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The Guardian, Interview with Nyla Nox (part 1):
Joris Luyendijk: 'The shouting of the bankers resembled constant gunfire"
A woman working night shifts in graphics for a major bank, talks of the systematic abuse and poor conditions she faced
• This monologue is part of a series in which people across the financial sector speak to Joris Luyendijk about their working lives
She is a woman in her mid-30s, not British, who goes by the name of Nyla Nox, but worked in banks under a different name. She requested no further details be given.
"The systemic abuse in banks is still being understated and not named as the deliberate social Darwinist system it is. Even in your interviews the banks seem too glamorous, home to the "best and brightest" . I closely observed thousands of bankers when they weren't trying to sell themselves. Is it impossible to speak the truth or to believe it?
"I worked on the 'graveyard shift' in the graphics department four nights a week, from midnight to 8am. Two years in one major bank and five in another, 'The Most Successful Bank in the Universe'.
"Although some of us worked there for years we were officially contractors and could be fired at any moment (luckily I never was). We had no sick pay, holidays, severance, bonus, nothing. But I saw more secrets in a month than most bankers in a lifetime; upcoming deals, trade flows, projections, takeovers. I could have sold it all.
"Our job is mostly layout and high-end graphics. From text and figures provided by the bankers we create a 'book' (the only tangible product clients get for their fees). Fairly high-skilled – technical, fast, constantly evolving. I enjoyed playing with the beautiful colours.
"The department was open 24/7 every day except Christmas. After midnight was busiest. Everything was always super-urgent, deadlines at 3, 4 or 7am. Often impossible to meet. When it got too hectic a top banker weeded out the task list. This made the bankers very angry. Of course, without these deadlines there wouldn't have been a graveyard shift for me to work on…
"Presentations and books were changed many times by different people who often seemed to work against each other and gave conflicting instructions. The bankers had no understanding of (or respect for) our work and usually thought they could do it better – until it all went wrong and they had to ask us to fix it. Poor sods, they were constantly humiliated and 'brought down' by their own superiors, as in a British private school.
"The weekend graveyard shift paid around £24 an hour. Daytime shifts were £14 pounds. Holidays you sometimes got double.
"The greatest thing about the job? The office of the Most Successful Bank in the Universe has a fantastically beautiful view. The roofs of central London, the Thames, St Paul's. I loved to watch the sunrise. The beauty of that I will never forget.
"There were no breaks, none, in an eight-hour graveyard shift. If your seat was empty for more than seven minutes, they'd dock your pay. Taking breaks was also 'against the culture', we were told on our first day. Every two hours we had a five-minute 'eye break' – a legal requirement for working with screens. An eight-hour shift meant three five-minute breaks. 'Don't take six!'
"The toilets were quite far away and you needed your company pass to go through the glass doors. When break time came you actually ran. Many of us had cystitis (a bladder infection).
"The kitchen was unimaginably filthy, especially on weekends when the whole floor wasn't cleaned between Friday night and Monday morning. The same with the toilets. Can you imagine? Hundreds of people (there were at least 200 bankers on the floor) went through the kitchen and toilets, and they weren't cleaned for 48 hours.
"During the week cleaners came around 3am. Again an unbelievable contrast with how this bank presents itself to the outside world. They wiped my desk with very old rags and water so dirty it was black. The hoovers blew clouds of dust over us. There were fleas in the carpet and on the trading floor the mice came out at night. (I choose to believe they were mice, anyway…).
"Around 5am, if the work flow died down, they'd often 'short-shift' us, send us home without pay. That created such uncertainty! All those needless and wasteful revisions must have cost 10 times more than they saved by cutting our shifts. Ironically, the uncertainty may have contributed to my staying on. There was something almost addictive about it, hoping I'd get to work four full shifts. "Maybe this time I'll win …"
"There were about 30 of us on the graveyard shift, sometimes more. Psychologists, scientists, a theologian, even an economist, teachers, artists, hosts of media studies graduates and the headmistress of a secondary school. Those with a big mortgage, student debt, young children were so scared of losing their jobs.
"Most were in their late 20s and early 30s, like most of the bankers. So one population was living their dream, the other their nightmare. And both saw the other as living proof of all that's wrong with society.
"I believe the bank actually promoted anger among the bankers, to bring out the predator in them. Meanwhile, we were depressed.
"We called ourselves the humanities proletariat. With an advanced degree in humanities you are trained, conditioned almost, to analyse these processes. Then we had to endure them, night after night. We also called it Siberia.
"Some of your interviewees say 'I wish I hadn't been loyal to the bank'. I never felt any loyalty. It was constantly appealed to; help out, work faster – unpaid. We'd get weekly emails from the CEO, addressing us like buddies, stressing how success is a team effort and so on. On busy nights emails like that always raised a few laughs. It was just so far removed from reality…
"I often thought of the Milgram experiments – how far will people go in hurting others when given authority without accountability? The shift leaders (and the quality control or QC department) were the worst bullies. Many of them had risen in the bank through support functions. Some of them were the only ones without a degree. They could make life difficult for bankers, too. They accidentally found themselves in a position of great power over others. How were management to know what supervisors were up to in the middle of the night? They wrote the shift reports themselves.
"Each shift had a supervisor and a QC 'style guide' representative. The QC guy would sit on a higher platform facing the room, and when you were new, after finishing a job, you had to get up, walk past 30 people and hand it over. Then they'd publicly tell you what you'd done wrong. Sometimes you had to repeat it aloud. Five or six times per night. This could also strike a veteran at any time. Even when you weren't subjected to it yourself you still had to sit there and listen to it.
"The environment – yes, I think I would call it abusive. The shouting of the bankers resembled constant gunfire. Night after night they crowded around me, pushing my chair, calling me incompetent and stupid. This was all under the watchful eye of our supervisors who harassed us afterwards for not keeping to the guidelines.
"A colleague worked the 8pm-4am shift. This meant you had to pay for a taxi home. But after she'd called her taxi, they'd make her do another correction, then another one, and another one. She was kept there, unpaid, while the taxi downstairs ran up a huge bill.
"Have you heard about 'the cull'? It applies to everyone at the bank, including support functions, contractors, secretaries etc. Up to 25% of staff are laid off every year, regardless of circumstances. 'Weed out the weakest so the strong can lead'.
There we were, four colleagues sitting in a row, and I'd count: when the cull comes, one of us will go. Who?
"About every three months and without warning or preparation we'd be taken to the basement for a test; 'best practice' rules and skills.
"The test result sorted us into four groups. When the cull came we'd expect group 4 to be fired but often people from groups 1 or 2 would go instead. People were scared for months because they were in group 4… I saw many good operators being fired while less successful ones stayed on, so it clearly wasn't about performance.
"I still have no idea why or how I survived every cull.
"The bullying was always just on the right side of legal. I told you about the mandatory five-minute break. Well, it could be denied for 'business reasons'. So there I was, in the middle of the night, trapped in a huge iron chair, hungry and thirsty, haven't had a break in two hours, I need the toilet and it's cold. It was always very cold.
"While it is true that other big institutions brutalise junior staff, in my experience the big banks are up there with the most hostile work environments. I overheard many conversations with senior bankers or started them myself. They would openly state their social Darwinist principles. For them the bank was engaged in aggressive selection of the fittest. 'I am dominant all the way through' was a popular self-description.
"Pushing juniors to the breaking point, making them 'jump through hoops' and brutalising them was not an accidental byproduct. It was a major element in selecting and shaping future leaders. It took me a while to figure this out but when they say 'leader' they mean 'predator'. Senior bankers called themselves 'top predators', like sharks or lions. This made junior bankers the dogs, very afraid of them while fighting for dominance within their own group. We were prey.
"I don't say this lightly but it is a proto-fascist ideology. This idea that 'I am the superior species' and you, being losers, deserve to be brutalised. But by calling it 'leadership' they decouple the ideology from racism and sexism. It's simply the 'best and brightest' and the rest of us are inferior. Have lunch or be lunch. And they're so open about it! Not being successful is your own fault. It's a super-Calvinist universe. Americans believed it the most.
The overwhelming majority of bankers at the Most Successful Bank in the Universe are male. Especially higher up. But in nature, lionesses are the predators. Male lions just sit around looking beautiful. Ha ha. Now, this is the sort of joke you just couldn't make at the Most Successful Bank in the Universe.
"What intrigues me is how the self-promoted superiority combines with flagrant wastefulness and incompetence. The much hyped 'excellence' simply doesn't exist. Much of the astronomically expensive specialist 'advice' was copied from existing books for other clients. How I know? Because in spite of the 300 revisions they had failed to replace all the names! Frequently they'd lift stuff straight from the client company's own publications. I often saw emails going round 'stop feeding clients their own material'. Never made any difference.
"Page Two of all books advising clients on their deals contained a disclaimer that 'nothing in this document can be interpreted as advice'. So the client is paying millions for your brilliant advice which has to be prefaced by a disclaimer that, actually…
"We did receive training on the Chinese walls, several sessions. An elderly lawyer came in and told us some lame jokes at the end of a very long shift. I fell asleep a couple of times.
"We mostly worked for the investment bankers (deal makers) but sometimes a desk neighbour had a job from the Trading Floor, officially 'behind the Chinese wall'. We could tell from the project codes.
"There are rules to enforce the Chinese walls such as a ban on speaking about business in the elevator. I heard so much in the elevator! And the cafeteria… People on both sides of a Chinese wall would be sitting there within earshot.
"At one point the regulator came to investigate a bank-wide insider trading case. I remembered the company involved really well because I had spent hours, no whole nights, redrawing their company logo – the bank often had us do that. They scheduled the interrogations for 8am. The head of our department (whom I had never seen before) came in and said: it's routine, you are not suspects, and here's a lawyer. I went, wow, how nice to provide an expensive lawyer!
"Now you must realise that by the end of a night shift your emotions are all over the place. The graveyard shift has so many fights, breakdowns, love affairs; working all through the night under those circumstances does funny things to you.
"The interrogators were two very young gentlemen, in shirts and red braces like cops from a US TV series. And suddenly I got very, very afraid. You can go to jail for insider trading. I was desperately trying to remember details of the deal when one of them suddenly leant forward, looked me in the eye and said: 'Did you do it?'
"I turned to the lawyer, asking him: 'You said they didn't suspect me?' He said nothing. Only then did it dawn on me that he wasn't there to protect me. He was there to protect the bank.
"So why do so few people act on the insider information they have? My explanation is that most of us just aren't crooks. We want to do our best, be a good person. Even under the most difficult circumstances.
'I live in a hostile environment'. Over the last year, many EU citizens in the UK have said that. So many times. Harassment? Bullying? Legal uncertainty? Lack of empathy? Being made into the 'other', being publicly vilified, demonized? Encountering obstacle after obstacle, so that life becomes a misery? Like many other EU citizens, I have […] Continue reading
Here are the first few pictures from Nyla's reading of 'Slaughterhouse Morning' at Waterstones Covent Garden on Friday 3 March. Wonderful audience, standing room only for quite a few! Most exciting image: people picking up my book, rapt and immersed. Reading it, buying it. Wow! Continue reading
Nyla Nox will be reading from her first chapter of 'Slaugtherhouse Morning'. You will be the very first to hear it before the book comes out later in March! Link to the website Continue reading
"Part satire, part thriller and part exposé, this book explores the dark corporate underbelly of the banking world and of those who are stuck working in it." "Nox has a clear, honest writing style and has unique and refreshing ways of describing people and their relationships. " "This was an interesting book that gave a lot […] Continue reading
"I really liked the character Nyla." " I also learned a lot about finance and banks in this book. I love books like this, when the author is writing about an industry, and writes it so well that we actually learn something." "The writing style (like I mentioned above), is very unique. It took me a while to […] Continue reading


