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Will Middlebrooks Rumors
East Notes: Olivera, Stanton, Red Sox, Janssen, Lind
Here's the latest from the game's eastern divisions:
- The Marlins are interested in Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera, reports Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Olivera recently defected with hopes of becoming an MLB free agent, and Miami is certainly one of several clubs that looks in need of an acquisition up the middle.
- Giancarlo Stanton's season-ending injury does not change the Marlins' plans to make a push at extending him this winter, the Associated Press reports (via the New York Times). "There's no hesitancy, no reservation or doubt he'll return and be even better," said Miami president of baseball operations Michael Hill. "We're going to do everything in our power to keep him a fixture in our lineup for many years to come."
- The Red Sox are not giving up on Will Middlebrooks in spite of building frustration, but president Larry Lucchino did make clear that the team is "looking for a left-handed hitting third baseman," as he told WEEI's Dennis & Callahan (via WEEI.com's Andrew Battifarano). Though Lucchino said that prospect Garin Cecchini could be that player, he also emphasized that the team will not "make the same mistake that [we] made this year, which is to assume that so many of our young players are ready for prime time."
- Two long-time Blue Jays — reliever Casey Janssen and DH Adam Lind — are approaching the possibility of finding new homes, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes. Janssen, a free agent, says he does not yet know whether Toronto will make him a competitive offer. If not, he says, he will "embrace a new city and try to bring a championship to wherever that next stop is." Lind, on the other hand, is subject to a $7.5MM club option. Though expectations are that it will be exercised, Lind says he hopes the front office will give him a clear sense of its intentions before the season ends.
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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Adam Lind | Boston Red Sox | Casey Janssen | Giancarlo Stanton | Hector Olivera | Miami Marlins | Toronto Blue Jays | Will Middlebrooks
Red Sox Notes: Betts, Badenhop, Middlebrooks, Staff
The Red Sox have accumulated a large number of outfielders and will be on the hunt for starting pitching this offseason, meaning the club could deal from its surplus to address its weak pitching. However, in a piece for FOX Sports, Dave Cameron writes that the Sox shouldn't consider parting with Mookie Betts (who will frequently be asked for in trade scenarios), even if it means acquiring a front-line starter. Betts' elite contact rate and low chase rate illustrate that he's a player who knows his limitations (i.e. he won't for huge power in the Majors), Cameron explains. He likens Betts to a number of players who fall into that same mold and ultimately concludes that Betts has the makings of a young Ben Zobrist — a strong all-around player with enough defensive versatility that he could be a regular without ever having a set position. Given the frequency with which pitchers are breaking down, betting on Betts' athleticism and versatility might make more sense than trading him for an arm, in Cameron's mind.
Here are some more Red Sox items…
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier spoke with right-hander Burke Badenhop about his unlikely journey to free agency. Badenhop recalls at one point, shortly before he was drafted, weighing a job offer that would have paid him $45,000 a year against the possibility of pursuing his Major League dream. (He notes that he was never interested in pursuing a career as a minor leaguer — "I wanted to play Major League Baseball.") Badenhop took a $1,000 bonus with the Tigers after a poor pre-draft workout and carved out a role in the Marlins' bullpen after being sent to Miami in the Miguel Cabrera trade. Badenhop is realistic about his offseason value, noting that some teams may prefer to go with a minor leaguer in his middle-inning role, but he feels some find value in the certainty he could bring. "If you're signing me to be the best reliever in your 'pen, you're probably maybe a little misguided," he told Speier. "But you shouldn't sign me to be the worst guy in your 'pen, either. Somewhere in the middle. That's where I want to be."
- Manager John Farrell feels that Will Middlebrooks' struggles aren't solely due to a nagging hand injury, writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. "I don't think he's been limited any (more) than other players that deal with nagging ailments over the course of a full season," said Farrell. McAdam writes that the Sox are frustrated with Middlebrooks' unwillingness to commit to playing winter ball, and his spot on next year's roster appears in jeopardy. In Thursday's edition of his ESPN Insider-only blog, Buster Olney writes that it makes little sense for Middlebrooks to decline, as without a strong winter ball showing, he'd likely need a monster Spring Training to force his way onto the roster. Otherwise, he could be ticketed for a large portion of time with Triple-A Pawtucket next season.
