Game Day "Greek-Style"

One of the bright spots of winter in the U.S. is Super Bowl Sunday. We eagerly look forward to gathering with friends to watch the big game (and for some, the commercials!)

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Source: http://greekfood.about.com/b/2011/01/28/game-day-greek-style.htm

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Strength from the Inside:  Rodney Strong Pushes On

As a student of business, and specifically marketing in business, I watch certain wineries to see how they handle themselves, reasonably detached, but with a certain brand affection—not unlike having a rooting interest in the NFL playoffs after your team has been eliminated.

Typically, the wineries I follow are mid-sized, but independently owned and largely available in national distribution—the toughest spot in the wine business, not capitalized by a larger company, yet not small enough where decisions can be made by the seat of the pants.  No sir, there are implications to consider.

Still, these wineries have a hands-on touch from the owners.

Two such wineries that come to mind are Dry Creek Vineyard and Rodney Strong Vineyards.

Rodney Strong, in particular, is an interesting study subject and arguably on the cusp of outpacing mid-sized winery status at 800,000 cases of production. Yet, with them, it’s still reasonably easy to observe the machinations of leadership and market(s) positioning that make for fruitful observation.

The first thing to know is owner Tom Klein doesn’t shrink from leadership and he’s well respected by his peers.  To wit, he’s the Chairman of the Wine Institute for 2010 – 2011. 

Another admirable trait about Rodney Strong is the fact that they understand that quality is always the best marketing.  You can have the greatest branding in the world, but at the end of the day the product has to support the “brand” in lockstep.  And, in my estimation, in addition to always being varietally correct and neo-Californian in style, Rodney Strong demonstrates significant QPR on virtually every wine within their segmented wine line-up.

As an analogy, when you see the schlubby guy with the beautiful wife and you remark to a buddy, “Man, that guy way outkicked his coverage” – that’s Rodney Strong’s price relative to quality.  You could throw darts blindfolded and hit a good Rodney Strong wine.

In addition to quality, their marketing acumen is apparent in two forms:

1) They have a well-segmented wine line-up that even a simpleton can understand

2) They have a sense of themselves and what’s important to them and how that message is carried forward in advertising

In regard to #1, I would hesitate to call Rodney Strong the “Toyota of Wine” – a phrase that instantly associates them as “solid,” “reliable,” “well-made,” “not too flashy, but stylish and contemporary.”  Yet, their wine segmentation definitely pays homage to an auto manufactures line-up of cars and, frankly, the comparison works both in form and function.

When Toyota created Lexus as their luxury brand and, in recent years, when Rodney Strong created their “winery within a winery” for Rockaway and Brothers Ridge, two wines that have distinctly separate brand elements from Rodney Strong, you know the comparison is appropriate.

See the below graph for Toyota’s car line-up and how that equates to Rodney Strong’s wine line-up:

Secondarily, Rodney Strong’s advertising underwent some fine-tuning last fall to reinforce a very important aspect about their winery:  Place Matters.

In the hurly-burly that is the modern wine marketplace, it’s often hard to tell the provenance of a wine.  Rodney Strong, attempting to strike a more serious tone while elevating their advertising above me-too look-alike campaigns, is now indicating that, yes, where they grow the grapes is important, changing their positioning from, “From Our Place to Yours” to “Place Matters.”

Conceived by LA advertising agency, Sagon | Phire, Dan Wildermuth, VP of Marketing at Rodney Strong said, “It was felt that adding the people to the ad made it more casual and like many other casual brand ads.  We wanted to keep a level of seriousness and focus on the wine and its origin.  We are all about Sonoma County and the AVA’s we grow our grapes in and in this case, specifically Alexander Valley, Sonoma County.”

You can see the previous advertising below, followed by the current version.

In sum, wine lovers often like to talk about the lessons in the glass—the wisdom that wine offers, a reflection on humanity.  Yes, that’s true, but let’s not forget that wine can also offer other lessons as well – notably, how to run a good business with a focus on quality.

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

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Ice Wine

Ice Wine Yesterday I saw a picture of snow on the ground in Bordeaux and added it to the Uncorked Ventures Facebook Page, we received a few comments about the post which is customary now, but one of those comments came from the Great White North and one of our favorite SEO experts, Jim Rudnick. [...]