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Advertising / Advertising/Promotion
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This company combines the power of print, reach and frequency of digital to deliver a very powerful marketing format. This Company's calendars are delivered to families by US mail every December for free. Their digital program starts with members and organizations posting events on our website which constantly provides new content and traffic. All events are pushed out in our weekly newsletter building our traffic counts as subscribers are draw into the website for more information. Sometimes the best events are the ones you create with your own family. Maybe it takes a little planning with a certain location in mind or maybe it is just time you "freelance" doing all the things you have been meaning to do.
A career with this company allows for "family flexibility" and no regrets later in life. The average publisher with this business has a tenure of 9 plus years which would not be possible without the right balance of financial and family rewards. Over 42 publishers have 5 plus years experience and stand by to share their experience with you.
Take advantage of the popular Lexington County market that is growing at a record pace.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Anti-Discrimination Board offers a training course for community workers and other people who advise clients, consumers and members of the public about their rights and responsibilities under anti-discrimination law.
This course enables participants community and advice workers to recognise when unfair treatment may be against the law and when it is not, and give accurate advice to members of the community about their rights under anti-discrimination law. It covers:
All participants receive high quality resources developed at the Anti-Discrimination Board.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team can also provide training and information that is specifically designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
See more information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education


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Without question, our schools are among our most valuable community assets. Our Board of Education understands and embraces its responsibility to ensure that our schools continue to be a positive asset in the future.
After meaningful input and reflection, District 30 updated its Strategic Plan last year, which fueled the creation of two important Board Goals:
Goal 1: Increase child-centered instruction within rigorous and coherent educational programs.
Goal 2: Ensure District 30 facilities possess the capacity to support our evolving and emerging programs and contribute to optimal educational experiences.
The first goal works to build upon our educational vision, while our second goal strives to create and realize the facility vision that aligns with our educational vision.
District 30's Board of Education has entered into an inclusive process that is respectful of our stakeholders and community by directly involving them in the process of updating our district's facility vision. The first semester of the 2016-2017 school year will be devoted to this important work, which will include the creation and adoption of a new Master Facility Plan. It will culminate with a Citizens' Task Force recommendation to the Board of Education on a plan that will accomplish our Master Facility Plan.
Background Information:
Since 2013, District 30 has spent roughly $4.1 million to respond to maintenance needs at our existing facilities. Our work began with a focus on our two elementary schools, Wescott and Willowbrook. Wescott's roof has been completely replaced, new secure entrances and office configurations along with new flooring have been completed at both elementary buildings. Both schools have also required new air-conditioning units in the past two years.
With the district's focus shifting toward Maple School, it has become clear that this building will require over $7 million to simply maintain it. This expenditure would not modernize systems, create needed flexible spaces for learning, or support emerging programs like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
Increasing enrollment is also causing additional sections to be added to our elementary schools, which creates constraints on program delivery and limits the ability to support emerging programs like STEM.
Remain Informed:
Regular updates to our staff, parents, and community will be provided throughout the year via (1) my ongoing communications, (2) facility planning updates at Board of Education meetings, and (3) a web page on District 30's website devoted exclusively to Master Facility Planning information and updates (http://facilities.district30.org).
As always, we value and appreciate your partnership and commitment to the students we serve in District 30. Thank you in advance for staying engaged, including your participation in future community opinion surveys the district will be conducting in late-October or early-November.
Here's to a great 2016-2017 school year!


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*Please note: we update our inventory daily. Please check with dealer to confirm vehicle availability.
Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat 2016 Ford Explorer FWD 6-Speed Automatic with Select-Shift 3.5L 6-Cylinder SMPI DOHC
Located on 1625 Savannah Hwy in Charleston South Carolina. Call our Sales Department (877)201-6544. Recent Arrival! Odometer is 17705 miles below market average!
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* High-tech features are plentiful and easy to use; cargo space is generous, even behind the third row; turbocharged V6 engine delivers plentiful power; quiet and comfortable on the highway. Source: Edmunds
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Charleston, South Carolina 29407
* While every reasonable effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this data, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions contained on these pages. Please verify any information in question with a dealership sales representative. All Prices,Financing and/or Discounts include all applicable rebates, monetary incentives,consumer rebates, loyalty rebates, trade-in rebates, manifest incentives and lender financing incentives. Pricing may also include monetary and/or interest rate or term incentives that require financing with a specific lender which is subject to approved credit. Other conditions may also apply. Please verify with a dealership representative that the buyer qualifies for these incentives. Please verify any information in question with a dealership sales representative. It is the customer's sole responsibility to verify the existence and condition of any equipment listed. All prices, specifications and availability subject to change without notice. Price listed does not include state taxes, registration, title or documentation fees.


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I recently did some VFX for my buddy Ryan Connoly! Just in time for Halloween!
There was only 6 visual effects shots but they had some very tricky challenges! I'll go into some more details later on so I don't reveal anything yet. But I will say that it was fun to use Element 3D in a unique way and sneak in some unreleased Action Essentials 4K Elements. Check it out!
With FX Console around the corner, it's nice to start seeing more of these ongoing projects get finished! It's definitely a relief to lift a few projects off my shoulders so we can really speed up our release schedule and yes Intercept too! The traffic is beginning to clear up!
Source: Video CopilotGhost VFX by Charles


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Broadvox in Center Point, PA
These numbers are located in the city of Center Point part of Montgomery county. There are a few other subcodes that cover this area as well so take care not to confuse them.
Montgomery county is situated in Pennsylvania and operates ET (UTC -05:00) time. This number group covers the 19403, 19401, 19406, & 19446 zip codes.


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BANGOR, Maine — While most of the councilors who weighed in Tuesday concluded that it wouldn't be prudent to set up a second voting location, they did agree that some tweaks could make the Civic Center easier for the elderly and people with limited mobility to access.
Some of those improvements could include making wheelchairs or transport chairs available to those who need them, allowing handicapped parking closer to the entrance and bringing golf carts to Bass Park on Election Day to shuttle voters to and from the large parking lot.
Councilors plan to revisit the matter in February and might asked to public to weigh in the next month.
As it stands, handicapped parking spaces are located a relatively long distance from the Civic Center's handicapped-accessible entrance and the only wheelchair available at the Civic Center is a 1962 model, councilors noted during a meeting of the City Council's Government Operations Committee.
"If it's easier to go to Walmart or Shop 'n Save than it is to vote, then I think we need to take a look at that," said Councilor James Gallant, one of six council members who took part in Tuesday night's committee meeting.
Bangor once had nine voting sites — four wards, each split into two precincts, and a central polling site at City Hall.
That system, however, was costly, cumbersome for staff and confusing to voters, City Clerk Patti Dubois noted during Tuesday's meeting.
In 2006, councilors streamlined the number to four, those being the civic center, Bangor Community Center on Davis Road, Bangor High School and William S. Cohen Middle School.
Three years later, the councilors decided to take the plunge and voted to consolidate all election action — including absentee voting — at the Civic Center.
The discussion about the city's sole voting location came before the Government Operations Committee at the request of Councilor Joseph Baldacci, who noted that as many as 16,000 to 18,000 residents are expected to vote in next year's presidential election — the first to be held since the city went to the single voting venue.
Baldacci also said that he had heard from some voters who encountered less than ideal accessibility at the Civic Center.
Given that, he wondered if the city should add another polling place, such as Bangor High School and William S. Cohen School on the city's East Side. The suggestion, however, drew little support from his council colleagues or from resident William Sullivan, who has served on two committees appointed in recent years to streamline voting locations.
Sullivan noted that voting traditions in Maine have changed dramatically in the last decade, with more than half of the Bangor's residents now choosing to vote early by means of absentee ballots as opposed to turning up at the polls on Election Day.
Dubois noted that the single venue system has improved efficiency, eliminated confusion over where to vote, requires fewer voting machines and allows the city to keep election activity out of the city's schools.


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Automated interactions with people in real time. Bot defines a new era of Human computer communication. Bot would simplify the task of performing the same operations numerous time.
For Instance, a bot can send you a message informing you about an important email that you have received.
At Prakash we are committed to walk with hand in hand with new technology and so here comes LUIS- An Artificial Intelligence coding language that translates your speech to code.
Let's delve into what exactly LUIS will do. LUIS will convert human language into language that computer would understand. LUIS uses Microsoft bot Framework.
We are in inception of developing a BOT which would be compatible with Microsoft Teams and identify whether a document is tag or not, if not we can have a tag for the same.
Tasks Taken Off By Bot – Easing The SharePoint Online Library Documents Management:
Copyright © Prakash Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.