- GM Ben Cherington spoke with Jen McCaffery of MassLive.com and noted that the Sox have received inquiries from multiple clubs about having their front office personnel and members of their coaching staff interview with other clubs. Cherington wouldn't comment on specifics "out of respect for other teams," but noted that he supported VP of player personnel Allard Baird as a candidate for the D'Backs GM opening: "They asked permission to talk to him and they talked to him. I would certainly support that because he's an exceptional baseball executive and I'm sure they'll have good choices but he would certainly be a good choice."
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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Boston Red Sox | Burke Badenhop | Will Middlebrooks
AL East Notes: Middlebrooks, Sox, Teixeira, Martinez, Morrow
The Red Sox are planning on having Will Middlebrooks play winter ball this offseason in an attempt to get him back on track, and they're telling teams that they won't simply give the soon-to-be 26-year-old away, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Middlebrooks may seem a good buy-low candidate, as the former top prospect has followed a strong rookie campaign with a .213/.264/.375 line over a pair of injury-plagued seasons in 2013-14, but it sounds as if the Red Sox aren't ready to give up on him.
Here's more from the AL East…
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington spoke with reporters before tonight's game, and Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com has some highlights from the session. Cherington says that "barring something unforeseen," Rusney Castillo will join the Major League club this month. He also said that the club will continue to have Mookie Betts focus on center field, noting that having three plus center fielders isn't a bad thing if Castillo, Betts and Jackie Bradley all pan out. "We believe we're better off having more than one major league center fielder," said Cherington. "In the long run, in terms of long-term control, hopefully we have three at the upper levels."
- While there's been an unthinkable amount of ink dedicated to the Phillies' Ryan Howard problem, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Yankees have a similar issue on their hands with Mark Teixeira. Sherman reports that while the Phillies have aggressively shopped Howard, the Yankees haven't even tried to move Teixeira, knowing that he would be nearly impossible to jettison due to his injuries, his no-trade protection and the $45MM he's owed in 2015-16. Teixeira, who turns 35 next April, has batted just .213/.316/.404 in 493 plate appearances over the past two seasons.
- Rays bench coach Dave Martinez is interested in the Astros' managerial opening, writes MLB.com's Adam Berry. Martinez, who was on a short list of candidates for the last Astros managerial search, called the opening a "great opportunity" but made it clear that his current focus is on helping the Rays. "I interviewed for them a couple years ago, and they had good baseball people, very creative minds over there, and I kind of like that whole situation over there," said Martinez. "Right now, my concern is being the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and hopefully we win as many games as possible this month." As Berry points out, Martinez is a good fit with the Astros after watching the way in which longtime Rays manager has Joe Maddon has built a rapport with an analytically inclined front office. Martinez noted that he got along well with Astros owner Jim Crane and GM Jeff Luhnow in his previous interview, adding that he thinks Houston has a very bright future.
- Brandon Morrow wants to pitch in the rotation in 2015 and beyond, he tells MLB.com's Gregor Chisolm. As Chisholm notes, Morrow may soon have the opportunity to dictate where that could happen, as his $10MM club option is likely to be declined by the Blue Jays after another injury-plagued season. Morrow doesn't seem to fit into Toronto's rotation moving forward, with R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Drew Hutchison, Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris all at the Major League level.
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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Boston Red Sox | Brandon Morrow | Houston Astros | Jackie Bradley Jr. | Mark Teixeira | Mookie Betts | New York Yankees | Rusney Castillo | Tampa Bay Rays | Toronto Blue Jays | Will Middlebrooks
Red Sox Rumors: Bogaerts, Cespedes, Cherington
Red Sox GM Ben Cherington chatted with reporters just minutes ago and it's no surprise to hear his admission that the club was not expecting Xander Bogaerts to struggle to this extent in 2014 (via Tim Britton of The Providence Journal on Twitter). Still just 21, Bogaerts has slashed .226/.293/.339 in 472 plate appearances this season. Earlier this week, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote that the struggles of Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. have left many around the game wondering how good each player truly is. Here's more out of Boston..
