an incredible host and so detail oriented. I’m in! But I can only do the Tuesday date… I live in CT and can’t make it in on weekends. I have a lot of really old vintage port, will go through what I have and if we do the Tuesday date I’ll make it worth it!

Also… randomly I happen to own port thongs… would be pretty cool to use, do they have a firepit? I’m half joking, but would be awesome.

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Peter making my Tuesdays wild!

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This looks dope. I’m in.

Count me in!

Excellent! fill in the doodle poll (found in the post) for your avail dates and will announce choice on Mon 27 Nov!

Unfortunately December is a busy time for me and I can’t make of the dates. Sounds like a blast. Enjoy all!

bummer! we will try and do another one of these in the new year…

If y’all want to read Beserker port exegeses, have at this thread:

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Great plan thanks Phil. I’m in if it ends up being the Tuesday. I’ll bring a 1977 VP, maybe a Taylor

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How we looking Phil?

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Still a week to before decision. Will let everyone know. !

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Sounds like this could be really fun! I submitted my vote on Doodle, and I’ll keep an eye out for updates.

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Would love to participate but Tuesdays are a bit iffy. If the evening frees up, I will join and bring an 83 Graham.

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I’m a maybe for now.

I don’t have any port, but I have a 375 of this Italian > 2002 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice. Let me know if this is acceptable.

I always defer to the organizer at an event. Is there a chance you’ll switch up the cheeses this time?

Dan

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We can always get more cheese! If we have 8 as expected, plenty of room for variation, as with the Vin Santo.

We have 9 responses; all of you who filled in the doodle before today at 245pm are in for Tues 19th, the most popular date.

For others who want to attend: I will set up a waiting list. DM me to get on the list

630pm-930pm, Tues 19 Dec.
I will confirm with the restaurant and post here ASAP.

I’ll bring some young and v. young VP to contrast with some of the pre '00 stuff people have promised.

Grahams 2016 (375ml) Dows 2017 (375ml)
Grahams 2000 (375ml) Dows 2000 (750ml) (see later for mea culpa)

and a mystery portlike substance of weirdness.

I’d love to try 2002 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice

(and agree to mix up cheeses… as least not get any dupes… would rather do 8 different ones than 2x 4… and I know you didn’t like the blue cheese last time…)