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Weekend retreats with hosts Albert and Bertha Fresquez don't offer much in the way of mental relaxation or idle talk. In fact, the married guests at these Retrouvaille weekends are there to work with one clear goal in mind: reviving their marriages. Retrouvaille, which is French for "rediscovery," is for couples whose marriages aren't going well or are in danger of failing. The program is affiliated with the Catholic Church, but participants don't need to be Catholic.
Marvelle and David Buechel had been married nearly 30 years when the stress in their marriage peaked a couple of years ago. David Buechel's mother had died, and, a short time later, he left his private medical practice and joined a group practice. Tension grew, and the couple struggled to communicate. After a particularly bad day in his new job, David came home very agitated.
"I listened without saying anything, and then I told him: 'I can't do this anymore, Dave. I can't live like this.' And he said: 'Fine. Don't,' " Marvelle said. Marvelle had first noticed Retrouvaille in a church bulletin a couple of years earlier but didn't think David would agree to go. "I'm a physician, and so there's a certain amount of skepticism you have anyway," he said. He was surprised to find how helpful Retrouvaille was, both for his marriage and for his personal growth.
"There was a focus on self-discovery and one's contribution to the relationship, both in a positive and a negative fashion, and there was a lot of attention directed at discovering the origins of dynamics in a relationship," said David, 59.
Life has improved dramatically since they attended the session nearly a year ago. David said he's better at listening, communicating clearly and understanding other people, or at least trying very hard to.
"It's been a godsend to me, I'll tell you, and I pride myself on being an effective communicator and problem-solver," he said. "My eyes were opened."
Marvelle, 56, said the three-day weekend retreat, which is held at a hotel, was both exhausting and renewing. "We were so wrapped up in the dynamic of being right that we were not able to discuss anything," she said. "They give you tools you can use every single day. The blame thing is gone. It's about letting your partner know how you feel without criticism or judgment."
Marvelle, 56, said the three-day weekend retreat, which is held at a hotel, was both exhausting and renewing. "We were so wrapped up in the dynamic of being right that we were not able to discuss anything," she said. "They give you tools you can use every single day. The blame thing is gone. It's about letting your partner know how you feel without criticism or judgment."
There are four stages of marriage, according to Retrouvaille teachings. The first is romance; the second, disillusionment; the third, misery; and the fourth, if the marriage hasn't yet ended, awakening.
Many of the couples who come to Retrouvaille are in the misery stage, said Albert and Bertha Fresquez. "Some couples who come in aren't speaking to one another," Bertha Fresquez said. Albert and Bertha had their Retrouvaille weekend nine years ago, at which time they'd been married 22 years. Like the Buechels, they had stopped communicating well. Their children had grown, and there was an "empty-nest syndrome," Bertha said. There was a lot of pain to sort through, she said. They credit the weekend with saving their marriage.
Albert, 56, and Bertha, 53, started leading weekends themselves in 2005. They share their volunteer job with a priest and two other couples who also have completed a Retrouvaille experience. The focus is on learning to recognize feelings, both your own and your spouse's, and to accept what's shared without judgment, Albert said. "The other concept we teach is that you cannot change your spouse; you can only change yourself," he said. During the weekend, there is group time and time for the individual couples to work alone. All of your problem solving is done in private. You do not share your problems with the group and you are not asked to share your personal problems at any time.
Retrouvaille, which started in Quebec, has been in existence for 30 years. After the initial weekend experience, there are 12 post-sessions during which couples continue their work.
Galen and Vida Gudenkauf of Nogales traveled to Tucson, Ariz., for their Retrouvaille weekend last year. They'd been married for 47 years. "We really couldn't get along. We needed help," said Galen, 66. "You take everything for granted over the years." Galen still can't believe what a difference that retreat and the post-sessions made in their marriage.
"Those people who have gone through Retrouvaille before, they get up in front and tell their life story," he said. "It's powerful." Vida, 65, said she didn't have many expectations. She just hoped it would work. "We were willing to try anything and everything," she said. "We wanted to be living happily again." Galen said they continue to use what they learned every day. "We're not taking anything for granted," he said. "We learned you make a decision to love. It's not something that you just do; you have to make a decision."


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External Investigations
Complaint Intake
INT performs an initial assessment of every complaint that it receives. This assessment determines whether: the complaint relates to a sanctionable practice in World Bank Group-financed projects, the complaint has credibility and the matter is of sufficient gravity to warrant an investigation. Complaints outside of INT's jurisdiction are redirected to other areas of the World Bank Group as appropriate. Complaints that fall under INT's jurisdiction are investigated if they are determined to be of a higher priority. When a complaint does not reach this threshold, INT works with Operational staff to address the issues raised. In assigning priority, INT also considers the possible reputational risk to the World Bank Group, amount of funds involved and quality of the information or evidence in INT's possession.
Investigation of Cases
Through investigations, INT ascertains whether firms and/or individuals have engaged in one of the World Bank Group's five sanctionable practices. Since an INT investigation is administrative in nature, the standard of proof is akin to a "balance of probabilities" and therefore lower than the criminal standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt." The World Bank Group, for that reason, has to prove that it is more likely than not that the alleged misconduct has occurred. If INT finds sufficient evidence to prove the allegation, the allegation is considered substantiated. The allegation is considered unsubstantiated if there was insufficient evidence to prove or disprove it, and unfounded if the allegation has no basis in fact.
Investigation Reports
When INT substantiates a case, it produces a Final Investigation Report (FIR). In some cases, INT will produce an FIR even if there is not reasonably sufficient evidence to substantiate a complaint - for example, if INT believes that the investigation unearthed important lessons that should be shared with colleagues in the World Bank Group. FIRs are sent to regional management for comment before being finalized and provided to the World Bank Group President.
INT strives to ensure that the maximum time between opening a case and completing an investigation report is twelve (12) months for normal cases and eighteen (18) months for complex cases.
FIRs also form the basis for two other INT outputs: referral reports, which INT sends to relevant national authorities if evidence indicates that the laws of a World Bank Group member country may have been violated; and redacted reports, which are provided to the World Bank Group's Board of Executive Directors and, after the completion of any related sanctions proceedings, posted on this site.


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Some folks has a lot of things around them that shines for other peoples. I think that maybe some of them was in tunnels. And in that tunnel, the only light they had, was inside of them. And then long after they escape that tunnel, they sitll be shining for everybody else..... Clarice Precious Jonesi'm sure that almost everything to be said about "precious" has already been written or verbalized. i won't try to reinvent the wheel here. but i will say that i have been altered by this film and am completely graced by it as well. i really haven't been listening or reading reviews, more because of available time than anything else, so i wasn't sure what to expect. i had seen the trailers and knew that it would have something to say to me.
and it did speak to me. i could relate to several aspects of the film. growing up an effeminate boy may be very similar to growing up overweight. no doubt there is a constant stream of verbal insults and internal judgements that accompanied precious wherever she went. growing up in what was a single parent household (most of the time) with that single parent being broken and unhappy also rang some bells. when they were weaving in scenes of precious' fantasy life when her real life was bringing pressure, i could understand easily why she "went there" and found it validating.
i think, though, that i most loved when she starts in an alternative school and meets some friends who are struggling with their lives just like her. they don't like each other right away because none of them really like themselves very much, but as is demonstrated to them by their teacher, if they open their hearts a little, they will see a struggle very much like their own. this is an intuitive part of the human psyche, and they take to it like a duck to water. innocent joy and age appropriate laughter visit these teenage girls' lives for perhaps the first time in their lives.
the performances are tender... especially monique. i can't remember feeling so vexed by a performance. i didn't see "acting" at all here. i'm sure it was there, but i didn't see it. i was watching a woman who had been bound so tight with fear, pain, and rage that she had forgotten she even had a heart. i can relate to that perspective from a few vantage points. this film gets a very high rating- but with a caution. most likely it will tear at you, especially if you are in recovery from something. the themes of this film are completely related to many of the reasons people embrace addiction. but as it pierces your guard, it will probably let a little sunlight of spirit in, too. a huge bonus in my eyes.
here's to a heart that is drinking in the sunlight of spirit. and here's to the precious star that reflects that light.
today's sound choice is from the film's soundtrack. i had almost forgotten about this one, but it didn't take long for it to come back. it's mfsb(i believe that mother, father, sister, brother) featuring the three degrees with "love is the message". man, do i love vintage disco sometimes..


text:
Condemning the Rudd Government's response to climate change as 'dangerously inadequate', a coalition of environmental groups has put forward a compelling alternative response entitled Plan B: An Agenda for Immediate Climate Action.
Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Wilderness Society and the state-based conservation councils including Environment Victoria were amongst the key organisations, together representing more than 400,000 Australians, backing the alternative plan.
Plan B puts forward a range of policies and actions that can be taken immediately to halve Australia's greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade. These include:
Prioritising saving energy
- Cutting energy use in manufacturing, commercial buildings and homes by 30% using available technology, with an average payback time of four years
- Minimum 7-star rating for new homes and 5-star for commercial buildings, schools, hospitals and warehouses
Fast-tracking the switch to a renewable energy economy
- Doubling the Renewable Energy Target to 90,000 GWh by 2020
- A moratorium on new coal-fired power stations
Driving the shift to low emissions vehicles and sustainable cities
- Adopting an emissions intensity target for new cars of 130grams per km by 2012 and investing in electric vehicles and public transport
Protecting our forests and woodlands as a carbon store and making agriculture part of the solution
- Ending logging of old growth forests and major land clearing of mature and regrowth forests, woodlands and grasslands by 2011
- Incentives for minimising the carbon and energy intensity of farming and agriculture
Growing the green job economy
- The creation of nearly a million 'green jobs'
The environment groups behind Plan B have called on the Rudd Government to abandon the fundamentally flawed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) which rewards big polluters and includes loopholes such as allowing unlimited carbon credits to be bought overseas.
This strong condemnation of the CPRS in its current form is consistent with the message put forward by Yarra Climate Action Now alongside 65 other climate action groups around Australia in a letter sent to Kevin Rudd in May.
The Rudd Government needs to let go of its flawed and irredeemable CPRS – it's time for Plan B.


