Hoggett Decanter
There are probably more traditions surrounding the serving and consuming of Port than with any other wine. Part of this is due to the fact these were established by the tradition loving British. When serving the wine, you should think about traveling from port to port. The host remains seated and serves the person to his or her right. The decanter is then passed to the right, and the ritual is repeated all the way around the table, until the decanter returns home. If, for any reason, the port becomes stalled at a person's place, it is considered bad manners to ask for the decanter directly. Instead the one who is requiring a refill should ask the seemingly rhetorical question "Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?" This is designed to get the Port moving again. This problem was later solved completely with the Hoggett Decanter. The rounded bottom made it impossible to put down until it was returned to the host, who gently placed it in its base.
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