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Podcasting test test Filed under: Miscellaneous ? admin @ 4:39 am I?m testing the heck out of this podcasting..
From Twilight to Up in the Air It appears that Anna Kedrick is the actress getting most of the attention from the yet-to-be-released TWILIGHT, as opposed to Robert Pattinson or that other girl Kristian Stewart. She has reportedly been cast opposite George Clooney in Jason Reitman?s screenplay adaptation of the Walter Kirn book UP IN THE AIR. For those of you who don?t know who Walter Kirn is, he has a past in novels-to-movies. He also penned the great THUMBSUCKER which was adapted a few years ago. Source: Hollywood Repor
Blogga med Kristian Luuk Jag lyssnade på en föreläsning med Kristian Luuk igår. Det hela var ganska intressant och relaterar bra till bloggare. Han började som ni säkert vet på radion med Hassan efter att ha gått på handels. Udda kan tyckas men det är lite omständigheterna som styr. Att skapa personlighet och bli ihågkommen Alla som bloggar vill synas och framförallt bli ihågkommna av sina läsare så dessa återkommer. Det är väldigt likt radio och tv. Både för bloggare och inom media är konkurrensen ganska hård. Bäs
About Last Night... Timo Weiland's Launch of TIMO Neckwear at Phillips de Pury just doesn't get any easier, with one building housing both Milk Gallery and Phillips de Pury Gallery, with two different events happening there simultaneously last night. On the third floor, in the Phillips de Pury Gallery, Timo Weiland was launching his neckwear line TIMO with family and friends and no less than Robin Williams, who was sporting a casually-draped TIMO scarf.
Priser både ude og hjemme til dansk film ved CPH:DOX og i Argentina er der faldet priser af til film, som DR er med i. Både i Danmark og i Argentina er der de seneste dage faldet en række priser af til film, som DR har været med til at finansiere. Da priserne i weekenden blev uddelt i forbindelse med slutningen på dokumentarfilmfestivalen CPH:DOX [...] [[ Læs mere på www.kulturplakaten.dk ]]
Handbook of Pediatric Obesity: Clinical Management?s price decreased 16% from $149.95 to $126.62! Buy Now Handbook of Pediatric Obesity: Clinical Management 's price decreased by 16% from $149.95 to $126.62 at Buy.com. Comprehensive and easy-to-use, the Handbook of Pediatric Obesity: Clinical Management provides a clinically relevant survey of available approaches for the treatment of pediatric obesity. This reference offers important information and tools necessary to develop programs for overweight children in clinical settings. It covers clinical management strategies, medical ... click
En Skærsommernatskomedie - Shakespeare i en stand-up-tid får frit løb og Shakespeare nyt liv på Nørrebro Teater! Fra 6. december byder vi nemlig på garanteret nissefri underholdning: Vi har givet Shakespeares En Skærsommernatsdrøm en uforskammet overhaling og ændret den til En Skærsommernatskomedie - for først og fremmest vil vi have publikum til at grine! Oplev Jan Gintberg debutere som... [[ Læs mere på www.kulturplakaten.dk ]]
FUCKFACE by KLUVER For those of you not familiar with Kristian Kluver, and that?s a great many - he?s quite brilliant, exceptionally talented, and one of my favorite artist/designer/fabricators. Kluver gingerly navigates between the 2-d graphic and 3-d physical realm - a place most aren?t entirely comfortable. After a recent hard-drive failure, and some file reshuffling I stumbled upon some old Kluver imagery, nestled down deep inside the guts of HAL (our central server). The images included form the foundatio
DAYS Video Preview Video Preview Submitted by Brooke on November 17, 2008 - 6:20am. Body: Melanie (Molly Burnett) confronts Nick (Blake Berris) with the truth in this NBC Video Preview for this week's episodes of Days of Our Lives. It then shows a struggle between the two of them and Melanie gets 'bumped' over the balcony as Bo (Peter Reckell) and Hope (Kristian Alfonso) bust into the motel room. I tell you, I'd be more inclined to watch if I thought Melanie was being killed off. What about you? Will y
I wonder, should I call you? But I know what you would do. Jeg er kald utenpå og varm inni. Og det er helt greit. Har hatt en fin helg med Thea og Era, Kris, Kim, Tobias og Julie. Og Marius & Marlen seff. Og Synnøve. :D Det har vært jobb, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , turer med Era, masse sigg, TR707 fuck, trøstekos, pizza, for mye godis, Donnie Darko , discobeats, penger som har forsvunnet, lekeslåssing, rødvin og øl. Fin helg? Fin helg. Det er vel ingenting å si. Håper at Tobias har stått opp. Nå er det 32 dager igjen til ferie. Og stress.