Source: http://winewithmark.info/archives/621

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Source: http://thecaveman.blogspot.com/2009/02/old-franc-chinon-1996-clos-de-lolive.html

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Italian in Midtown: Felidia restaurant

Felidia
243 E 58th St
Btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave
212-758-1479

Last night's dinner was a treat for sure. We went to Felidia upon recommendation that the food was great, and we definitely agreed. The flavors were rich and layered, the service was excellent, and it was a memorable meal.

We made a reservation for a Saturday night, and it does seem that reservations a couple of weeks ahead is needed often. We arrive on time at the restaurant which has 2 levels and big glass windows. I spied a table in the window upstairs for two, and made a foretelling comment about that being our table up there. Lo and behold it was, and I always enjoy sitting at the window. Though I admit there was not a ton to look at on 58th St, and the lighting in the restaurant was a bit lacking. Candlelight might have been nice. The atmosphere was simple and understated upstairs. When we first sat down they brought out a sampling of 3 flavors of basically houmous, with a selection of breads and breadsticks. Those were some tasty flavors, one was a basil pesto flavor, one was garlic and kalamata olive, and one was orange and carrot. Loved them all. We also tried the Olive Oil sampler for $7, with additional tasty breads. You could certainly taste the differences in the 3 types of oils, though I cannot remember the details of any of them now unfortunately.

The wine list was extensive, and the Montepulciano perfect. What about the rest of the food? Probably my favorite of the whole evening was the rock shrimp appetizer (Gamberi al Limone)?melt-in-your-mouth amazing, really blew my mind. Served in an hollowed-out onion (pictured here), these were the most tender pieces of shrimp I?ve ever had, with a creamy butter, garlic, lemony sauce and caramelized onions, heavenly. I was ready to order a few more of those and be done. Also tried the 5 onion, fennel, and fluke soup which was very good. For main courses, the paccheri was large pasta noodles and the wild boar almost like a winter stew, with carrots and mushrooms. It was very well done and meat nicely cooked, though a bit too bland for my taste. Hubby?s plate included venison loin, nicely rare for him, and almost a moussaka-like bison meat and potatoes blend I quite enjoyed.

Finally for dessert! A fruit tiramisu with cranberries and orange, and ?mini caprese cakes? with coconut served with 3 dipping sauces (pictured), passion fruit, chocolate and caramel. Complimentary plate of sweets and dessert wine for our special occasion dinner, we were certainly done at that point! It was very memorable and recommended!

Source: http://52flavorsnyc.blogspot.com/2008/01/italian-in-midtown-felidia-restaurant.html

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I Comment On Someone Else?s Comments About My Comments On My Own Predictions

Steve Heimoff’s blog is one I read everyday. As the West Coast editor and critic for Wine Enthusiast magazine, his industry insider experience brings an important point of view and legitimacy to the wine blogosphere. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Heimoff, and even sharing some wine at the first WIne Bloggers Conference, but [...]

I Comment On Someone Else’s Comments About My Comments On My Own Predictions originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/LaRzYLV6hnM/

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Wine blogging qualifications

I see that an interview I gave on the phone recently has been published in Harpers and I thought it would be better to add a few comments before I might upset any friends in the trade or blogging world. I was asked, by Gemma McKenna at Harpers in the UK, whether I thought that [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/Crs2VBT4pZ4/

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Champagne: you can eat food with it! [New Year's]

Champagne, it’s not just for toasts, celebrations, boat launches, New Year’s Eve and locker rooms any more. (In fact, as our spy cam shows, it’s not even used in locker rooms these days.) Champagne elevates many foods; food, it turns out, also elevates many Champagnes. (I, for one, am very convinced of the food-friendliness of [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/CKWJcO301Pw/

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Three Heart Warming Merlots: Waterbrook, Bolen, and Robert Foley

The Boston Wine Expo is coming up this weekend!  If you need tickets and haven't purchased them yet, check out this blog post for coupon codes.  I added some new ones just yesterday including a $50 off coupon for the Grand Cru Lounge.

We got pounded with snow here in Massachusetts last week.  As much as it sucks battling through a cold winter there's a certain amount of pleasure to be drawn from being snowed in with no place to go and nothing to do other than crack open a bottle of heart warming red wine.

A trio of Merlots found their way into the rotation during the week.  They say if a winery is still making Merlot at this point they're probably making good Merlot.  I don't know if that's necessarily true, but I find Merlot to be a value play compared to Cabernet Sauvignon from domestic producers frequently, and for immediate consumption Merlot can often run circles around Cabernet.  It's kind of like Barbaresco to Barolo - if you're buying it for tonight Merlot and Barbaresco show a lot better than their rough and tumble counterparts.