- Peter Gammons (Twitter links) cautions not to read much into waiver trade bites on Bogaerts, Clay Buchholz, Brock Holt, Joe Kelly, Yoenis Cespedes, Christian Vazquez, Burke Badenhop, Mike Napoli, Will Middlebrooks, Daniel Nava, Junichi Tazawa, and Koji Uehara.
- Cherington said that he won't be resistant to trade prospects this off-season, "for the right guy," tweets Jason Mastrodonato of The Springfield Republican. He added that the club has never been opposed to dealing prospects, but such decisions are "contextual," tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- The GM wouldn't give much on the team's interest in Rusney Castillo. "We are one of many teams interested. That's all I'll say," the GM said, according to Joe McDonald of ESPNBoston.com (on Twitter).
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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Boston Red Sox | Brock Holt | Burke Badenhop | Christian Vazquez | Clay Buchholz | Daniel Nava | Joe Kelly | Junichi Tazawa | Koji Uehara | Mike Napoli | Newsstand | Placed On Revocable Waivers | Will Middlebrooks | Yoenis Cespedes
Cafardo On D'Backs, Red Sox, Lester, Nava
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looks at some of the recently suggestions put forth by Red Sox chairman Tom Werner to help make the game more marketable to young people.
"Too many people are leaving games in the sixth and seventh innings because they can't watch 3½-hour games, so they're leaving the game at the point where the game should be getting exciting," Werner said. "You wouldn't make a 3½-hour movie. The NFL makes changes almost on an annual basis. They're considering making the extra point from 35 yards rather than from the 8-yard line… I respect tradition, but I don't revere it."
Among Werner's ideas: instituting a pitch clock, limiting the number of times a batter can step out of the box, and putting a cap on the number of catcher and pitching coach visits to the mound. More from today's column..
- Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson could be on the hot seat and there has been a lot of speculation about Joe McEwing, a third base coach with the White Sox, or Mike Aldrete, the bench coach for the Cardinals. If Gibson is canned it would mark Tony La Russa's first big decision but GM Kevin Towers would also likely to have a say.
- In a chat with Cafardo, David Ross spoke glowingly of the amenities or "little things" that the Red Sox do for their players and Cafardo wonders if that could keep Jon Lester in Boston beyond this season. Lester's family was always taken care of the team's traveling secretary and while other teams can offer similar services, the consensus among players who have been multiple places is that Red Sox and Yankees are the teams that offer more to their players.
- Ross tells Cafardo that even though there have been no contract talks with the Red Sox yet, he would like to return. Boston would certainly love for him to keep working with Christian Vazquez, but Ross's recent bout with plantar fasciitis has slowed him. Ross is finishing up a two-year, 6.2MM deal.
- Daniel Nava drew interest from the Tigers and had interest from the Royals before they traded for Josh Willingham, but he has yet to be put on waivers. It's not a certainty that he'll clear and but the Red Sox will likely put him on revocable waivers later in the month to see what type of interest he'll get. The Sox' outfield looks crowded next season with Allen Craig, Jackie Bradley Jr., Shane Victorino, Yoenis Cespedes, Mookie Betts, and Brock Holt all in the mix so it makes sense to see what can be had for Nava.
- In a separate tweet, Cafardo reports Nava, Mike Napoli, Koji Uehara, and Will Middlebrooks have been placed on revocable waivers.
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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Arizona Diamondbacks | Boston Red Sox | Daniel Nava | David Ross | Koji Uehara | Mike Napoli | Placed On Revocable Waivers | Will Middlebrooks
Red Sox Reluctant To Move Will Middlebrooks
The Red Sox have been receiving decent trade interest in recent days in third baseman Will Middlebrooks, but Red Sox people are said to seem quite reluctant to deal him, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Middlebrooks is on injury rehab following his slow start in Boston but the Sox seem intent on keeping him past July.