MURTAD: Mukmin perlu berjihad menentang murtad November 2008 ? cikwiduri Disclaimer: Penulisan ini tiada kena mengena dengan sesiapa sama ada yang masih hidup atau yang sudah tiada. (Sensative to races/believer) Pernah dengar cerita Aisyah Bukhari yang murtad tak lama dulu? Suratkhabar banyak menutup kes ini kononnya untuk menjaga perkauman, tak nak terjadi kacau bilau. Kes Aisyah yang murtad dan banyak kes murtad lain ditutup sedemikian rupa atas alasan bercinta, ikut boyfriend. Cerita yang akan saya bawa ini agak panjang tetapi sekira
WILD 3 / BLUE JACKETS 2, SO Three weeks ago, the Blue Jackets left Xcel Energy Center in a rage after a 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. ?We felt like we got robbed coming out of that one,? center R.J. Umberger said. Last night, the Jackets lost to the Wild again, this time by a 3-2 count. But there was a much different tenor in the dressing room. This was a shootout loss, so the Blue Jackets still get a point in the standings. And in a difficult back to back this weekend against Buffalo and Minnesota, the Jackets took
I danesi amano il loro cinema! Ecco, queste sono le notizie che ti fanno riflettere. Qui in Italia, i nostri film sono quasi sempre snobbati dai più, e nelle multisale passano solo ed esclusivamente pellicole estere, principalmente americane. Quest?anno un?eccezione l?hanno fatta Gomorra e Il divo, due ottimi film che hanno scosso un po? l?opinione che la massa degli spettatori si è ormai fatta da tempo. Per una volta, dei film italiani non erano semplicemente ?pallosi?, ma veri e propri oggetti d?arte, competitivi a livel
Lars Løkke sender V på 11 pct. I en ny meningsmåling bliver Venstres kronprins, finansminister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, i den grad kasseret af danskerne. Målingen, som er foretaget af Analyse Danmark for Ugebrevet A4, viser, at kun 11 procent af danskerne vil stemme på Venstre, hvis Lars Løkke bliver formand ? altså mere end en halvering i forhold til sidste valg, hvor Venstre fik 26,3 procent af stemmerne. Undersøgelsen giver de Konservative blod på tanden, og fremtrædende konservative siger, at hvis de Konservative bliver s
Broströms - sinnebilden för redarsocieteten om Försvunna finansfamiljerFörsvunna finansfamiljerKempe - skogsindustrifamilj som förlorade sin maktPenser - upp som en sol och ner som en pannkakaRobert Weil - en 80-talsspekulantWall - ytterligare en spekulant som försvunnitCarlsson - en redarfamilj i skuggan av BroströmsSaléns - familjen bakom en av Sverige största konkurserTre mindre skånska storfinansfamiljer som försvunnitWehtje - bygg och cementkungarnaBroströms - sinnebilden för redarsocieteten Den 5 mars i år hade Göteborgs-P
Stay (Lyrics) - Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland (Lyrics) - Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland jennifer nettles ? see more jennifer nettles sugarland George Strait, Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles early winners at CMA Awards . Brad Paisley and Keith Urban opened the show with dueling guitars jennifer nettles jennifer nett. Stay, a ... Health 0
SEBASTIANO PRESENTA ........ 13 dicembre 2008Sebastiano presenta il suo 4° libroIn compagnia di:Diego Dalla Palma, Kristian Ghedina, Federica Ghetti e Alessandro ZaltronPer info visita il sito www.sebastianozanolli.com
Public Service Puljen støtter tre serier på TV2 og TV2 Zulu programserier fra TV2 og TV2 Zulu er udpeget til at modtage støtte fra Public Service Puljen, og seerne får glæde af første af disse nye programmer i 2009. To af programserierne er dansk fiktion, mens den tredje programserie, der har fået støtte, er en dokumentarserie på TV2. Public Service Puljen er sat i verden [...] [[ Læs mere på www.kulturplakaten.dk ]]
