Bordeaux: the biggest joke in the wine world?

Something about the 2011 campaign told me that the Mea Culpas would come out this year – and I have a feeling I might be right. ‘We were arrogant,’ says Chateau Lafite MD Christophe Salin of last year’s wine pricing (and ‘timing’ – for which read ‘handling’). And I think we can expect more of [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/DxEIGs3ffr8/

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On Being an Enthusiast and Sharing Useful Information

An excellent blog post popped up in my Flipboard Google Reader feed this morning. It has nothing to do with wine but it was useful, interesting and made me think a lot about the things I write about here on this blog.

The post is about procuring new wheels and tires for a BMW by Chris Parente. The steps Chris went though researching, ordering, tracking, negotiating, receiving and assembling the order were very familiar to me. They're eerily similar to what we go through as wine deal hounds.

With the exception of installation, I do all of these things when I'm buying wine. Sure, there's the occasional impulse buy at a local wine shop or grocery store, but the bulk of my buying these days is online, in response to email offers, or winery direct. Like Chris with his interest in specific wheels and tires, once you've gone Wine Berserkers you want very specific wines.

What I liked about the post is that he gave specific examples of resources he used and how he went about the process. I can see my way to leveraging his techniques and having a more enjoyable experience by getting better products and service at the best possible prices. Coincidentally, if I had once sentence to describe the mission of this blog that would be it.

What got me thinking the most about his post, though, is the question of whether it's worth it. Or rather, whether I'm interested in getting into another high involvement hobby. You can tell how much time and research went into tires and wheels for one of his cars - imagine extending that across the entire enthusiast experience. You've got to want it and it's got to be a priority to do it well.

I spend hours each week thinking about wine. Reading articles, blogs, consulting and contributing to CellarTracker, looking for deals on wine-searcher.com. Buying it, drinking it, visiting wineries, attending events - writing about it.

When I need new tires or wheels I just got down to DirectTire and they take care of it. Similarly when I needed a new bike for our 7 year old recently. We just went to a couple shops nearby and bought what seemed to be a good fit for our needs. And maybe that's fine for the occasional purchase. Spend the time saved burning up the web for the best deal on healthier pursuits. Life in balance, right?

But I wouldn't mind being more savvy in more domains. And that's why I enjoy acquiring and sharing knowledge via blogs and social networks. Mainstream publications just don't cover this stuff in a way that's as focused on the consumer experience.

You can't go too deep into too many hobbies. But you can learn a little from someone who's deep in a topic and can share useful information. Chris does that and reading his post reminded me to try to do a little more of that here on this blog.

Check it his blog here: Work, Wine and Wheels
You can follow Chris on Twitter: @cparente

I'd love it if you SUBSCRIBED to The Wellesley Wine Press

PS This post was written on an iPad with Blogsy.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/LXDniNUTpz4/on-being-enthusiast-and-sharing-useful.html

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55? PrestigeHD television from Stuart Hughes at $2.26 million

For the wealthy section of the society, Stuart Hughes is not a new brand which is always there to enhance the opulence of a home with its creativity and exclusivity. This time, this brand has revealed its creativity and exclusivity through a very common household item and that is a television. It has designed this [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/pg7Ba_B64Ug/

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Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen

Berlin Tasting in Copenhagen" might sound a little confusing? However the Berlin Tasting is a reference to a famous tasting held in Berlin the January 23. 2004. It was held by the Chilean wine producer Eduardo Chadwick from Errazuriz and he had invited 66 wine journalists from all over Europe to taste the best Chadwick wines from Chile against the supernames from Bordeaux and Tuscany. 16 wines were tasted from the vintages 2000 and 2001, among them 2000 Chateau Latour, 2000 Chateau Lafite and 2000 Chateau Margaux.

Source: http://www.wine4freaks.com/37/berlin-tasting-in-copenhagen/

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The Rise of Muscat, a Sign of The Apocalypse?

There was a good story in the Wall Street Journal recently about the rise of Muscat, the sweet white wine made all over the world but closely associated with Italy where it is called Moscato. Last year this grape took off growing nearly 80% in sales from the year before. Nobody in the wine business [...]

The Rise of Muscat, a Sign of The Apocalypse? originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/WzypAFZymPE/

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Challenging Wine Pairing: Taco Night

The Wine Peeps enjoy Taco Tuesday each week. It is a fun time to get together, the meal is an easy one to prepare, and we enjoy the blend of the spicy flavors in the food. Our menu generally consists of beef tacos, refried beans, Mexican rice, and hot salsa. We usually enjoy margaritas on [...]

Challenging Wine Pairing: Taco Night was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WinePeeps/~3/g3Y8F6-PaVs/

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Taste of the Nation Boston 2012 Promo Codes

Taste of the Nation Boston 2012 is coming to the Hynes Convention Center Thursday, April 19th. The event features a chance to taste dishes from over 65 Boston restaurants, 100 different wines, specialty cocktails, craft beer, and a silent auction and live entertainment.

Boston?s chefs and restaurants will participate alongside the event?s three Honorary Chef Chairs: Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley?s Bistro, Andy Husbands of Tremont 647, Jody Adams of Rialto, and Joanne Chang-Meyers of Flour Bakery.

Here's a list of participating restaurants:

  • Avila
  • Blue Inc.
  • Brasserie Jo
  • Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
  • Craigie on Main
  • Davio's
  • DelFrisco's
  • Flour
  • Hamersley's Bistro
  • La Morra
  • Myers & Chang
  • Rialto
  • Sandrine's
  • Tremont 647
For more information and to purchase tickets: http://www.strength.org/boston

Use promotional code VDAY2012 for 20% off.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/8yUwuGjLQeE/taste-of-nation-boston-2012-promo-codes.html

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