text:
● Single beam with 4 sides LED, when working, 40W / 4000lm each bulb.
● Easy to install, plug and play, no modification required.
● All-in-one design, complete bulb kit to replace your stock halogen headlamp.
● Aluminium design of thermal conductivity, heat dissipation through a built-in cooling fan, small volume, light weight, IP68 waterproof.
● The original car color temperature, stronger air-penetration.
● Built-in cooling fan system, low power consumption.
● High brightness, customized special COB light source, energy conservation, and environmental protection.
● LED lighting without dark spots, 360-degree no dead angle.
● Low voltage protection, high precision constant current driver chip.
● Shockproof and long life span, up to more than 10000 hours.
● Built-in IC circuit, prevent LED damaging from voltage variations and spikes.
● 9 – 36V wide voltage design, universal for most cars.
| Type: Headlights
Connector: H4
LED/Bulb quantity: 4pcs
Feature: Durable high performance,Easy to use,Low Power Consumption,Waterproof/Dustproof
Special function: All-in-one design
Light mode: Steady
Emitting color: White
Voltage: 9-36V
Power: 40W
Lumens: 4000lm
Material: Aluminium
Type of lamp-house : COB
Color temperatures: 6000K
Apply lamp position : External Lights
Dimension and Weight
| Product weight: 0.225 kg
Package weight: 0.410 kg
Product size (L x W x H): 9.00 x 4.00 x 4.00 cm / 3.54 x 1.57 x 1.57 inches
Package size (L x W x H): 17.00 x 13.00 x 6.00 cm / 6.69 x 5.12 x 2.36 inches
Package Contents
|Package Contents: 2 x Car LED Headlight, 1 x English User Manual
IP Code
The IP Code (or International Protection Rating, sometimes also interpreted as Ingress Protection Rating*) consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter. As defined in international standard IEC 60529, it classifies the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures. The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof.
The digits (characteristic numerals) indicate conformity with the conditions summarized in the tables below. For example, an electrical socket rated IP22 is protected against insertion of fingers and will not be damaged or become unsafe during a specified test in which it is exposed to vertically or nearly vertically dripping water. IP22 or 2X are typical minimum requirements for the design of electrical accessories for indoor use.


text:
Arcade Buttons / Arcade-Style Actuators
Arcade-Style Actuators are always a favorite. Originally designed for the video arcade business, these arcade buttons are readily visible, made from extremely durable nylon, and inexpensive. Stock colors are black, white, blue and red. Special order colors are also available. Button surround is 1.325" dia., plunger is .875" dia, 2-1/2" overall length. Requires 1-1/8" mounting hole, fits materials up to 3/4" thick. Includes crimp connectors. Requires both front and rear panel access.
- Colors: black, white, blue, and red
- Made from extremely durable nylon
- Requires 1-1/8″ mounting hole
- Fits materials up to 3/4″ thick
- Includes crimp connectors
- Requires front and rear panel access
- N.O./N.C. momentary dry
- contact closure
At Stop and Listen Inc we design and manufacture leading-edge digital and analog audio products for the interpretive and exhibits industries. We pride ourselves in our unparalleled product quality and customer support. Through the years we've focused our research and design efforts towards products that give the exhibit designer greater control over the audio messages that they provide to the public.
If you're not using audio in your exhibits and displays, perhaps you should think again. Experts agree that audio plays a critical role in learning about the world around us.


text:
Bauchi state governor, Gov. Mohammed Abdullahi, has signed into law a bill that attracts a death sentence or life imprisonment for anyone that is found guilty of kidnapping in the state. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ibrahim Umar, announced this at a press conference in the state Tuesday.
"Whoever is guilty of the offence of kidnapping shall be punished with life imprisonment. If the victim dies as a result of the kidnapping, the offender shall be punished with death"Umar said
The bill states that anyone who seizes, confines, tricks, abducts or carries away anybody and holds them to ransom or otherwise with or without a weapon, has committed act of kidnapping in the state and would be punished accordingly.
Umar said that the state government also signed into law a bill for the provision of free emergency treatment to accident victims within 24 hours of occurrence.
"The law stated that the state government shall provide funds and logistics for joint patrol of the hospital management board and Federal Road Safety Corps for rescuing accident victims in the three senatorial districts of the state.
Any government hospital that fails to accept an accident victim shall have its officers on duty that day punished according to civil service rules, including reduction in rank," he said


text:
The Art of PizzaLake View Map
Find Parking | Menu
This modest Lakeview storefront eatery's deep-dish pizza was voted Chicago's best by the Tribune. Also thin-crust pies, subs, ribs and chicken, plus salads, appetizers. The Italian-style bread used for subs, some sandwiches and to accompany dinners is the crispy-yet-soft-inside variety. Desserts include cannoli, cheesecake and cakes.


text:
"4. Fighting Diseases Mostly Affecting Developing Countries
We will encourage research into diseases affecting mostly developing countries.
4.1 In order to expand the development of effective, safe and affordable drugs for diseases affecting mostly developing countries ("neglected diseases"), we are committed to seeking ways to support world−wide the development of research on health technologies for prevention (including vaccines), control, treatment and cure for these diseases. In particular we will:
"work with developing countries to increase their own ability to contribute to research and development on these diseases, including to create incentives and the necessary regulatory systems to support ethical and safe clinical trials;
"encourage research into these diseases, in our countries too, including by providing appropriate incentives; "continue to support work already underway in the non−governmental sector."
"Decision 9/1
Energy for sustainable development...
... (f) Accelerate development and deployment of energy efficiency technologies;"
"Decision 9/1
Energy for sustainable development...
...17. Governments, taking into account their national circumstances, are encouraged to:
(c) Encourage the role of the private sector in the development and utilization of renewable energy technologies, through the provision of appropriate incentives and regulation;
(d) Strengthen research, development, demonstration and institutional capacities in the field of renewable energy utilization, as well as the transfer of environmentally sound and advanced technologies;
(e) Promote the utilization of renewable natural resources, such as solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydro (including mini-hydro), and ocean (wave, tidal, and thermal energy conversion) to meet part of the energy needs for sustainable development;
(f) Strengthen information networks, compilation and dissemination systems and public awareness programmes on renewable energy sources and technologies;
(g) Develop and use indigenous sources of renewable energy, where appropriate;
(h) Develop and implement measures to make renewable energy technologies more affordable;
(i) Strengthen financial support to developing countries for the promotion of renewable energy."
"Decision 9/1
Energy for sustainable development...
...19. Governments, taking into account national circumstances, are encouraged to:
(a) Develop and apply more efficient fossil-fuel fired power plants, buildings, appliances and transportation, including cleaner coal and oil technologies;
(b) Increase the use of cleaner fossil fuels to improve efficiency in energy production, distribution and use, where appropriate;
(c) Research, develop and transfer technologies for transforming solid fuels to liquid or gaseous fuels;
(d) Enhance research, development, demonstration and transfer of advanced fossil fuel technologies leading to lower emissions;
(e) Promote research and, where suitable, applications of carbon capture and storage technologies;
(f) Promote cooperation with industries in a voluntary programme framework for cleaner fossil fuel technology deployment;
(g) Develop and implement measures to make advanced fossil fuel technologies more accessible and affordable..."


