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Social Media Survey Reveals 92% Of Companies Using Social Media
Written by Jeff Bullas - 22 Comments
Categories: Social Media
I was going to review this social media survey in less than 500 words (the original report is 43 pages) but I found the revelations compelling so it ended up being over 1,000 words. It shows that companies are taking different approaches both bold and conservative. It also unveiled the fact that most companies are not ignoring social media but implementing it in ways that fits their culture and processes, whether that be taking a long term approach or short term.
Mounting research, including the fact that 46% of US adults now participate in social networks, and a quarter do so weekly, make it increasingly difficult to pigeon-hole social media as something relevant to only specific demographic groups or personal vs. work lives. Social media is here to stay, and marketers need all the help they can get understanding this new communication channel.
Business.com's 2009 Business Social Media Benchmarking Study assessed current trends in the use of social media in North American businesses. It is based on 2,948 valid responses to a Social Media Benchmarking Survey during August and early September, 2009,
The study was focused on social media utilization – how people and companies are using social media in a work context today – and not on adoption. All study participants currently used social media in their day-to-day jobs as a resource for business-relevant information and/or worked for a company currently managing, developing or planning social media initiatives.
The report was organized into two sections. Section one is about how social media is utilised to find business relevant information and section two are the initiatives, benchmarking experience with social media for business, top social media activities and how companies judge social media success today.
Section One: Finding Business Relevant Information
Top Line Findings
- Nearly 65% of respondents reported using using social media as part of their normal work routine to find business relevant information such as
- Reading blogs
- Visiting business profiles on Facebook
- Viewing professional profiles on LinkedIn
- Using Twitter to find or communicate
- Who uses Social Media as a resource for business information?
The Top Five by Job Role
- Consulting
- PR/Corporate Communications
- Construction/Real Estate
- Marketing
- Accounting Finance
Interesting findings that aren't expected
- IT used social media as a business resource less than any other department
- Micro Companies (less than 10 employees were more disposed to use social media than the large (500+ employees) who ranked last.. maybe due to banning or blocking of social media sites by large companies.
- Real Estate and construction were the most active users above those from other industries.. this is worth asking.. why?
- Most popular Social Media resources were
- Webinars/Podcasts at 69%
- Reading ratings and and reviews 62%
- Least Popular
- Social Bookmarking sites 28%
- Participating in dicussions on 3rd party websites 29%
- Average respondent used nearly six different social media resources
- 14.4 % used ten or more
Section Two: This covered
- Corporate Social Media Initiatives
- Benchmarking experience with social media for business
- Top social media activities
- How companies judge social media success today.
Top Line Findings
- The vast majority (92%) are directly involved in planning or managing these initiatives
- They spend, on average, 18% of their time in a given week on business social media activities
- 35% of people surveyed had spent less than one year managing or involved with social media initiatives
- 30% of employees having between one and two years of direct experience
- 71% of companies have less than two years of experience with social media initiatives
- Top ten social media initiatives (all at or above 50% participation)
- Maintenance of company social media sites 71%
- Monitor company related mentions on social media sites 60%
- Maintain one or more company blogs 60%
- Participate in micro-blogging (Twitter) 56%
- Monitor and or support company ratings or reviews 54%
- Monitor competitor mentions on social media sites 53%
- Participation in discussions on 3rd party sites 51%
- Advertise on social media sites 50%
- Manange an online community for customers or prospects 50%
- Participate in online Q&A sessions on 3rd party sites such as Yahoo answers or Linkedin 50%
- Companies are planning, having in development or running on average seven social media initiatives
Interesting Findings that were unexpected.
1. How Companies Judge Social Media Success
- Website traffic increase 61%
- Engagement with prospects 57%
- Brand awareness 54%
- Engagement with customers 50%
- Revenue 42%
- Brand reputation 42%
- Prospect lead volume 36%
- Prospect lead quality 33%
- Useful product feedback 23%
Note: I was surprised by this as an element of ROI (Revenue) took fifth place after what I would call non-financial impacts being viewed as sufficiently important to take precedence over short term financial gains. I was expecting ROI to be taking a top spot.