Still only 25, Middlebrooks has power, and it isn't easy to come by power bats in baseball these days. On top of that, if Middlebrooks can show something in the second half, he could be a piece if the Sox try and make a run at Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton. It would obviously take much more than Middlebrooks to get a deal done, but Miami did have some interest in Middlebrooks last winter. Stanton would provide a huge boost for the Red Sox and Boston can build a package with some of the best prospects in baseball to entice Miami if they make Stanton available over the winter. In 21 games this season, Middlebrooks has hit just .197/.305/.324 with two homers.
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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Boston Red Sox | Giancarlo Stanton | Miami Marlins | Newsstand | Will Middlebrooks
AL Notes: Wade, Bundy, Middlebrooks
The Astros' sudden improvement this season has been fueled in part by George Springer and Dallas Keuchel, and new first baseman Jon Singleton looks like a contributor as well. All three were acquired during Ed Wade's tenure as the Astros' GM, and Wade reflects on his Astros tenure with pride, the Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich writes. Drellich argues that the success of players like Springer, Keuchel, Singleton and Jose Altuve (who was signed before Wade's hiring) suggests that the team's farm system was not as barren at the time of Wade's departure as many analysts believed. Some of the Astros' worst drafting was done before Wade was hired, and Wade's trade of Hunter Pence for Singleton, Domingo Santana, Jarred Cosart and Josh Zeid stands out as a major coup. "I have a sense of pride," says Wade, "because there were a lot of good baseball people who were involved in the process at that point in time who I think have either been forgotten about or minimized as things have gone forward." Here are more notes from the American League.
- Top Orioles pitching prospect Dylan Bundy, who's recovering from Tommy John surgery, made a rehab start for Class A Aberdeen against Hudson Valley Sunday and pitched five innings and struck out six, walking none and allowing one run. The start was Bundy's first since the 2012 season, and his strong performance surely comes as welcome news to the Orioles. Bundy was on the fast track to the Majors prior to his injury troubles, and if his rehab outings continue to go well, he could make an impact in the big leagues sooner rather than later.
- The Red Sox plan to have Will Middlebrooks work on playing the outfield, Maureen Mullen of Boston.com writes. Middlebrooks, who has been out since last month with a finger injury, recently began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket. With Stephen Drew, Xander Bogaerts and Brock Holt in the infield, there don't figure to be many plate appearances there for Middlebrooks when he returns. Playing the outfield could allow Middlebrooks to find more playing time, and also to improve his trade value in time for next month's deadline.
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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Baltimore Orioles | Boston Red Sox | Dylan Bundy | Houston Astros | Will Middlebrooks
AL Notes: Lester, Middlebrooks, Tigers, Royals, Astros
The retirements of Yankee icon Derek Jeter and Commissioner Bud Selig and the Red Sox's quest to repeat as World Series champions are baseball's top storylines this season, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Mike Trout/Miguel Cabrera debate also makes Cafardo's list along with five other topics to monitor in 2014. Stoking the discussion, the dynamic duo both agreed to lengthy and lucrative contract extensions just one day apart this past week: six years, $144.5MM for Trout and eight years, $248MM for Cabrera.
In other news and notes from the American League:
- Within the same article, Cafardo opines Jon Lester better be willing to accept less from the Red Sox than the six-year, $144MM proposal the Tigers made to Max Scherzer adding negotiations with the left-hander will be a true test of how much faith the club has in its top pitching prospects.
- Lester addressed the media today, including WEEI.com's Rob Bradford (who provides a transcript of the extension-related portion of the presser) and contrasted his situation to Scherzer's. "Every situation is different, every negotiation is different, every person is different, so until it's there in front of you with a pen to sign it, or not presented to you and you have to go the other way, then like I said, we'll deal with that when it comes."