Gamlisungdommen Matsson aka The Tallest Man on Earth, fra Dalarna i Sverige, begikk en vakker og stemningsmettet folkplate tidligere i år. På Shallow grave forteller Matsson historier fra det mytologiske vesten, med kjærlighet, livet på veien og sjelekvaler som gjennomgangstema, alt tilsynelatende uten å anstrenge seg for mye. Musikken til 24-årige Mattson høres ut som den kunne vært innspilt for 40 år siden og assosiasjonene går til tidlig Bob Dylan og bluesmenn som Mississippi John Hurt eller Leadbel
FOTOS: Rob Pattinson le propone matrimonio a Kristen Stewart guapeton de Rob Pattinson se envolvio el la historia de amor de la pelicula Twilight que le pidio a su pareja estelar Kristen Stewart que se casara con el. CHEQUEN LAS FOTOS: El chavo de Harry Potter la hace de un vampiro, en esta tan esperada pelicula y admite que sus emociones salieron de la [...]
Pam Anderson and Kid Rock (aka Bob Ritchie) were engaged last week in St Tropez and decided to also marry there this past weekend in a yacht off of the coast of France. And boy does it only get better. Here are some pictures of Pammy pie a few days before her wedding looking rough and making *ahem* remarks about the upcoming nuptials.
Okey Dokey then Pam. I sincerely hope you were kidding, otherwise you are an absolute idiot. Note to self - Veils purchased from Prescilla's look HIDEOUS!!
Unfortunately, it just keeps getting better. Here are pictures of the bride and groom just after saying their vows. Wanna know what millionaires in the entertainment industry drink after getting married in St. Tropez on a million dollar yacht? Well, tried and true - American all the way through - Kid Rock drinks Corona. Wait..Corona??? I guess when you are in France you don't have to honor your exclusive contract with Coors. At least he represents with a stunning (or stunningly retarded) American flag belt buckle made from rare blue diamonds along with red rubies on a titanium buckle. (The gift is rumored to be from Pam as his wedding present). Our precious Pammie pie is slugging....er...drinking Veuve Cliquot. In fact, they drank during the entire ceremony. I really think that the captains hat just makes the bridal bikini don't you??
In case you were wondering what to do for a gift for the couple....
Kid Rock instructed his fans to purchase their gifts at one of his favorite chain stores. "Yes, I'm marrying the girl of my dreams," he wrote on his Web site. "We are registered at Wal-Mart. Thanks for the support!" It's true too. I actually searched for the link today and found it. Here it is...
Adding things to beer is the new hype these days. Sparks, for example, is adding a caffeine type mixture to their beer so why not add green tea to a beer? Wha?? Yep, it seems that the folks at BluCreek Brewery are launching their newest beer called Zen IPA.
BluCreek describes its Zen IPA as an "English-style India Pale Ale created with a mouth-watering blend of fresh Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops infused carefully with an invigorating all-natural Green Tea." BluCreek has also made beers produced from blueberries and ginseng in the past. I'm not so sure about a green tea beer but hey, to each his own.
A positive spin on Global Warming
The icecaps around the Arctic Circle are melting partly because of global warming. So in the philosophy of "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade" the brewers at Inuit Microbrewery are making a new beer produced from glacial arctic water called Icecap Pale Ale and Brown Ale.