text:
Park, Sam
Painting mostly European scenes, Sam Park uses a pallette knife technique to create his textured, impressionistic landscapes. Filled with light and bright color, his paintings draw the viewer in using a stong field of depth and perspective. His work has won numerous awards, and he continues to produce new work on a regular basis. We have his work available both on paper and on canvas.
Other artists you may like:
Please notify me of new work by Sam Park.
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text:
When I see it on a tasting sheet, I ask the pourer what it means. I get some interesting answers. "Well, it is a leather and tobacco quality that the wine has and it didn't sell well, so we are changing the tasting notes." Well, that's not chewy.
Dr. Debs had an interesting post regarding wine-speak. Watching Frasier reruns, one may get the idea that wine aficionados are boorish snobs living in a world of their own, getting all excited about Chateau This and That while their more down to earth father pops open a cold beer.
In fact, my experience is quite the opposite. Wine people are actually down to earth, love what they are doing and are as personable as any other segment of the population.
But there is a terminology to wine. Can't help it. Would it be as exciting if the reviews looked like this? "Purple liquid that tasted good. I smelled good too. 87". No we need a vocabulary. "Dark ruby red wine with aromas of cherry, blackberry, black pepper and anise." So far, so good. "With sued-like tannins..." Okay, now you have a description for a Zinfandel. With a little practice, we learn what silky, sued and leather tannis are like in a wine. So tasting wine and comparing notes is important when learning.
One slang term I use is "packie". I try to remember to link to a definition to "packie" which is a Massachusetts term. Packie is slang for a package store or liquor store. I use this when I mean a little mom-and-pop corner liquor store that has beer, hard liquor and wine. This is in contrast to a wine shop. Here I mean a small wine store that specializes in wine. Then there is the big discount store. You get great deals, huge selections and discount prices.
To that degree, here is what I do when I come across a word I don't understand. I get it defined. One of my favorite on-line places is www.onelook.com. This is a dictionary search engine that never lets me down.
Second, www.wikipedia.org. This is pretty good, but who know who put what were. I like to back this up with other on-line searches. In addition, to the right, we have Italian and French wine term links and a link to Robert Parker's glossary.
So what does "chewy" mean? You can find out here.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
What does chewy mean anyway?
When I see it on a tasting sheet, I ask the pourer what it means. I get some interesting answers. "Well, it is a leather and tobacco quality that the wine has and it didn't sell well, so we are changing the tasting notes." Well, that's not chewy.
Posted by Taster A at 4:31 AM
Tags wine appreciation, wine debate
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Italian Wine Tasting at The Vineyard
The Vineyard is a wine and cheese shop located north west of Boston, MA. On January 27th, The Vineyard held a tasting of 22 Italian wines presented by Bob McVickers representing the Boston Wine Company, Elizabeth Tamasino representing The Vineyard and Gary Burrell representing Rolivia, Inc.
We've attended a few store tasting before. They generally give a small pour into a thimble sized plastic glass which is impossible to evaluate color or aroma. When we arrived after the 50 minute drive through light blowing snow, we were greeted outside the door in the 30 degree weather by Bill Dwyer, the store proprietor. Much to our relief, he had a table set up outside with 50 small, what I consider to be the Italian restaurant burgundy glasses, chilled by the New England weather to a nice temperature for evaluating the white wines.
The Vineyard was named "New England's Best Wine Store" by WHDH-TV (Channel 7) and "Best of North Shore" in the wine/spirits category by Northshore Magazine.
Bill welcomed us to the shop, made us feel at home and invited us in. The wine shop was small, but very well stocked. We found many of the familiar wines from major appellations, Old and New World. There were three tables set up with flights from all regions of Italy.
For us, this wine store offers a different variety than we have seen in the area. One of our finds was a David Coffaro Escuro Californa Red Wine blend which caught our eye because of Dr. Deb's posting. We will be reviewing this in the future.
Taking tasting notes was a little difficult due to the number of people and lack of horizontal space. But we did get the highlights of the wines we tasted. Water, cheese and bread sticks were available to keep the palate cleansed.
The wines we will be reviewing in the future will be the Falesco 2006 Sangiovese (Umbria), the Santa Cristina Sangiovese (Toscana) with its tobacco, rose, coffee, cherry and silky tannins. Poggio Alle Sughere 2003 Morellino di Scansanso (Toscana) and the Villa Fulvia 2002 Amarone della Valpolicella (Veneto) with its cherry, leather, elderberry, smoky vanilla and cedar notes.
Another wine we felt was quite delicious was La Pieve 2002 Bolero (Piemonte) which had fragrant pine, cherry-blackberry characters.
We are grateful for Mr. Dwyer for putting on this fun and educational event. If you live in the striking distance of North Andover, get onto the emailing list. On Saturday, February 9th, there will be another tasting featuring 52 wines.
Table 1: Bob McVickers, Boston Wine
1. Tramin 2006 Pinot Grigio (Trentino-Alto Adige) $14.99
2. Zenato 2006 Lugano (San Benedetto Lugana) $14.99
3. Falesco 2006 Sangiovese (Umbria) $13.99
4. Taurino 2003 Salice Salentino Reserva (Apulia) $11.99
5. Morgante Nero D'Avola 2005 (Sicily) $14.99
6. Corte Giara 2004 Ripasso (Veneto) $19.99
7. Maculan Dinderello (Veneto) $23.99
Table 2: Elizabeth Tomasino, The Vineyard
1. Val D'Oca NV Prosecco Il Blu (Veneto) $14.99
2. La Caplana Gavi (Piemonte) $12.99
3. Tormaresca 2006 Chardonnay (Puglia) $11.99
4. Santa Cristina Sangiovese (Toscana) $11.99
5. Cantina Zacagnini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (Abruzzi) $17.99
6. Poggio Alle Sughere 2003 Morellino di Scansanso (Toscana) $16.99
7. Tormaresca 2006 "Neprica" (Puglia) $11.99
8. La Caplana Dolcetto D'Ovada (Piemonte) $12.99
Table 3: Gary Burrell, Rolivia Inc.
1. Villa Cornaro "Select" 2006 Pinot Grigio (Veneto) $13.99
2. Sensi 2006 Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (Abruzzo) $10.99
3. Sensi 2003 Chianti Classico Reserva (Chianti) $17.99
4. La Pieve 2002 Barolo (Piemonte) $37.99
5. Sensi "Testardo" 2004 Sangiovese/Cabernet (Toscana) $24.99
6. Villa Fulvia 2002 Amarone della Valpolicella (Veneto) $29.99
7. Petrone Limoncello (Please Save this your for last taste) $19.99
Posted by Taster A at 9:09 PM
Tags Italian Wine, Piemonte, Piemontese Blend, sangiovese, Super Tuscan, tasting room tips, wine tasting
Northwest Visions - 2006 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
I was eager to open this bottle of Rex Hill Pinot Noir after our recent Riedel glassware acquisition to see if it would make me a Pinot-head (in the past I've found it difficult to coax the aromas from a Pinot out of the glass). I guess it worked because I had no problem smelling this wine.
It reminded me of a Merlot at first. Definite notes of cherry, toast, and earthiness on first whiff. After a few minutes the strawberry and a touch of mint came through. The cherry also came through on the palate, as well as, blackberry. The wine was pleasingly fruity and bright with smoky overtones. As usual, the wine took some interesting tangents as our tasting progressed into dinner (pasta in white wine sauce with sweet onions, yellow peppers, smoked bacon, and salmon) such as; Italian sausage (fennel); and at one point, day-old fruit salad (mushy strawbs and bananas).
We reluctantly put the last half of the bottle away to try again another day. I spent a good deal of my childhood in the Pacific Northwest and always think on the area fondly. While sipping this wine, I had visions of a family picnic on a sunny meadow near Cultus Lake circa 1975. I can't find a photographic representation so you will just have to let the description, or this wine paint the picture in your mind.
2006 Pinot Noir
Rex Hill
Willamette Valley
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $26.99
Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language. -Henry James (1843 - 1916)
Posted by Taster B at 9:16 AM
Tags Oregon, pinot noir, Willamette Valley
Friday, January 25, 2008
Size Matters at the Winter Wine Festival at the Wentworth
An evening at the Wentworth
The Wentworth Winter Wine Festival at the historic Wentworth Hotel in New Castle, New Hampshire is in full swing. Taster B and I decided to have a date night and drive the hour and a half up to the New Hampshire – Maine border to participate in the Riedel (pronounced Reed-L) wine glass demonstration.
Doug Cohn, North East Regional Sales Manager for Riedel introduced the Riedel family history and wine glass making tradition. Arriving in the room, at each place setting were the flight of four wines in four Riedel glasses and an empty "Joker" glass.
The Joker glass was actually good quality glass, according to Mr. Cohn. It is the wine glass used by the Wentworth. To me, it looked like a taller version of a glass that I would serve a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blank in. Clean lines, thin stem, nice shaped bowl with a thin lip. The Riedel glasses will be mentioned with the wines.
The Riedel glasses were from the Vinum series. The Vinum collection, developed by Georg Riedel on the principle that the content commands the shape, is the "Vitrum-Vinothek" for every day use. They are machine made, have laser cut lips that are fire polished.
The wines tasted were introduced to us by a spokesperson from Vineyard Brands, wine importer of Villa Maria Estate wines. Presented were the Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc (Wine Enthusiast 90 pts), Private Bin Unoaked Chardonnay (Wine Review Online 90 pts), Private Bin Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon (Wine Enthusiast 87 pts) and the Private Bin Pinot Noir (International Wine Cellar 88 pts).
Here were the wine/glass pairings in order of the flight:
Villa Maria Private Bin Chardonnay : Vinum Chablis 416/05
Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc: Vinum Riesling 416/15
Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir: Vinum Burgundy 416/07
Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot/Cabernet: Vinum Bordeaux 416/0
Mr. Cohn instructed us to hold wine glass is by the stem below the bowl with two fingers and the thumb. A good glass is designed to balance so as to not draw your attention away from the wine. Try this at home with your wine glass, hold it and pivot it. Does it feel balanced or does it feel like top heavy or hard to pivot?
The Chardonnay was the first to try. We evaluated the color of the wine in the crystal. Naturally, it was aesthetically pleasing. The swirl action of the glass was nice. With a reasonable swirl, I didn't worry that I was going to embarrass Taster B by losing the contents of my glass on the lady sitting next to me.
The sniff of this wine was very clean, fruit, melon, tropical fruit. The aromas were easy to get from the glass and discernable. Nice.
The next step was the taste. It was clean, fresh, unoaked. It was a very pleasant Villa Maria Private Bin Hawkes Bay Unoaked Chardonnay 2004. We talked about the flavors and aromas.
Then we were instructed to poor the contents into the Joker. We did the same evaluation. The Joker actually presented the wine very well. The aromas were not as concentrated but still okay. The swirl was a bit more cautious.
Next came the watershed moment. The taste. We took a sip and (this is exactly what happened) I thought, "This is much more acid." Taster B looked at me and said, "hmmm, it tastes more acid." What more can I say?
Between wines, Mr. Cohn had a few things to say. Enough to say that I poured that wine back and forth about five times just to make sure I wasn't placeboing myself.