- Contact lenses could be the key to the season for Red Sox's third baseman Will Middlebrooks, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. An eye test this spring revealed Middlebrooks' vision had deteriorated to 20-25 in his right eye and 20-30 in his left. "For everyday life, you'd never correct it," the 25-year-old said. "But for what I do, you need to be able to see the little things. Once I put them in, I could really see the spin on the ball. I was always just reading trajectory of the ball. I was never seeing the spin."
- Pitching and offense are reasons why the Red Sox can repeat while history (no team has sucessfully defended its World Series title since 2000) and questions up the middle are reasons why they won't, writes CSNNE.com's Sean McAdam.
- Tigers President/CEO/GM Dave Dombrowski told MLB Network Radio (Twitter link) he had the financial wherewithal to extend both Cabrera and Scherzer. "We had both negotiations going simultaneously," said Dombrowski. "We were trying to sign both."
- The Royals have had mixed results with their philsophy of developing pitchers, reports Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star. The organization believes you need 10 pitching prospects to deliver one to the Majors and that has worked in developing relievers, but only four prospects have started a game for Kansas City during GM Dayton Moore's seven-year tenure, McCullough notes.
- The Astros have been active at the Trade Deadline the past two seasons, but that may not be the case this year, writes the Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich. "No question. This year's different," GM Jeff Luhnow told Drellich. "This year, we have veteran players. If they play well, we're likely to keep them as opposed to move them. There's always going to be that temptation…we'll balance all the factors, including the fact that we do want to show significant progress."
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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Boston Red Sox | Dave Dombrowski | Derek Jeter | Detroit Tigers | Houston Astros | Jon Lester | Kansas City Royals | Max Scherzer | Miguel Cabrera | Mike Trout | Will Middlebrooks
Cafardo's Latest: Arroyo, Cruz, Burnett, Middlebrooks
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe shares a few hot stove items in his latest Sunday column…
- Bronson Arroyo has been looking for a three-year deal or at least a vesting option for a third year, which could be holding up his market. If Arroyo was willing to settle for a flat two-year contract, Cafardo opines, he could find a deal, possibly with the Diamondbacks; Cafardo reported earlier this week that Arizona was "beginning to kick the tires" on the veteran right-hander. Arroyo recently said that he has yet to receive a concrete offer from any team, despite a lot of interest from around the league.
- The Dodgers are another team who "are very interested" in Arroyo but don't want to give him a guaranteed third year.
- Nelson Cruz's market is beginning to heat up, and "there could be up to four or five teams who could take the plunge in the end," a Major League source tells Cafardo. This interest could manifest itself into a multiyear deal for Cruz, though Cafardo notes that the slugger could still have to settle for a one-year contract. We've recently seen the Mariners, Orioles, Rangers and Twins linked to Cruz in rumors, though Texas and Minnesota only seem interested at a greatly reduced price.
- Cafardo thinks the A.J. Burnett sweepstakes is down to the Pirates, Phillies and Orioles, though he wouldn't be surprised if the Yankees were also exploring a reunion with the veteran right-hander. The Rays and Blue Jays have also been connected to Burnett, though it seems more likely that Burnett will choose a team located closer to his home in Maryland.
- The Marlins have "asked a lot" about Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks but there doesn't seem to be a trade fit. Miami is one of several teams who have asked Boston about Middlebrooks' availability, but the Sox don't want to give up on Middlebrooks' power potential. Even if the Red Sox re-signed Stephen Drew to play shortstop and Xander Bogaerts took over at third, Middlebrooks would still receive playing time alternating between third and first base.
- While Jon Lester recently said he would take a hometown discount to remain with the Red Sox, Cafardo points out that it might not be a huge discount, as Lester also noted that "you never want to be the guy that takes the market backward."
- The Red Sox will experiment with Ryan Lavarnway as a first baseman during Spring Training, GM Ben Cherington confirmed. Since Boston is so deep at catcher at both the Triple-A and Major League levels, Lavarnway's only chance at continued playing time may be as a Triple-A first baseman.
