Vintage port fans gather in London
Lovers of vintage port congregated in London earlier this week for the Big Fortified Tasting at London's Glaziers Hall.
Exhibitors at the event on April 19th included Churchill, W&G Graham, Barros, Quinta do Noval Nacional, Offley, Quinta de la Rosa, Passadouro and Maynard's in the vintage port category alone.
And the Big Fortified Tasting was not just about port - sherry was represented by Domecq, Fernando de Castilla, Lustau and Bodegas Tradicion, while Madeira counted Henriques & Henriques, Borges and Barbeito among its exponents.
Writing about the event on the Drinks Business blog, Alan Lodge said that some brands, like Warre's Otima 10 Year Old Tawny, are trying to attract younger drinkers through redesigned packaging, as fortified drinks are more readily associated with the older generation.
"Another school of thought circulating the room was that, much like fashion, trends in drinks are fairly cyclical and fortified's time will come around again," added Mr Lodge.