An update on the ASUS Transformer in action

I’ve had the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer for a little longer now, and it was time for an update on what I’ve been enjoying as I have had lots of conversations in the wine business with people who have been interested in its potential. I also see that Simon Woods is doing the same. Overall, [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/qj6kGvFFGBs/

Paris Hilton Patricia Velásquez Paula Garcés Paulina Rubio

Help Steer the Direction of an Award Winner!

Generally speaking, I do very little public housekeeping here, but it’s time for some remodeling and I want your feedback. 

Despite winning some awards and receiving significant positive feedback about the design of this site, I haven’t materially changed the look or the function of Good Grape since November 2006.  Times have changed a lot in the intervening (nearly) five years.  At the time, Wordpress was a very secondary blogging platform choice behind MovableType (I chose door #3).  Facebook had recently announced general availability to the public from its former days of being collegiately oriented; Twitter launched, but was barely a blip on the radar, YouTube was hot (but not ubiquitous) and smartphones were still very niche in general adoption.  Tablets like the iPad?  Nope, at that point people were stoked about rumors of an iPhone that was set to be released sometime the next year. 

A lot has changed in five years and this site has barely kept pace, making due with duct tape and spittle.

image

A number of regular readers have let me know that pieces and parts of the site don’t always work, or the site is slow for them, or it’s hard to comment, or archive pages are junky looking, or links take you away from the site, etc.  And, forget about reading this site on your mobile phone – Good Grape equal’s bad mobile mojo.  The list goes on and on and I have my own list of wishes and want-to’s 35 items deep.

So, here’s the question and the crossroads I’m facing:

Do I keep the same general design (with some slight modifications like making the main text area wider and re-doing the navigation) and simply leave a classic design alone, focusing on enhancing functional and technical aspects of the site?

Or,

Do I take this opportunity to blow it out and set the bar for what a quality, beautiful, professional wine blog should look like, plus all of the social and mobile bells and whistles?

Readers, friends, colleagues, and peers: Your feedback is very welcome.  Should I mess with a good thing for a potentially greater thing, or do stay true to the visual identity in place and simply remodel focusing on functionality, familiarity and usability?

Please leave a comment.

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/help_steer_the_direction_of_an_award_winner/

Sarah Wynter Scarlett Chorvat Scarlett Johansson Selita Ebanks

The Most Enjoyable Wine on the Planet?

In the past couple years, few categories have captured my attention more than domestic Pinot Noir. And within that category, few wines have defined the essence of what I'm looking for more than the Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir. The 2008 was the first vintage that caught my attention. Tonight I had a chance to try the 2009 vintage of the same wine. A lot of friends and I have purchased this wine and are wondering... will it live up to its predecessor -or- prove to be a disappointment? Read on...

The Belle Glos label comes to us from the Wagner family - producers of Caymus - one of the most reliably outstanding Cabernet producers in Napa Valley. Their Pinot Noir label is Belle Glos. When I tasted their 2008s I was blown away. The Belle Glos Meiomi is a screw-capped $25 bottling produced from grapes grown in Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and Monterey. But they also offer a trio of single vineyard Pinot Noirs with a release price of $44:

  • Santa Maria Valley - Clark & Telephone Vineyard
  • Santa Lucia Highlands - Las Alturas Vineyard
  • Sonoma Coast - Taylor Lane Vineyard
The good news about these single vineyard wines is they've been available at retail for around $34.99 without much effort. Heck - even the notoriously unfavorably priced Wine.com has them available at this price point. Deep discounters have offered these wines for right around $25 (as a limited time offer) which has established a new benchmark for value hunters. Every Pinot Noir offer that comes along is compared to this wine at $25 dollars.

Perhaps what makes this wine so desirable to me is its versatility. It's perfect for so many occasions. It's full-bodied enough it provides a viable gateway for Cabernet lovers to transition to Pinot Noir. It's light enough it plays to a broad audience. And it comes in nice looking package so it works well for gifting. At under $30 it's a wine I can't imagine buying too much of.

Wine Spectator rated all of the 2009 single vineyard wines between 92 and 93 points. Here are my notes on the 2009...

2009 Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir
$44 Release Price
14.7% Alcohol

Hard to think of a more delicious wine than this. It brings the same rich, plush satisfaction of the 2008 but (at this point) balances it out a bit with a layer of brighter flavors on initial attack. Behind this are the same slightly-sweet spice notes, cherry pipe tobacco, and enjoyable fruit flavors found in the prior vintage. Dangerously difficult to stop drinking. Highly recommended - back up the truck.

95/100 WWP: Classic

Further Reading:

Question of the Day: Have you tried the 2009 Belle Glos single vineyard Pinot Noirs? What did you think? Either way - any tips for wines you'd consider utterly enjoyable?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/LjN4qpanPTM/most-enjoyable-wine-on-planet.html

Sarah Michelle Gellar Sarah Mutch Sarah Polley Sarah Shahi

Value Alert: 2007 Felsina Fontalloro

We got together with friends last night for one of my favorite traditions: Friday night pizza night with really nice wine. While some see pizza-pairing as suited for simple wines, I see it as an opportunity for a low-fuss meal at the end of the work week and a chance to let the wines shine. This week we ordered from Old School Pizza in Wellesley (review).

A while back, a friend introduced me to the 2006 Felsina Fontalloro. I was really impressed with the wine's versatile personality. It's elegant and plays well in a sit down situation, but it's got this incredible fruit-driven nose that's so friendly and appealing. It's hard not to like.

After tasting the 2006 I added it to my shopping list but never saw it come up at a price I couldn't refuse. Fortunately (especially lately it seems) there's always another great vintage right around the corner: The 2007 is even better.

The 2007 is young at this point, but like all great wines it's still enjoyable even if it hasn't fully come together. It's as if the wine is deconstructed into individual components and it's easier to understand now than it will be in a few years. Like watching a golfer's swing in slow motion.

The initial aromas are beautiful sweet fruit. I love the mouthfeel of this wine - it's rich and satisfying but not heavy. Acidity reveals itself on the sides of the tongue. Earthy/leathery flavors. Beautiful finish. So well put together.

It's readily available for around $45 at retail and for as much as I've bashed Italy as being a tough category for value, this wine makes me rethink that sentiment. There are gads of wines in Napa Valley that have no problems declaring themselves value plays north of $50.

I highly recommend this wine and would love to find more wines like it. Let me know in the comments if you have some similar value plays you'd like to share.

2007 Felsina Fontalloro
14% alcohol
3,335 cases produced
$55 release price

A beautifully put together wine that makes me think twice before paying $50+ for domestic wine. Such fresh vibrant fruit on the nose combined with ample acidity, earth and overall balance and deliciousness - this is really a tremendous achievement for a little over $40. Extremely highly recommended.

94/100 WWP: Outstanding

96 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
93 points Wine Advocate
92 points Wine Spectator

Where to buy:
Wine.com
Search for it on wine-searcher.com
Other opinions on CellarTracker

Question of the Day: Have you had this wine or prior vintages? What are some other value plays in this category you'd recommend?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/j5HmqIBhnLA/value-alert-2007-felsina-fontalloro.html

Rebecca Mader Rebecca Romijn Reese Witherspoon Rhona Mitra