A brewery in Greenland is producing beer using water melted from the ice cap of the vast Arctic island. The brewers claim that the water is at least 2,000 years old and free of minerals and pollutants. It is claimed that the Greenland beer, officially launched in Copenhagen on Monday, has a softer, cleaner taste than other beers, because of the ice cap water.
Alternative closures (screw caps and synthetic corks) are on a lot of bottles these days. The one complaint that I hear from customers though, is that they miss the romance of hearing the cork come out of the bottle. It's that little "pop" that I miss is what they often say. Well, an ingeniuos company in Australia has come up with "Zorks". It's an alternative closure that actually produces that "pop" sound when it comes out of the bottle. It is even designed to act as a stopper when you put it back in the bottle. As far as I am concerened, this is one cool closure.
ZORK - the revolutionary wine closure that seals like a screw cap and pops like a cork.
But the best part is the " How to Zork movie". Check out the dudes unbuttoned shirt and cuffs and listen to the sweet B rate porn music in the background. LOL! You must check it out. Great product....horrible advertising.
Thanks Laurie for sending me the link on this one.
1999 Harlan Estates The Maiden
I pulled this wine out for Andi as a going away present (although she's not really going away) and when we first opened it we were underwhelmed. I gotta tell you...when you spend well over $100 for a wine, the last word you want to consider is underwhelming. So, we saved it and I tasted it again in little sips Saturday and Sunday. By Saturday it was a lot better and by Sunday it was extraordinary. It was ripe and lush with heavy cedar notes. The palate was all blackberry and mulberry with a tinge of medicinal floating around. The finish was long and exposed its oak aging but not in an unpleasant way. I let several people try this wine and the adjective that I heard multiple times was "explosive". I must agree. When you get this wine in your mouth you have to seriously try to concentrate to get all of the little flavors that keep gliding across your taste buds.
Would I pay that much again for it? Probably - but only if it was a good vintage and only if I promise myself not to open it before it's ready. I mean...it's Harlan for goodness sakes. Everybody probably wants to drive a Lamborghini - Is the price worth the car - probably not... but at least you can say you drove one right?
You may have noticed the posts on weird days and I am really trying to get a handle on things. I may not even have access to a computer next week so please hang in there. Once things are settled in the new jobby-job I'll be back to my regular self. Cheers!
We get a lot of requests for reviews of places, wines, and occasionally, a hotel or two. However, the new chic wine bar in downtown Barcelona called Monvinic, takes the cake. A few months ago, we started receiving requests to review this swanky wine bar. And from what little I had read online, as the website is less than informative, it appeared to be interesting and innovative place for a wine geek looking to explore fine wines. But due to the EWBC, and various prior engagements, it wasn’t until a few weeks ago when we could actually check out the place, with a group of friends in tow.
Arriving early, while the rest of group was maneuvering the various train schedules, my first impression started off poor. Walking up to two large, what appear to be, glass windows, I searched in vain for an entrance. Walking back and forth, I searched for a way to get in, even going so far as walking into the adjacent apartment building, hoping to find a side door. No luck. And just as I was about to give up, I decided to give it one last shot. Peering into the window, slowly inching my face towards the glass, the huge window/door slide open. As if this wasn’t frustrating enough, the employees were watching me search for the entrance, and just stood and stared without helping me. UGH, strike one!
From the moment you walk in, you immediately realize that this is to be an UBER-modern experience. From the front entrance halfway down the left side, you have a unique glass library of sorts with a wide range of wine books lining the room. I suppose this is very nice and interesting, but I’m not sure a lot of people come out for a drink with the intention of picking up “The Oxford Companion to Wine“. Then again, this is not a fault. Actually, some of us bigger wine geeks might enjoy having a place like this to meet and talk.
However, in an obvious state of confusion, it took quite awhile before anyone decided to talk with me, as I wandered looking for either my friends or a place to sit down. Eventually, I was greeted in English, which moved to Spanish, and guided to a bench on the right side of the room with modular cubes and tables that worked to create an organic setting depending on your group size. Handed a tablet computer, the waitress explained that all the wines can be searched by style, price, color, grape, region, soil….etc, etc. It was fun to see wines I had not seen in Spain before, such as a Turley Zinfandel and obscure South African wines. I was also impressed by the choices and enjoyed browsing through the menu. The only flaw I noticed was as you navigated inwards, you occasionally hit dead ends.
