When the weather gets cold--that’s when I start thinking about Port.

There is something that is so warm and comforting about Port in cold weather that makes it an obvious go-to wine at this time of year. Pleasant it is to sit by the fire, listen to the crackling flames and luxuriate with this smooth succulent fortified wine that seems to ring a pleasant glow around everything.

But at the table and in company I wonder how many people these days actually practice the strange ritualistic kabbalah of passing the Port. Outside of some aging dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists and the odd fogey, I doubt very few. But just in case you happen to have the Queen of England or someone of equal repute over for dinner I thought I better say a few words on the subject.

The decanted Port always begins with the host. The host pours his or her own, then pours to the person on the right. After that the host always passes the decanter to the left. The decanter should continue on its way, always passed to the left, and should never be put down on the table until it returns to the host.

But sometimes it is put down on the table, and this is where the Bishop of Norwich comes in. If the decanter comes to a standstill for some reason, the guests farther on down the table can become impatient. It is considered bad taste to ask for the decanter to be passed on, so instead someone at table will ask the person who is holding up the proceedings, “Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?” If the person still does not pass the decanter a less subtle alternative such as, “Is your passport in order” is sometimes used.

The origin of the phrase “Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?” is usually attributed to Henry Bathurst who was Bishop of Norwich from 1805 to 1837. In his final years (he lived to the age of 93) Bishop Bathurst had poor eyesight and a tendency to fall asleep at table, and so the decanter often came to a halt at his right elbow. (Less generous people suggest that, being a wine lover with a prodigious capacity for consumption and enjoyment, he used his frailties to his own advantage.) The saying was further perpetuated by John Sheepshanks, Bishop of Norwich from 1893 to 1910 in honor of his illustrious predecessor.

However you decide to use it, don’t forget to pick up a good bottle of Port at your local ABC store, stoke the fire, open some Stilton cheese, and give a little silent toast to the Bishop of Norwich.

Bill Stobbs, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor

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