The Sauvignon Blanc was evaluated in the same manner. The differences were discernable. In the Riedel glass, aromas of grapefruit and to me, very much like juniper berry. I could not get the juniper berry in the Joker glass.
Next was the Pinot Noir. The bowl on the 416/06 was pretty big and pulled in at the mouth. If you have friends that you want to train to swirl, this is the glass. You can swirl the bajeepers out of that wine and nothing will fling out. I tried. I almost ripped a rotator cuff swirling that wine. Not a drop was lost. Yup, you could train Aunt Millie and Uncle Harry to swirl with these bad boys.
The Pinot Noir was oaked. Fresh, green American oak, I thought too much. Many were enjoying the Pinot Noir, but it wasn't my favorite. I could hear lots of "m-m-m-m-m-m-s" around the room, and I'm glad people like different wines. But for me, Oaky-smoky. So much so, I had a hard time finding the fruit.
I tried to pour the Pinot Noir into the Joker, but it smell too much of Sauvignon Blank so I just decided to continue this experiment at home. My mind is made up. Like Robert Mondovi and Robert Parker, Jr. and many more that have come before me, yes, I believe that Riedel has a good product. Yes, I want to experience and learn more. Yes, I believe I'd like to share that experience with our readers.
The Merlot/Cabernet Blend was nice, good tannin structure, good flavors, looked real sexy in the glass. MMM-mmm. Good stuff.
At the end of the event, we got to take the glassware home with us. We had a late dinner, I had Cod, Taster B had Salmon. Then it was back into the frozen winter night to drive an hour and a half home. It was a great night. If you have never done a tasting like this, treat yourself.
Posted by Taster A at 6:53 PM
Tags cabernet sauvignon, Chardonnay, merlot, New Zealand, pinot noir, Sauvignon Blanc, wine appreciation, wine tasting
3 comments:
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Liking the Cheap French Wine '05
It felt like it was time to take the plunge last weekend and buy a bottle of French wine we knew nothing about. Well, not nothing: I new 2005 was a good vintage. So, we picked up a bottle of $9 Cotes du Rhone. Turns out this AOC is known for turning out good quality inexpensive wines so, we did okay. There was also a bit of serendipity involved: Taster A was standing right next to the display when the merchandising message for the 2005 Cotes du Rhone came over the loud-speaker. I mean, that kind of thing just doesn't happen every day.
I wasn't expecting such a fruity wine. The aromas and flavors both smack of cherry, raspberry, and blueberry which is another nice surprise: The nose and flavors are actually very well aligned. I also get random whiffs ranging from molasses to licorice in this wine.
Floating on top of the fruit like a thin film is a light earthy/chalky aroma. The pores of the wine give off spice--cumin to black pepper (reminds me of an old roommate of mine). The spice and toast kind of meld into a moist cigar kind of thing.
This is a dry wine (which is to be expected) and with the cigar aroma, I actually got the physical sensation of smoke in my lungs.
Now for some of my wonderful made-up bogus food pairings: Beef Wellington comes to mind. Also spanakopita.
Overall, a well-balanced wine. Not overly complex but fine for $9 I should think.
Domaine Le Pigeonnier 2005
Côtes du Rhône
Alcohol: 13%
Price: $9.29
Color: Deep Ruby-Purple
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre
Addendum: Former enthusiasm notwithstanding, this puppy went flat within 5 days of being opened...
Posted by Taster B at 6:20 PM
Tags Cotes du Rhone, Grenache, wine under $10
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Zero Manipulation Red Table Wine 2005
The 2005 vintage of the small lot Zero Manipulation is 87% Carignane from the Wildvirfe Vineyard; 8% Mourvedre from the Norton Ranch; and 5% Petite Sirah from the West Vineyard. Wondering how they got this stuff into Massachusetts without the alcohol content on the label..? It is labeled "Red Table Wine" so I guess it must be around 14%.
First thing to hit me upon sticking my nose in the glass is cherry: Black cherry...cherry pie. Get a little vanilla too, and some allspice. Let me check again: Ah! Yes!
...Black cherry.
Now for a sip: There's some leather. I hate to use this word but, I have to say it is chewy. Good acidity and adequate tannins. Also get some herbal/woody notes. Namely rosemary.
This wine confounds me--it seems so interesting and yet terribly simple. Taster A is over here getting all sorts of black/red fruit, mineral and herbs. I feel content to wallow in the cherry...Oh wait, now I'm getting it: It's like something you picked out of the garden that still has some dirt on it--fruit in the middle with mineral around the outside. The nose on this wine has a sultry phase after about 15 minutes in the glass (smells like warm skin). Now we are getting some eucalyptus. Taster A is getting menthol and blueberry jam: Yep, I can see that.
So, time for our wildly original food pairing of homemade pizza. The wine keeps on being what it is throughout the meal despite liberal use of red pepper flakes. Taster A quips "it could hold it's own in a rochambeau contest." Yes, it could. Don't let the cherry fool you: This is a serious mother-father of a wine.
My feeling is that it's a steal at $13.99 and that it's probably a tad young but certainly enjoyable right now.
Zero Manipulation
Red Table Wine (blend)
Peterson Winery
Alcohol: ?
Price: $13.99
Posted by Taster B at 4:21 PM
Tags carignane, Sonoma County, wine under $15
Friday, January 18, 2008
The Logic of Buying Wine
Or "Why I don't use a point system"
The people that score wine know wine. They know how it is made and they really do a very good job over all. The reader wants to know if the wine he is considering is going to be good or not. But the reader really wants to know whether he should buy a particular wine or not. I have used published points to help me get started when learning about new wine regions, so don't get the idea that I think points are bad.
Check this out. Forming a decision about a wine with Boolean two valued logic (yes or no, good or bad, right or wrong) is not how our decisions are formed. Even a three valued logic doesn't quite describe the process either. "Yes, I want Merlot", "No, I don't want Merlot" or "Maybe I want Merlot". And being stuck in a "Maybe" never gets anything done. Once you decide, "forget Sideways, I want Merlot", you have flipped to a Yes state. If you decide No, then no it is.
I prefer an infinite valued logic, Yes at one end, No on the other and a full spectrum in between. For instance, you have a bottle of Merlot in front of you, you read the year, determine the producer and check for back for tasting notes. From your education and experience you conclude, "This is going to be good." (High degree of Yesness.) Or you may say, "I don't know, but I'm going to take a chance." (More Yesness than Noness.) Or you may say, "I'm having flounder tonight, I think it will be too fruity, where is that Sauvignon Blanc?" (A high degree of Noness.) Or you may say, "Not even at gunpoint!"
In the end, you may do as I do… "Hey Taster B, what do you think of this one?" (Lots of Yesness, but need more data.)
And that brings me to topic:
Wine scores. I was just reading an article on large wineries producing small lots to tap into a growing market. "Robert Parker, Jr. rated the Louis Martini 2003 Lot No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon 91 points, and Martini says the micro-winery's 2004 wines have also received high scores from Parker, though Wine Spectator rated the 2003 Lot No. 1 only 82 points." "Holy subjective wine scores, Batman!"
Yes, I like Robert Parker, Jr. Yes, I pick up a copy of the Wine Spectator when I'm in the barber shop and read it cover-to-cover and think, "Why the hell don't we get this?" And I really enjoy reading my fellow bloggers' postings. Some score and some don't.
Why don't I score even a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down? (You spotted that is Boolean logic, didn't you?) It's easy. I write about the wines that I care to share with people. If I have a wine that I didn't like, I wouldn't want to share it with my friends, which includes you for reading through this article which is drier than an Alsace Riesling. We work hard, life is too short to drink bad wine and it is certainly too short to blog about it.
In closing, I spend all day as an engineer assigning numbers to physical universe stuff. When I get home, I just want to enjoy my wine without pulling out the meters. Speaking of meters, you should see the cool wine thermometer Taster B gave me for Christmas! I wonder how the new loft cellar is working? Let's see, 2003 Chateau Carignan 61.8 deg F. 2003 Vendemmia Barbaresco, 61.9 deg F. Bergess Napa Valley Cab, 61.9 deg F...
Posted by Taster A at 5:03 PM
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
What a difference a year makes... Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio *2006*
We did our WBW #41 posting which included a Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio 2005. After Taster B did the posting, we found a 2006 in one of our local packies. I found the 2005 to be a bit oaky-smoky. It was not our favorite and had it not been for WBW, we most likely would not have posted it.
Part of the assignment was to find 2006 wines. We logged over 75 miles, visited 6 packies and two wine shops. This bottle was a little more expensive partly because we bought it at a packie as opposed to the discount wine place that we found the 2005.
The folks at Fork and Bottle were right, 2006 does represent a better vintage, at least by the Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio. The wine is more of an expression of the grape. I'm drinking it with a bit of Cajun Dirty Rice. We feel that the price we paid for the 2006 would have been too much for the 2005. The 2006 is smooth and buttery in the finish, the 2005 is a bit harsh.
It is worth noting that the 2005 had a composite cork and the 2006 had a screw cap.
Our Italian lesson for the day is the word Lumina. Lumina means "Illumination of the moon". Ruffino is the producer. Here's what I got:
Pinot Grigio
Venezia Giulia IGT 2006
Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $13.99
Color: Yellow
Intensity: Pale
Aromas: Lemon, melon, pineapple, a bit of green vegetable, nutmeg, slight vanilla and butterschotch
Flavors: Lemon, grapefruit, apple, pear, pineapple, stone, slate, butterscotch
Body: light
Acidity: Crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Finish: Moderate
Summary: Not as "complicated" as the 2005. Citrus forward aromas, a tiny bit green veggie, lots of melon and pineapple. Very smooth and elegant. I little nutmeg as the wine aged in the glass, then it shifted towards lemon. This wine is fun.
Dear Diary,
I hope you will forgive me for not doing a photo shoot. I know it would look more professional but it is mid week and I had to stay late at the J.O.B.
Posted by Taster A at 4:30 PM
Tags Italian Wine, pinot grigio, venezia-giulia, white wine, wine under $15
Monday, January 14, 2008
Monte Antico Toscana IGT, 2004
This Super Tuscan caught my eye because I'm trying to learn what the Super Tuscan hubbub is all about. The tag said it was a rated as a best value by one of the magazines, which I promptly forgot as soon a I got half way home. I thought it would be a good one to try and see how Taster B would like it.
What I like about this wine is that it has the nice Italian Sangiovese floral characteristics with the support of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has fruit, acid, structure, mouth feel and for a wine in this price point, it is a great introducer to wines of this style in a higher price.
Researching this wine, I learned that the fermentation was at approx. 77° F, followed by maceration for 15-20 days followed by Malolactic Fermentation in stainless steel vats for 7 days. The wine was aged 1 year in oak (80% in Slavonian barrels, 20% in barrique) and at least 6 months in the bottle.
The label on this wine is fairly straight forward, produced for the English market, so not much to learn here, Monte Antico meaning Ancient Mountain, Toscana IGT and the blend.