The list is wide ranging, and for someone who lives in Spain, this is a treasure since it’s unusual for us to have so many choices. That said, for anyone visiting from abroad, you come to Spain to taste Spanish wine, don’t you? The Spanish selection was decent and included wines from regions that you don’t usually see on a menu, but wasn’t anything to write home about. That said, I won’t criticize them on this aspect, and instead, emphasize the fact that they have a great wine list for a wine geek.
Yet despite the modern sleek design and diverse wine menu, I most likely will not return. When our group had all arrived, we decided to start off with a bottle of white. Turning to the electronic menu, I chose a 2006 Clos Nelin from Clos Mogador, an interesting Spanish white, big in body and unique in style, from the Priorat region. My idea was to give my visiting guests something they wouldn’t expect. Made with Viogner, Pinot Noir and Granatxa Blanca, it’s a wine without peers.
Having taken our order, the waiter promptly prepared a large square fish tank with ice and water; a bit of an overkill, but stylish nonetheless. Approximately 10 minutes later, nice glassware was placed before us, followed by the wine, which was taken out of the large fish tank and poured into my glass. Following the tradition, I quickly took a sniff, but before I could even taste the wine, he began filling the rest of the glasses without even looking at me. Clearly, I was a bit shocked, but decided to let it go. I’ve been to places with much less style, who at the very least, had a serving protocol in place. It seemed rather strange to not allow the person who ordered the wine, sample it, especially on a bottle that ran 50+ euros. But sadly, that wasn’t even the worst of it. When I tasted the wine, it was warm. Clos Nelin, from the Priorat, is an elegant wine that needs to be chilled to show off its complexity, due to it’s 14.5% alcohol. This wine was served at red wine temperatures, and consequently, was disjointed, out of balance and hard to swallow.
But I had no fear, because I was in a wine bar, where despite their slip up on their wine service, would clearly understand the issue with temperature. After a struggle to get his eye, the waiter finally made his way back to us. And after I explained the problem, one that could have been solved if I had had the chance to taste the wine before he poured, I was promptly told I was wrong. “But sir, the wine came from the cellar at the right temperature.” Strike 2 and 3.
After our server left, we continued talking, while the remaining half of the bottle cooled down in its glass fish tank for approximately 15 minutes. And sure enough, it was a wonderful wine when served at the right temperature. Worth every penny! But next time, I’ll bring it home and serve it myself.
And although I haven’t been able to give them a chance to redeem themselves, Gabriella did go back a few nights ago, having ordered a few whites ‘by the glass’; but unfortunately, her review wasn’t much better. The wine service was similar to our first experience, and when she had tried to find the bathroom, she passed it three times in vain, as it too was a sliding wall. Tricky! But rather inconvenient when your single desire is to simply find, and use, the facilities.
Here’s my recommendation. If you want to appear to know a lot about wine, wile sitting in a “stylish new bar”, this place is for you. If you want, on the other hand, to fall in love with wine, go elsewhere. After our Monvinic experience, we stood in line at C24, a small restaurant just a few blocks away and ordered a few fantastic tapas and a bottle of MestresVisol Cava, which was served at the correct temperature, despite the busy night. If you stop in, try the rabbit ribs, as they’re amazing! Not to mention, in the middle of what was an incredibly crazy and hectic Tuesday night at C24, they took the time to pour me a sample of the wine, asked what I thought of it, and above all, smiled. Home run!
I’m a huge fan of niche social networks. I think Facebook is nearing complete uselessness unless it is the center of you and all your friends’ social lives. Why? Too general.
On the other hand, Ning.com has taken the tact of making really good social networks easy to put up. Effectively commoditizing the social network (as it should be) and forcing there to be a real purpose for the social network. Families, Alumni groups, soccer teams, music lovers, fan pages, you name it and Ning probably has network for it.