- "There's a feeling that a team like the Yankees may pluck Fernando Rodney, or someone of his ilk, to ensure they have another closer in case David Robertson breaks down or isn't up to the task," Cafardo writes. Rodney was reportedly drawing interest from four teams, though the Yankees hadn't spoken with him since November and may not have enough remaining payroll space to add to the bullpen.
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Gammons On Gardner, Denorfia, Drew
Here are some hot stove items from Peter Gammons in his latest piece for his namesake website, GammonsDaily.com…
- Gammons adds the Phillies to the list of teams who "have taken a run" at acquiring Brett Gardner from the Yankees. Philadelphia is one of "at least a half-dozen teams" who have checked in on Gardner — we've seen the Tigers, Reds, Indians, and Giants also linked to Gardner earlier in the offseason. Both Yankees president Randy Levine and GM Brian Cashman have said they admire Gardner's play and aren't willing to move him, though Gammons feels that Cashman "won't move [Gardner] until and unless [Cashman] has to for starting pitching." This is just my speculation, but Gammons' phrasing could be a hint that the Yankees could shop Gardner if they fail to land Masahiro Tanaka.
- The Rangers, Red Sox and Rockies are three of "at least a half-dozen teams" who have asked the Padres about Chris Denorfia. Colorado's interest has presumably dried up due to their acquisition of Drew Stubbs. San Diego GM Josh Byrnes isn't willing to discuss trading Denorfia as long as he feels the Padres can be contenders, and Byrnes thinks his club's offseason moves could put them in the playoff mix. The Rangers also showed interest in Denorfia last July before the trade deadline.
- Mets assistant GM J.P. Ricciardi recently claimed that his team was happy with Ruben Tejada as a starting shortstop and that the free agent shortstop market wasn't to the Mets' liking, but Gammons hears otherwise from an NL general manager. The GM believes the Mets are concerned about their inexperience up the middle (Tejada at short, Juan Lagares in center and Travis d'Arnaud behind the plate) and are only seeming disinterested in Stephen Drew as part of negotiations with agent Scott Boras.
- If Drew re-signs with the Red Sox, Gammons doesn't expect Boston to deal Will Middlebrooks, as the team still values his power.
- The offseason's most interesting overlooked deal is the Athletics/Rangers swap that sent Craig Gentry to Oakland and Michael Choice to Texas, Gammons opines. Gentry is a right-handed bat who can spell Coco Crisp in center or replace him in case of injury, and "the A's think Gentry's comp is at least Peter Bourjos," Gammons writes. Choice, meanwhile, gives the Rangers a corner outfield bat who can spell Shin-Soo Choo against left-handed pitching.
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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Boston Red Sox | Brett Gardner | Chris Denorfia | Colorado Rockies | Craig Gentry | Michael Choice | New York Mets | New York Yankees | Oakland Athletics | Philadelphia Phillies | Stephen Drew | Texas Rangers | Will Middlebrooks


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I am making a christening cake for this coming Sunday for my (to be) God daughter. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to try stacking a tiered cake. The bottom layer will be Chocolate 10" round, and the top layer Rich fruit 6" Hexagonal...both layers gluten free...so this has entailed already 2 or 3 practice cakes to get the recipe right!!!
I know that I have to use dowel rods, and I have them ready. I am planning on covering them with marzipan, and then ready made roll out (fondant). So I still have to make the chocolate layer and shall ice them this week.
My question is do I place the dowels in before I travel down to Kent (about a 2hour car journey), or place and measure the dowels just before stacking,....and adding the pretty pink ribbon to hide the join?