Tasting Notes:
Toscono IGT
Monte Antico
Vintage: 2004
Blend: 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: $8.99
Source: Discount Wine Store
Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Moderate
Aromas: Cherry, prune, rose, lavender, anise, vanilla, oak, smoky, tobacco, chocolate
Flavors: Raspberry, blackberry, cherry, rose, olive, mint, anise, allspice, cedar
Body: Full
Acidity: Crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Suede
Finish: Long
Summary: This was uncorked and poured, fruit forward, slightly astringent. Nice floral notes, good tannin structure. Slight olive, mint, spice, cedar like mouth feel. The Sangiovese is the dominant contributor with the Cabernet Sauvignon adding some extra structure and complexity. The dominate floral notes are pleasing. The oak is interesting, but makes me think that they are targeting the Americans. This wine goes for $11.00, I paid $8.99 at a larger discount liquor store. This is a very good value and a nice drinking wine. Yup, I'd buy another bottle!
We enjoyed this with spinach and cheese ravioli with a vegetarian red sauce.
And how did Taster B like it? She did! I think I'm about ready to bring her into to the Chianti Classico fold. Saturday she highly encouraged me to buy a $33 bottle of 2003 Barbaresco DOCG at a high-end wine shop. (She's a keeper!)
Posted by Taster A at 1:04 PM
Tags cabernet sauvignon, Italian Labels, Italian Wine, sangiovese, Super Tuscan
6 comments:
Friday, January 11, 2008
WBW #41: Friuli-Venezia Giulia white wines
We are very excited about our first Wine Blogging Wednesday entry. So excited that we botched it a little!
Finding the Wine
I had hoped to find a 2006 Friulano Blanco as recommended by Boulder sommelier Bobby Stuckey in this month's issue of Runner's World (since we lived there for 8+ years), but as our hosts at Fork and Bottle indicated, it was not easy to find any Friuli-Venezia-Guilia at the recommended price point in any of our usual shops.
We started by trekking down to one of the larger liquor stores in our area and could only come up with an $8.99 bottle of Ruffino. So, by the following weekend, when after another unsuccessful shopping trip at an actual Wine Shop I found a bottle marked "Friuli" at a small package store, I leapt for it. The next day, we finally went into our neighborhood 'Liquor Locker' where we found at last the coveted bottle of >$18 Friuli-Venezia-Guilia.
Only after we got all three bottles together, did we realize that one didn't fit the profile. We included it anyway!
The Flight:
First impression was oak and grapefruit zest, followed by mineral--reminiscent of a Chardonnay.
Albola Pinot Grigio 2005 (the renegade!)
First impression was of brie, and fig and reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc.
Bortoluzzi Pinot Grigio 2006
First impression was that it was very similar to the Albola: More stinky fromage, and fig, as well as Clementine. This one however, was more like a Riesling than a Sauvignon Blanc with a fizzy mouth feel.
After going back to the Ruffino, the nose has gone harsh, almost chemically. Taster A smells heavy toast and I smell carbonized lighter fluid. Taster A suggests it smells like over-toasted pine-nuts. Let's find out! We burned some pine-nuts over the stove and took a whiff: I then smelled the Ruffino and now it smelled like burnt nuts with tree fruit. More pleasant than a chemical fire but, still not my item!
I thought the Bortoluzzi, with its Riesling character would pair well with baklava—it definitely has a honey aroma. Taster A said "no way." So, we got out some honey: I think it worked. Taster A thought it made the wine taste sour.
With the undeniable odor of cheese from the Albola and Bortoluzzi, I figured a natural choice would be brie. The Albola actually stood up to the brie better than the Bortoluzzi. That leaves us with only the theoretical pairing of Mu Shu pork for the Bortoluzzi, or anything that you would pair with a dry Riesling.
The Albola went well with brie, and also with split pea soup. The Ruffino wasn't bad with split pea soup either (think liquid smoke).
Final Thoughts
Quality followed the price point pretty consistently with the Ruffino being the most rustically manipulated, and the Bortoluzzi the most refined. For our money, the Albola at $12.99 and with a little more backbone than the Bortoluzzi was the best choice (oops! the non-Venezia-Giulia took the prize--the Bortoluzzi was the winner in the Venezia-Giulia division :))
We were really happy with our flight of three Friuli wines which gave us a chance to get a feel for the broad range of flavor characteristics that can be achieved with one varietal: Pinot Grigio. We had the charry chardonnay-like Ruffino, the taut Sauvignon Blancesque Albola, and the eloquent Riesling-reminiscent Bortoluzzi.
Ruffino Lumina
2005 Pinot Grigio
Venezia Giulia IGT
Alcohol: 12.5%
Cost: $8.99
2005 Pinot Grigio
Friuli Aquileia DOC
Cost: $11.99
2006 Pinot Grigio
Venezia Giulia IGT
Alcohol: 13.5%
Cost: $19.99
Posted by Taster B at 5:36 PM
Tags friuli, Italian Wine, pinot grigio, venezia-giulia, WBW, wine under $15
3,200 bottles of California Wine Destroyed in Belgium
This article by by Jane Firstenfeld just came in from Wines and Vines.
"Anvers, Belgium -- Belgian customs authorities seized and destroyed a shipment of more than 3,200 bottles of André sparkling wine on Jan. 8. The wines, produced by E. & J. Gallo Winery of Modesto, Calif., bore labels referring to "California Champagne" and "André Champagne Cellars," direct violations of EU laws that prohibit the use of "Champagne" on wines produced outside of France's Champagne region. A statement released by E. & J. Gallo today said the shipment had been sent by a third party."
"According to a statement issued by the Office of Champagne, USA, "Any U.S. product that misuses the Champagne name and seeks to enter an export market that protects consumers from misleading labels is considered counterfeit. To avoid greater legal liabilities and legal procedures, the owner of the merchandise agreed to abandon it for immediate destruction." The Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) today held a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, and released a video of the wine's destruction."
Read the entire article on Wines and Vines.
I think this sums it up. Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) representative and Champagne producer Bruno Paillard said, "This wine was of so low a value that the producers decided to abandon it, a good illustration of the value of that wine….Don't you think it was a provocation just to send it?"
My sentiments exactly. What was this third party shipper thinking? Haven't we assaulted France enough with our McDonald's "French fries" and putting Chablis and Burgundy on our jug wine bottles? What do you think, is it okay to produce sparkling wine in the States and call it Champagne? Can't we stand on our own marketing two feet?
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Tick-tick-snap-tick, the Sound of the Future. (Say it taint so.)
I've been putting off this article for a month now. I think it is time I just bite the bullet and write it. It is much more fun to write about the last wine we discovered than to talk about problems. But it is part of what we are learning and therefore legitimate fodder for the blog.
Going into the wine store and selecting a wine, I still get the willies when I see a screw cap. I immediately think of Thunderbird, Annie Green Springs and Boones Farm. When I see a screw cap, it better have a jug wine under it, not my $23.00 bottle of Pinot Grigio!
Well, this is not the point. Producers are starting to push back against tainted wine. Wine drinkers are becoming more sophisticated and with today's open communication lines, they are being less intimidated than in the past. "What if I complain to the sommelier about this wine and look like a fool?" Well, what if it isn't earthy mushroom but wet cardboard and newspapers you smell? You may have a "corked" bottle. A bottle tainted with TCA (trichloroanisole).
TCA is a chemical produced by mold growing in a tainted cork. It is totally harmless, but it is detectable in one part per trillion! To put that in perspective, that is one drop of TCA for every 1,000,000,000,000 drops of wine. Most folks cannot detect this low of a level, but can detect 10 ppt. (In order to give you a sense of one part per trillion, this is like having your first name spoken once for one second in 43,000 years and you being able to hear it.)
In one case, TCA was blamed for an off-flavor component in eggs and broiler chickens. In that case, the chemical appears to have originated as a contaminant in feed and litter that was transformed to 2,4,6-TCA through microbial action. In the case of cork taint, it is presumed that 2,4,6-TCA originates from the chlorination of lignin [a wood component]-related compounds during chlorine bleaching in the processing of cork. (1 )
TCA poses no harm to humans, however it is the ruin of many a bottle. The cork industry will say that 7 in 1000 corks will foul a wine bottle, but the wine industry has claims as 1 in 10 bottles show some signs of being corked.
Wine Spectator reports the number typically ranges from 1 percent to 15 percent of all wines, depending on whether it comes from closure manufacturers, vintners or another source. Wine Spectator's Napa office tracks the number of "corky" bottles in tastings of California wines, and the percentage of defective corks routinely runs at 15 percent. At the magazine's California Wine Experience in 2004, the team of sommeliers who screened the wines for the seminars reported that the occurrence of "corky" bottles was 4 percent to 12 percent. The cork industry has a different estimate of cork failure: typically 1 percent to 2 percent.
TCA most frequently occurs in natural corks and is transferred to the wine in bottle from the cork closure. Other sources are pressure treated wood products and interaction with chlorinated chemicals. These non-cork generated TCA sources can find their way into vats, bottling equipment and through corks during aging. If a complete lot is contaminated, it is most likely the winery is contaminated, and that can spell disaster for the winery.
The presence of these compounds in cork can be associated with their use as wood preservatives and pesticides or with the use of chlorinated derivatives, commonly used as disinfectants of water, equipment, and work areas. Wineries must be constantly on the alert or a whole production lot could be lost. In order to eliminate whole lot contamination, wineries must rid themselves of pressure treated lumber products, some paints and sources of chlorine. Its sounds simple, but just try that in your home. This is why it is important to know your cellar contractor and know what materials are being used.
Mold Wars could be a solution?
There may be a biological solution to the problem. The use of Chrysonilia sitophila (a particular strain of mold) in cork stopper manufacture was studied and a simulation of the industrial processing of cork stoppers was performed. C. sitophila does not produce 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, guaiacol, or 1-octene-3-ol on cork slabs incubated for 66 days.(2) This approach is similar to using a dominate yeast in a fermentation or in the production of cheese.
Alternative Closures
There have been strides made by the cork industry, but we are seeing new types of closures come to the market place. Synthetic corks or Stelvin closures and screw caps are taking the lead in alternative closures.
The Stelvin closure can be engineered for optimal oxygen permeation, but may impart a chemical taste to the wine. The Stelvin closures also do not degrade in the environment, meaning that we will see them washing up on the beaches in the near future. Screw caps have been around for a while, but are resisted by consumers.
Engineering a closure for wine does have its challenges. Screw caps work well for Seven Up. You are not aging Coca-Cola. We do not know what will be the result of aging Bordeaux style wines with screw caps.