This is actually the ideal model. Niche social networks mimic real life more closely. You don’t have 1 social group do you? You have work people, college buddies, soccer team friends, neighbors, and only sometimes so these lives intersect. So why would there be only one social network?
I created OWC as a way to redefine a trade organization. Update it. Rather than a stuffy, meet once a year/quarter and have a newsletter organization, I wanted the wine world to benefit from meeting each other 24×7x365. I wanted to have an organization that could teach and evangelize and lead by example.
What I’m learning is that there is no replacement for offline meetups. Thats not to say new connections aren’t being made and value isn’t being created. On the contrary, that is happening in a big way! What I’m saying is that even with an online community there is great benefit to getting together on a regular basis. Just being out and giving a couple of presentations over the last couple of weeks helped me put faces to names and voice to faces. Not only that, the online community benefits as well - there was a huge traffic increase since my talks and a pretty big membership serge.
So, I wouldn’t say this is a surprise but a confirmation. Social networks are a compliment to organizations, not a replacement for interaction.
After a year hiatus in Aspen, Daniel Johnnes brought the glory of La Paulee back to where it belongs in New York City, and over 500 hundred of the country?s most eager and avid collectors descended upon Manhattan like phylloxera to old vines for a celebration of what many feel are the world?s most desirable [...]
Here is a really fantastic recommendation for those of you who may already enjoy Austrian whites, as this wine has the capacity to detonate or reignite even the faintest bystander?s interest in Grüner Veltliner. If you have had Grüner and did not think much of the variety, I highly recommend giving Hofer?s an honest chance.
The label on this favorite of mine, in the spicy-white category, reflects Austria?s recent experimental appellation system of DAC?s, standing for the Latin, Districtus Austriæ Controllatus. Notwithstanding the seemingly imposing, archaic or superficially impressive appellation name (depends how you wish regard it), the crucial element to consider here is that Hofer?s wines are crafted seriously, so enjoying them turns out to be quite effortless. This Grüner sees time in stainless steel and is sourced from their Freiberg site in Weinviertel, one of Austria?s largest and most significant wine producing regions, in the northeast of the country. Should organic wines be of interest to you, Weingut Hofer belongs to Bio Ernte, a group whose producers operate on slightly different, some would argue higher, organic cultivation and production standards than even those dictated by say, the EU.
My notes: Pale, clear and golden. Clean nose with lovely stone fruit, spice, as well as mineral and floral elements. The palate is dry, with fresh, zesty lime acidity and slightly Riesling-like stone fruit, rocky minerality and spicy white pepper. These flavors, particularly the great peach/apricot flavors and white pepper, pervade the aftertaste.
Beechworth, Victoria, Australia. Shiraz with a touch of Viognier. Cork. Source: cellar.
Today seemed to be the right time to flick through my dust laden copy of The General Theory. Keynes is once again fashionable as Governments slowly rush to stimulate consumption and the media is awash with talk of GD2 (the Great Depression II). Reading the chapters on The marginal efficiency of capital and Long term expectations (chapters 11 and 12) I found these prescient comments.
On the issue of risk: 'During a boom the popular estimation of the magnitude of these risks, both borrower's risk and lender's risk, is apt to become unusually and imprudently low'.
On confidence and credit: 'But whereas the weakening of either (the state of confidence of the speculator and the state of credit) is enough to cause a collapse, recovery requires the revival of both. For whilst the weakening of credit is sufficient to bring about a collapse, its strengthening, though a necessary condition of recovery, is not a sufficient condition'.
Tasting note: This is unmoved since my last encounter. Scented with peppercorn and mashed blueberry it is slippery (presumably the Viognier) and yet muscled in the mouth. Once again the pepper is notable, though in support are chiseled tannins and juicy acids. Sadly this is my last bottle, I suspect its peak will only arrive in another decade.
I came back from the first Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma this weekend and there was one thing I knew for sure: I didn't want to drink any California wine. I needed a change. I caught up on my mail and read the backed up blog posts in my RSS reader and inspiration hit: I was going to drink an Argentinian Malbec.