Here are my thoughts on Merlots for your shopping consideration...

2007 Waterbrook Reserve Merlot
Release Price: $22
14.5% Alcohol
3,030 Cases Produced

Aromatically vibrant immediately upon opening with welcoming aromas of caramel on top of warm black cherry preserves. But there's a hole in this wine's soul - at least in this bottle.  The initial attack on the palate is straight fruit, but things fall off right after that and never quite rise to the level the of the aromas.  It's a bit of a let down because the nose on this wine is amazing.

88/100 WWP: Very Good
Purchased at: VinoDivino

2007 Bolen Family Estates Merlot
Release Price: $60
15.2% Alcohol
250 Cases Produced

Visually this wine is less opaque than you'd expect given its bold flavors. On the nose I get rich red and black fruit, mocha, and cinnamon. Floods the palate with a satisfying rich presence. Velvety mouth feel. Long finish. 15.2% alc and it shows at points. Overall - outstanding. Sample for review.

92/100 WWP: Outstanding
Sample for review.

2005 Robert Foley Merlot
Release Price: $50
14.6% Alcohol
1,000 Cases Produced

Dark fruit on the nose.  Milk chocolate on the palate.  Superb velvety mouth feel.  Everything is well-integrated at this point.  Nicely balanced.

91/100 WWP: Outstanding
Purchased at: The Wine Cellar of Stoneham

Question of the Day: What are some of your favorite domestic Merlots?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/m0Nsfx_3Kfk/three-heart-warming-merlots-waterbrook.html

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Kids Welcome: Mesa Coyoac�n

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seriouseats/newyork/~3/ESu63YnSRWw/kids-welcome-mesa-coyoacan.html

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Ten @ 10: Favorite food shops in Chicago

Source: http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2011/01/10-at-10-favorite-food-shops-in-chicago.html

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Source: http://thecaveman.blogspot.com/2009/03/bloody-wine-gaillac-2004-renaissance.html

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Class Acts: The new Setai condominium project has...

Source: http://ny.eater.com/archives/2011/01/class_acts.php

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Value Alert: 2007 Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry

Why on earth didn't this wine make the 2010 Wine Spectator Top 100 list?  I mean, people were projecting it to be the Wine of the Year.  It didn't make the Top 10.  It didn't even make the list!  The only reason I can think of is that it was rated too late in the year to be considered in 2010 because the metrics are all there.

The wine carries a high score from Wine Spectator (93 points), has wide availability (18,901 cases produced), comes from a hyped-up vintage in a popular category, and for those skeptics out there is produced by a prominent advertiser in the publication.  How did it miss?

The 2007 Ramey Claret and the 2007 BV Tapestry were both rated 93 points in the October 15, 2010 issue and neither made the Top 100 list.  The 2007 Ramey Annum was rated in the August 31st issue and did make the Top 100 list so perhaps that explains it.  Who knows?  Maybe these are early candidates or speculation on the 2011 Top 100 list!

Diving into the number and looking a little more closely at the other 93WS 2007 Napa Cabs we see 30 wines ranging from $38 (07 Ramey Claret) to $300 (07 Hundred Acre Arc Vineyard) with an average release price of $126.  Not only is this wine's release price very low price compared to its quality - it's readily available for around $30 if you shop around.  I purchased mine at The Wine Cellar of Stoneham for $32.99.

The wine is pretty rough and chewy at this point but I can see it being beautiful in just a couple of years.  You know that coarse, synthetic yellow rope that's like a quarter of an inch thick?  Imagine soaking that in delicious, dense red wine then rolling it in a mix of savory spices and then chewing on it.  That's what this wine is to me now.  But I'd bet money it'll soften up beautifully in coming years to reveal an intense, powerful, and refined Napa Cab.  Here are my notes:

2007 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Tapestry
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot
14.9% Alcohol
18,901 Cases Produced
$50 Release Price

A little rough and tumble at this stage but I like it. Deftly ping pongs between sweet and savory. The nose goes more in the savory direction whereas the palate delivers the fruit. Ample acidity, then a long vanilla-laced finish. Multi-faceted. Well done and quite a value if you can find it just north of $30.