2. What are the Top Social Media Sites That Companies Participate In?
- Facebook 80%
- Twitter 56%
- LinkedIn 39%
- LinkedIn Companies 38%
- YouTube 35%
Note: Facebook continues to take the prominent role in Social Media ( I suppose 300 Million people can't be wrong)
3. Social Media Monitoring Tools
Companies can use a wide variety of tools to monitor company, brand and/or competitor mentions across blogs and other social media sites. Free Tools are dominant in social media business use and are used much more broadly then fee-based tools.. and the difference is striking.
Free Tools
- Google Search 61%
- Google Alerts 49%
- Twitter Search 44%
- Yahoo! Search 35%,
Fee-based Tools
- Factiva 3%
- Nielsen BuzzMetrics 3%
- BuzzLogic 2%
- Biz360 2%
- Radian 6 2%
Note: Free wins over fee.. not unusual I suppose
3 Top Revelations
1. The average company in this study used four different success metrics
- Web site traffic
- Engagement – with prospects and customers
- Brand impact – awareness and reputation
- Leads – both quantity and quality
Note: Companies measuring leads are more likely to also measure the revenue impact of social media initiatives than companies which don't focus on leads. Also, companies judging the success of their social media initiatives on engagement with prospects and/or customers are more likely to also measure brand impact than they are revenue or leads.
This reveals two types of mindsets
- Those wanting to measure and verify ROI
- Companies who are taking a longer term view and at this stage are willing to accept that the pre-cursors to achieving a financial impact will reveal a long term positive ROI.
2. Top Social Media Sites To Which Companies Upload
- YouTube 64%
- Flickr 26%
- Slideshare 12%
- Photobucket 12%
- GoogleKnol (Googles version of Wikipedia) 11%
Note: YouTube's dominance is due in part to the growing value of online video as a valuable social media content asset and the emerging importance of video as Gen Y takes an emerging and growing role in managment.
3. Social Media Banning at Work
- 54% of companies ban two of the most popular social media sites for business Facebook and Twitter
- 10% of the 1,400 CIOs surveyed indicated that they give employees full access to social networks at work.
Note: This knee-jerk concern about squandering work time on personal issues has been seen many times before (telephones, cell phones, Internet, e-mail, etc.) and establishing the business value in social media can help companies placing themselves in the position of attempting to understand and utilize this new communication channel without the ability to actually use it at work.
Comments From Survey
Three revealing comments from the survey:
Comment One "The most useful social media resource is the webinars. I feel that they offer the most, don't demand that I travel, spend a lot of money, or even make a huge commitment of time. They are usually well focused on a topic and therefore don't waste my time with a lot of unrelated topics."
Comment Two "Twitter. The people I follow provide me with more relevant links and information than any other tool. It saves me time and helps me learn about new technologies or innovative ideas, as they are happening." also
Comment Three "The power of combining social media resources (i.e., the social connection provided by social media) – discovering something interesting on Twitter, following it to a blog you haven't seen before, and then subscribing to the blog – as well as the ability to interact with others about the topic on Twitter and in blog comments."
So do your companies activities reflect a similiar pattern to the surveys findings?
http://www.prscoup.com Gabe Chesman
Really interesting findings. Comment #3 explains why I use social media. It's a fantastic way to find interesting news, people, and resources that would be nearly impossible to find otherwise.
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http://hrmargo.wordpress.com hrmargo
Brilliant collection of statistics. I'm impressed. This validates my hunches, and puts metrics behind them. Thank you for this well constructed post. How about http://www.yammer.com ?
Best wishes,
Margo Rose @HRMargo http://hrmargo.com
http://www.fusedlogic.com Walter Schwabe (@fusedlogic)
Jeff, thanks for going to all the trouble of distilling down this report. I'm only part way through it and there's a lot of information as your blog post supports. Great job.
http://www.llonlineblogera.com LLOnline Blogera,LLC
Awesome information. Very rich in content and relevant for us advertisers to understand better the needs, trends, and utilization of social media by companies out there.