This inspiration stemmed from two of the people I met at the conference (though I've known them via the blogosphere and Twitter for some time now): David from the blog Vinomadic, and Philip James from the wine finder and keeper site Snooth. David lived in Argentina for a time (and always gives me good suggestions on what to drink), and Snooth just had a tasting dedicated to value Malbecs. I enjoyed talking to both of them this weekend, and that was enough to send me scurrying to the cellar in pursuit of an Argentinian Malbec.
The wine that I pulled out was the 2006 Finca Las Moras Malbec Reserva (sample; suggested retail for this new release is $12; you may find it or other recent vintages near you for between $7 and $12) This wine was a simple pleasure from start to finish, because it was made in an apologetically New World fruit-forward style, but with some sensitivity and restraint. Malbec is often described as fitting somewhere between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the flavor spectrum, but what I always think of is plums--lots and lots of plums. The 2006 Finca Las Moras Malbec Reserva did indeed have prominent aromas of plum, leather, and vanilla. These aromas were echoed in the flavors of plum and spice, and there was also a nice meaty note that gave the wine some depth of complexity. Very good QPR for this wine brought into the US by Joshua Tree Imports, who are known for their good value brands such as Razor's Edge and Fetish.
I love lamb with Malbec, and so we had this with Lamb Chops and a tomato-and-potato gratin. If you are vegetarian, I highly recommend making the gratin, and having it with some meaty grilled portabello mushrooms instead of the lamb. Whether you go with meat or a meatless option, you'll find that the meaty, leathery aromas and flavors will get drawn out by the grilled food and the beautiful plum fruit will be a nice complement to the earthy potatoes and sweet tomatoes.
Thanks to David and Philip for helping me get inspired about wine all over again. See you next year at the Wine Bloggers Conference!
Clos Henri is a relatively new entrant to the Wairau valley of the Marlborough wine growing region. This property is also located close to Renwick and is actually opened by the Bourgeois family from the Sancerre region in France. The first vines were planted in 2001 with emphasis on bringing out the terroir. There are a multitudes of soils here but they essentially are either clay based or rocky riverbed. Their "Bel Echo" offerings of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir show definite minerality and bely the rocky riverbed soil which it was planted on. The "Clos Henri" series on the other hand definitely is more earthy, rich and deep being planted on predominantly clay. Of all the wines tasted in this region - these wines strike me as the most "terroir transparent" I have tried so far.
Their vine planting densities are some of the highest around here of around 5000 vines per hectare. I have high hopes for this property in the future as their vines begin to acquire age and more experience is gained each year on the boundaries of each specific "terroir".
There is definite potential here for these wines - give the vines some age, more experience with the soil and LOWER YIELDS. If there is one sticking point it's the yields which tend to be on the higher end. At ~50 Hl/Ha, this is just too high to produce anythng worthy of the "ultra-premium" status and certainly world class. To get there, we are going to have to drop fruit yields by 30% or more so let's watch this space - it's a great start.
Bouquet of floral notes and spiced pears with vanilla cream pudding.
Palate--lively with flavor galore; spiced summer fruit compote, off-dry and utterly delicious in a $9.50 wrapper. I love good Chenin Blanc and this Washington State varietal is amazing for the price! Find it and raise a glass!
Google has implemented a feature for its Gmail intended to help prevent people who have been drinking from sending email messages they later wish they hadn?t.
While many people who have had occasion to wish for such a thing envisioned a Breathalyzer-type hardware solution, Mail Goggles uses math. Once the feature is enabled, the user must correctly answer five simple math questions within a specified time in order to send a message. By default the feature only is active late on weekend nights, but can be adjusted in user preferences.
More information about Mail Goggles is available on Google?s Gmail Blog .