93/100 WWP: Outstanding

Recommendation:  Buy 3 bottles.  Try one now and wait a year before opening the next.

Find it on Wine-Searcher
CellarTracker reviews 

Update: I pinged Wine Spectator Executive Editor Tom Matthews on Twitter.  He said that their December 31, 2010 issue was the cut-off for the 2010 Wine of the Year which makes sense but also confirms that both the Tapestry and the Ramey Claret were considered for the list but didn't make the cut.  I think this creates a buying opportunity for these wines.  If they landed on the Top 10 they surely would have been much harder to find.

Have you had this wine?  If so, what did you think?  If not, what are some other 2007 Napa Cab value plays you've found in the $30 range?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/4xtOiHV36B8/value-alert-2007-beaulieu-vineyard.html

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Celebrating Yule (Jul, Jule, Winter Solstice)

I can be honest with all of you, my dear readers, right? I mean food blogging is all about sharing recipes, cultures and traditions, right? Well I would like to share with you some of my food traditions for this time of year, which are a bit personal. I celebrate Yule. Yule is the ancient [...]

Source: http://www.leftoverqueen.com/2010/12/21/celebrating-yule-jul-jule-winter-solstice

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Mt. Parnassus: breathtaking views and excellent food

www.GreeceTravelBlog.com




I can’t tell you how breathtaking the view was that welcomed the morning in Arachova, an upscale ski resort on Mt. Parnassus, about two hours from Athens. On the highway leaving Athens, we had passed miles and miles of modern architecture, and a stunning amount of industry–companies from all over the world. Everything looked [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GreeceTravelBlog/~3/ghUzdQw_z8E/

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This wine story will make you want to drink

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/01/this-wine-story-will-make-you-want-to-drink.html

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Rockin? at Wine & Cars

Everyone had a great time at Wine & Cars Under the Stars last weekend. Don’t believe me? Check out the video: The evening was a great success, netting nearly $50,000 for the foundations at Fairplex and their programs. If you missed Wine & Cars, you can taste the award-winning wines of the Los Angeles International [...]

Source: http://blogs.fairplex.com/blog/wine/?p=100

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The Greek Food Blog

This is the Greek Food Blog. Stay tuned for a collection of recipes and articles about Greek food.

Source: http://www.greekfoodblog.com/?p=5

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Best of 2010 in Washington Wine Country

After visiting more wineries and tasting more Washington wines than I can count, meeting many of the best winemakers in Washington, and walking the rows in many of the best known vineyards in the state, these are the Wine Peeps team?s picks as the best of 2010 in Washington Wine Country. BEST WINE: 2007 Rasa [...]

Best of 2010 in Washington Wine Country 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/NlWMny2MS2E/

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Friday night Sushi, Blue Ginger

Blue Ginger
106 8th Ave
Chelsea, Manhattan
(212) 352-0911


Friday nights vary between super-excitement for the weekend, and, on tougher weeks, sheer exhaustion from an endless week.... this past Friday was more of the exhaustion category, but we still craved a yummy meal after a travel day at work. We had thoughts of Mary Ann's margaritas and Mexican in the Chelsea, which is always tasty, but walked in and decided it was way too loud, couldn't hear each other talk. There's a nice strip of restaurants along that block, so we decided to check out Blue Ginger for some sushi.

Blue Ginger has a nice feel, classic sushi restaurant, sushi bar with chefs rolling and chopping at high speed. The windows and front were open for the warm summer breezes. We sat in a corner table in the front to get the breeze. It wasn't too crowded and definitely quieter, service was efficient.

We stuck with the classics (for us) sushi-wise, but all was very tasty. They do have a list of special (i.e. fancy and more expensive) rolls, which I'm usually very tempted by, being a woman who loves many flavors, but this night I decided to stick with those I know. So I had the Alaska, spicy tuna, and eel avocado rolls, plus some pork gyoza. Hubby had spicy roll combo that he always loves, with the salad. Their ginger dressing was particularly good. Eel was a tiny bit chewier than I'm used to; otherwise all was great. The presentation/plating was very nice. Nice cozy ambiance at night for a date. Lunch specials sound good for those who work nearby too!

Menupages menu

Source: http://52flavorsnyc.blogspot.com/2007/07/friday-night-sushi-blue-ginger.html

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Board Wrap : Foodie Finds at Mohegan Sun?

Source: http://ny.eater.com/archives/2010/12/foodie_finds_at_mohegan_sun.php

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