A really basic question, but I'm still very new to the decorating side of cakes

subset: commoncrawl


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Santa Ynez wine
I have taken a few trips to the Santa Ynez area and I am planning to go back soon. I was wondering your opinion about your favorite wineries. I have a wine club membership at Koehler. I really love their sangiovese, viognier(one of the best whites I have had in a long time). Their prices seem pretty good. I also like Zaca Mesa's blends. Rusack's chardonay and pinot. Bridlewood's syrah's. Are there any that I am missing that are reasonable in price?I hear Gainey produces great wines at a good price. I didn't care for Beckman and Sunstone. On my next trip I was going to try Epiphany, Gainey, Foxen, Firestone, maybe Melville and Sanford. What do you think? Thank you!
re: SteveTimko
A few years back I had a Viognier dessert wine from Cold Heaven.
It was, er, heavenly.
re: SteveTimko
I absolutely love pinot from Sanford, Foxen, and Melville, and I would throw Foley and Alma Rosa into that mix as well. We really enjoy Fess Parker's pinot, as well as some of their other wines. If you are into Rhone styled blends, check out Tercero. Larry who owns Tercero is also an assistant wine maker at Fess Parker.
I love Brian Loring's high octane pinot, but not sure I would put them in the same league as those mentioned above. To me, they are a bigger style, but I absolutely love them. Solid wines year in year out! -mJ
I'm a fan of Stolpman. All of the wineries you mentioned trying this trip are good ones.
Brander does a very nice Sauvignon Blanc. I agree with Steve about Cold Heaven.
re: mengathon
Totally agree. Check out their Marsanne....great summer sipper! -mJ
If you have time do taste wine AND have dinner, drop into Hitching Post in Casmalia or Solvang. Excellent restaurant and they produce some very reds, especially Pinot Noirs.
re: mayache
Two other great recommendations here! Both producing solid wines at good QPR's! -mJ
You should check out Ampelos Vineyards. Excellent Syrah, Pinot, Viognier and Rose from estate, biodynamically farmed vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. Foxen is excellent. Of the newer wineries, I would highly recommend Dragonette Cellars. Vogelzang is worth checking out for their whites and the D'Alphonso/Curran wines.
re: BogTarheel
Couldn't agree more in Bruno and Kris Curran's wines. Both are awesome! Love Bruno's pinot noir under the Badge label, and Kris's wines are fantastic as well, especially her Gewürztraminer, Grenache Blanc, and chardonnay from the Sea Smoke Vineyard.


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* Check-in time 14:00* Check-out time 12:00* Please collect your keys from reception.
Playa Moreia Aparthotel offers you comfortable and affordable self-catering accommodation in the resort of S'Illot, Cala Moreia on the eastern coast of the magical Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca. Playa Moreia Aparthotel contains 133 studios and one and two bedroom apartments each with kitchen facilities, complemented by a buffet restaurant and a bar-lounge. A large swimming pool and sun terrace encourage you to soak-up the rays, there is a children's pool area, playground and entertainment activities; and an evening entertainment programme. S'Illot forms a small holiday village with a marvellous beach, a small marina area, and is 2km from a vast pine wood called Punta Amer; book into the Playa Moreia Aparthotel and holiday on the Island of Mallorca, Spain without stretching your budget.
Getting to the hotel: Playa Moreia Aparthotel is 69km from Palma de Mallorca International Airport.
Local tips: 3km from Cala Millor and 5km from Porto Cristo. 5km from the Caves of Drach; 29km from Cala Mondrago Natural Park; and 62km from downtown Palma.
Food, drink and entertainment: Main buffet restaurant offering a variety of dishes, a bar lounge, TV room and an evening entertainment programme.
Sport, games and activities: Lagoon-style swimming pool, sun terrace with sun beds and umbrellas; games room; and easy beach access.
For the kids: Children's pool, playground and entertainment activities.
Additional: 24 hour Reception Services, housekeeping every 2 days, payable WiFi internet, safe boxes, further front desk services and onsite parking is possible.Back to top
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Playa Moreia Aparthotel ,S'Illot,Majorca,Balearic Islands
- No booking fees
- Price includes all hotel fees and taxes
- Excludes applicable local city taxes & resort fees
- Please note flights are not included
- Full payment is due at time of booking
If you need any help with your booking please visit our FAQs or call
0844 879 8472