We just purchased a Ruffino 2005 Pinot Grigio and a Ruffino 2006 Pinot Grigio. The 2005 came with a composite cork, the 2006 with a screw cap. It is coming, maybe faster than we may want.
I'm sad, say it ain't so. There is something that I like about opening a bottle of wine, the anticipation. Will the cork break? Will it be everything I hoped for? Were my instincts right? Will it go with dinner? Will Taster B like it? And the soft pop of the cork as it is pulled out of the bottle. The wine goes into the glass and the first swirl and sniff…ah, it's going to be a good bottle.
It just ain't going to be the same with a screw cap. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just being neurotic? And what about our children? Will they ever know the joy of popping open a good bottle of wine or will they think I'm being an old fart messing around with "Old Reliable?"
Will they ever hear the pop of a real cork or just tick-snap-snap-tick?
(1) Science News 121.25 (19 June 1982): 409-409. EBSCO.
(2) Role of Chrysonilia sitophila in the quality of cork stoppers for sealing wine bottles, Pereira, et. al., Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 24, 256–261. EBSCO.
Posted by Taster A at 5:28 PM
Tags Corks, wine appreciation, wine debate
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The Concept of Terroir
What is terroir? Of course, it's a French word that literally translates to "soil" but beyond that, it seems to be indefinable. According to a 2007 article in New Scientist1, attendees of a 2006 viticulture conference at UC Davis attempted and failed to define the term.
The French have another phrase: "je ne sais quoi"… Now, I'm no Francophile but I think this concept can shed some light on the French concept of terroir.
I've seen the "terroir debate" characterized in many ways: globalization versus localization; science versus nature; industry versus tradition, but all of these characterizations can be reduced down to this simplicity- material versus intangible.
Science in viticulture and enology seeks to discover the building blocks and blueprint that will produce a consistent result, and Terroiristes attack what amounts to a materialistic approach on a variety of platforms. I don't happen to subscribe to the scientific approach with wine but, do some Defenders of Terroir go too far? Maybe Roger Scruton deriding globalization as a vehicle to ordinary drunkenness for the classless and mediocre is clouding the issue.2Perhaps, the reductio ad absurdum depiction of a brave new GM-wine world in a recent Economist article,where wine "tasting" is no longer necessary thanks to genetic sequencing data which tells you exactly what flavors are present in wine is too sardonic but, seriously though...what is the point if you break every thing down to the molecular level?
It's tempting to go sci-fi at this point with musings on whether androids dream of Red
1"Terroir." New Scientist 193.2592 (24 Feb. 2007): 54-54. Academic Search Complete.
2 Scruton, Roger. "In Defense of Terroir." American Spectator May 2007: 42+. Academic Search Complete.
Posted by Taster B at 3:38 PM
Tags wine debate
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
I'm just a lucky guy
I was just having an off line communication with Wannabe Wino. I was explaining to her that the name of the blog was Taster B's idea, it comes from what some guy would whisper in her ear in the tasting room, "…hmmm, tastes like grape." If you have read my profile and read my welcome page, then you know I've been drinking wine for a long time. I've come a long way since I've found Taster B who has just been a joy to learn to appreciate wine with. I couldn't imagine taking this journey without her. I'm just a lucky guy.
Posted by Taster A at 8:13 PM
Monday, January 7, 2008
Buying a Refrigerated Wine Cabinet
When we decided to buy a wine cabinet recently, I was surprised to find very little in the way of a Wine Cabinet Buying Guide online. I started at Amazon.com where I did manage to find one or two models with a decent number of good customer ratings. Unfortunately, all of the bad reviews seemed to revolve around shipping problems and damage and horrible manufacturer customer support. With that bit of data, we decided we better shop for one locally. I began scouring websites like epinions, and bizrate but found very few models have been rated at all. I also did a search of the Consumer Reports archives—nothing; Wine Spectator--same thing.
It seemed that any consumer information available was reserved for the upper-end models: I was not going to get any help selecting my McChiller (did I hear somebody say 'free gun rack with purchase'?). Finally, we decided to hit our local Home Appliance stores where we soon discovered wine refrigerators were not even in stock. Home Depot had a "Magic Chef" unit (yeah, I never heard of it either). My searches yielded a few discussion boards from around 2005 where the majority of Magic Chef owners had picked the unit up on sale for between $149-$177. My HD was selling it for $449. Moving right along…
What have we learned so far?
1. Shipping a wine cabinet can be risky
2. wine cabinets damaged during shipping may take months to get repaired
3. Buying a wine cabinet locally in 'North East New England' is not an option
What are we left with? Find a reputable retailer online. That's exactly what I did. I went to the Wine Enthusiast website where, happily, they have a January free shipping special on a few models. I found a model with 14 good customer reviews. I also opted to purchase the 3 year warranty since most of the rants I read out in cyberspace indicated the trouble started in the 2nd year.
What have your wine storage/cabinet shopping experiences been? Does anyone reading have any recommendations to add or expand on? One tip I found more than once was: Whatever you think your storage needs will be, plan on exceeding it. I know this unit is small but, we are limited by space, and we are in a temporary situation so, it's only gotta get us through the next year or two.
We still have yet to receive the unit. I will definitely post an update here on how it works out for us.
VinoView Silent 35 Bottle Wine Display Refrigerator (Graphite Trim Door)
Available at
Posted by Taster B at 2:49 PM
Tags wine cabinet, wine cellar, Wine Enthusiast, wine storage
6 comments:
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Medieval Smells Like Grape
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Castello Di Salle Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
We frequent a packie just 20 miles south of us. It's a bit out of the way, but they have a good selection and have bottles priced by case prices (meaning you get the case price if you by one bottle or twelve). While Taster B was looking for a Pinot Grigio, I put my grandpappy glasses on and snuck over to the Italian section to see what could be found.
I'm interested in operating out of my comfy zone and dabbling into some wine that I never tasted. I had good luck with the Dogajolo so I thought I'd try another Super Tuscan or three. What I found wasn't a Super Tuscan but something from the east central coast.
Okay, I really don't know Italian wine from Adam's off ox, so I was relying on the information tags. I found three wines that had great reviews. (I like to rely on my own judgment but in this case, I was happy to get help from Robert Parker, Jr. and Wine Spectator. Taster B says that our tastes agree with Robert Parker, Jr. I know better than to argue with her.)
Let's take a look at this label. The first thing I notice is that the label is for an American market, it's in Italianglish. Castello Di Salle is the brand. The bottler is Sallis Castrum and I'd like to provide you with a link but I'm not having much joy. I've had two sites refer me to the Ciccio Zaccagnini winery website, however I'm unable to find Castello Di Salle or Sallis Castrum there.
Let's continue. Riserva is Italian for reserve and we have a red wine. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is what we have in the bottle. Montepulciano is also a type of wine grape. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a type of red wine made from grapes of the same name in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy. (Okay, I got that sorted. Cool, this is my first Montepulciano d'Abruzzo!)
Denominazione di Origine Controllata, Denomination of Controlled Origin, an upper level Italian wine classification. This defines a given wine's geographical origin, grapes, and production methods but is no guarantee of quality. Now I'm informed that Riserva is a DOC term and indicates a higher valued wine. Here in the states, Reserve has become a bit trite. A comment is welcome on the subject of DOC and riserva. Can we count on this to lead to a higher quality Italian wine?
I did find a useful review of our wine at http://www.linerandelsen.com/newsletter0307.html. I was uncertain about buying a 2001 without knowing if the wine has good bones, but according to this reference, one could lay this bad boy down for 5 more years for continued development. (Yah, we're popping this one open as soon as I can find "old reliable".)
http://www.villaitaliawines.com/cantina/Wine.asp?idWine=28 also imports this wine and has information posted.
I'm rather happy to present my tasting notes for Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. It was a real pleasure to try something new.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva
Castello Di Salle
Variety: 100% Montepulciano d' Abruzzo
Appellation: Montepulciano d' Abruzzo D.O.C.
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol: 13.0%
Price: $11.99
Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Deep
Aromas: Strawberry, blackberry, plum, violet, rose, earth, oak
Flavors: Blackberry, plum, herbal, allspice, white pepper, vanilla, sandlewood.
Body: Medium
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: off-dry
Tannins: Silk
Finish: Moderately long.
Summary: This is a smooth drinking, subtle wine. Pleasant fruit, easy tannins. The wine is like tasting the lazy days of summer when the living is easy. Black fruits of blackberry and plum. This is not a big red cab, no it is a gentle breeze on a lazy day. Everything is balanced, nothing dominates, total harmony.
Drink this by itself, with leg of lamb, Moroccan, rabbit, pheasant, grilled veggies, and with Italian red sauces.
Commenting on Commenting:
We've been trying to get commenting to work for a few weeks and I spent Sunday trying to debug the template only to fine that the constants that control the commenting are stored out of the editable part of our skins and templates. If you have spotted an error in this posting, want to leave some friendly Italian wine advice or offer suggestions, please click on the title of this posting and the commenting should become available.
7 Jan 08
Dear Diary,
I bumped into an engineer friend in the hall today. He said that he and his new girlfriend has shared a special Bordeaux together. We struck up a conversation. He said that his favorite Italian wine was a red wine that no one has ever heard of. "Its Mono, no Monton no, that's not righ..." I said inquisitively, "Do you mean Montepulciano d'Abruzzo?" "Yes!!! That's it!!!" I told him where he could get it locally. How cool is that?
Posted by Taster A at 3:45 PM
Tags Dogajolo, Italian Labels, Italian Wine, sangiovese, Super Tuscan
Champagne and Chinese Take-Out
Wine Pronunciation Guide
I just ran across this Wine Lexicon on Robin Garr's Wine Lovers' Page which is a great resource for all those questionable wine pronunciations. I remembered watching a pronunciation primer on Wine for Dummies where I learned, for instance, that Pinot Grigio is pronounced pee-noe gree-joe not 'gree-zhee-o'. Unfortunately, that example is one of the few I retained in long-term memory, so I'm happy to have found a website I can refer back to time and again: Even if I can only properly pronounce the wine style/varietal in a restaurant or wine shop (nevermind the Chateau), at least I've saved myself some embarrassment!
The creator of the Wine Lexicon has created an extensive glossary with definitions, pronunciation, and a sound file--definitely a handy little guide!
Addendum: I also like this Italian wine pronunciation guide (even if it is from a commercial importer).
Posted by Taster B at 9:07 AM