The Pride of New York Harvest Festival at the Desomond Hotel in Albany, New York was a wonderufl success. Many celebs of the New York wine world were seen walking the floor, including Hunt Country's Art Hunt, Fox Run's Scott Osborn, Matt Spacarelli of Benmarl, Chris Reno of Lafayette Reaneau, and many other winery owners and winemakers, as well as scurrying sales staffs.
Its been a good year for many wineries, and this event was a great mixture of New York gourmet foods and New York wine.
The Sta. Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance held its 2nd annual Wine & Fire event in June of 2007. The festivities began on Friday evening with a reception at the restored La Purisima Mission, where over two dozen winemakers poured library wines and current releases from their Sta. Rita Hills appellation. People mingled from late afternoon through dusk and into dark, sampling the various wines.
Join us at the opening night tasting as we talk with attendees, growers like Peter Cargasacchi, and producers like Norm Yost (Flying Goat), Peter Work (Ampelos), and Victor Gallegos (Sea Smoke) to hear how and why the Sta. Rita Hills is unique as a Pinot growing area.
For our coverage of the 2008 Hospice du Rhône, we decided to put people on the spot. We came up with 5 of today’s Hot Topics, and posed the questions to winemakers, producers, importers, and attendees. No debate, no discussion, just right to the point. So, today, we wanted to know: What’s you favorite - Cork or Screwcap? What does “terroir” mean to you?
We found a semi precious gem in the middle of Budapest. Onyx Restaurant not only served us a meal on a par with any we have ever had, they managed to do it at a cost that was surprising affordable, amidst a city that is surprisingly not.
Located just a few steps away from the tourist trap district of the Vaci strolling mall, the Onyx is a blend of old and new both in decor and cuisine. Contrasting the staid furnishings a group of LCD monitors displayed vibrant and ever changing abstract images, sort of like a soft focus fractal. I found the effect soothing and a perfect counterpoint to the near stuffy ambiance.
The service was white gloved and attentive, and the staff was knowledgeable and more than eager to share their passion for their craft. I was especially delighted by the wide variety of remarkable local wines available by the glass. As always wine details are saved for readers of the newsletter .
You on the other hand get a look at the seven courses we delighted in.
Leg of Veal Carpaccio with Foie Gras on a Roast Red Bell dressing A savory treat for foie gras. The flavors were great, although the carpaccio was a bit tough. It was thankfully chopped into strips making it easier to enjoy.
Hungarian Grey Cow Goulash Consomme A delightful twist on the ubiquitous Goulash Soup of Budapest. Fragrant and perfectly spiced.
Salmon Steak with Jelly, Sweet Potato Cakes with Puy Lentils, and a Cannoli stuffed with Sugar Peas and Radish Curry with Bean chips
Visually stunning, so much so that I am adding a rare photograph. Each of these tastes are completely different from the other, but moving from one to the next was an exploration in flavors.
Elderberry Sorbet Sweet, but not too. The ideal refreshment.
Roast Suckling Pig, with Chitterling Ravioli and Beets with Parsley Root Froth and Mini Black Pudding on Leek Bed Like most Americans Black Pudding (also known as blood sausage) is not a taste I am used to. None the less it was rich and flavorful and went well with the tenderloin and cheek of roast pork. The ravioli and beets gave a respite from the rest of the rich flavors.
Goat Cheese with a Pistachio crust and Dried Sour Cherry Jam This local goat cheese was as smooth and creamy as any I ever had. It was quite remarkable and perfect after the rich pork dish.
Tainori Chocolate Cake with a taste of 1995 Royal Tokaji Aszu Essencia Royal Tokaji Essencia is the wine made just from the dried botrysized grapes and is one of the most rare and understandably expensive wines in the world. It is no wonder then that they literally give you a single spoonful of this luscious quaff to accompany the sinfully delicious chocolate cake.
In a city where a continental breakfast start at $20 and goes way up, this 7 course delight, complete with wines that I chose to match ran us only $150 a person. There are few restaurants or experiences I have ever more heartfelty recommended than the Onyx in Budapest.
Tecnorati
Google has implemented a feature for its Gmail intended to help prevent people who have been drinking from sending email messages they later wish they hadn?t. 