Thank you for publishing.
http://www.abcey.com/blog ABCey Events
Amazing report. Thanks for boiling down the 43 (!) pages for our readability!
http://www.abacusanalytics.co.in/ online survey company
Please check it ,i think its better for Business .
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http://www.business.com/ Ben Hanna
Hi everyone – very glad you like the report. We've recently released several more reports from this same data set that cover certain topics in more detail. These are:
"2009 B2B Social Media Benchmarking Report" – detailed look at the most relevant results for B2B marketers. http://www.business.com/info/b2b-social-media-benchmark-study
"Engaging Small Business Decision Makers Through Social Media" – for those marketing to small business, this report provides more in-depth review of the social media resources small business leaders turn to for business information. http://www.business.com/info/engaging-small-business-through-social-media.
"Social Media Best Practices: Question & Answer Forums" – since opinions differ so widely about whether Q&A forums like LinkedIn Answers, Yahoo! Answers, Business.com Answers or others are great ways to connect with your target audience or a waste of time, we combined insights from over 1,100 Q&A users and over 800 companies using Q&A forums to generate best practice advice for getting the most out of Q&A forum participation. http://www.business.com/info/social-media-best-practices-q-and-a.
We're working on several more reports for Q1 as well and will announce on Twitter (http://twitter.com/B2BOnlineMktg) when these are ready.
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A Pewter Dip Pen Writing Set with old world charm and elegance- a must have that combines all the essentials in one beautiful set. Pewter Dip Pen with extra nibs, Glass Inkwell filled with 1.75 pzs of Fine Writing Ink, plus ink blotter & starter calligraphy booklet.
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4:28 P.M. — The number of estimated reports nationally from homeowners who have complained of having defective Chinese drywall has reached 6,300, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported today.
In its July status report, the commission said the estimate comes from reports on drywall received by the commission; information from state governors, county governments, importers, builders, distributors, installers and others.
The number of reports received by the commission alone has increased to 3,482, covering 37 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and American Samoa.
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First Time trip to Jackson Hole!
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First Time trip to Jackson Hole!
Hello All,
Background Info:
I am from the east coast and heading to Jackson Hole March 22-26th for three days of riding with my two friends, one is an intermediate skier, and the other a beginning-intermediate rider. I consider myself a somewhat advanced intermediate, as I am in half-decent physical condition, comfortable with most of the steeps, can ride the pow, and can ride switch without killing myself on most days. Last year's trip was to Breckenridge, CO and Loveland, CO for 3 days, and the difficulty was a pretty good match for the other two riders, but I ended up riding the bowls and some of the steeps by myself. I had a blast, but I felt like I wanted something a little more. We did some research for this year's trip and decided on Jackson Hole because it seemed like they had the most fun terrain for all levels of riding, beginner through expert, and a good chance at getting some snow while we were there.
The Discussion Quesetion:
As I said before, I have done some research and found some great articles (like this one, even though it's a "ski" article:
Jackson Hole Guide To Skiing Jackson Hole Mountain Resort - EpicSki Community
), but I am looking for some information from the folks who have been there. So my question to you guys is: in general, what should I expect from my first pilgrimage to JHMR? What are some of the good trails to hit and which ones will be worth breaking away from my wolfpack to ride solo? I don't think I yet have the stones to huck Corbet's, but I know there are TONS of great trails and I am looking for the highlight reel. All input is appreciated!
Let me know what you think
EDIT: Also I should add that we are staying at The Lodge at Jackson Hole in Jackson, and any advice on bars and good spots to eat are appreciated as well.
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#SharingtheLove at the 2011 North American Wine Bloggers Conference
by Cliff Rames
Two weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of attending – for the first time – the 2011 North American Wine Bloggers Conference (#wbc11), which was held July 22-24 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Coming along for the ride in the hope of finding love was a tote full of Croatian wines, some of which were samples kindly provided by importers (Blue Danube Wine Company, Vinum USA, and Oenocentric), and others from my personal collection. My hope was to share them at some point with my fellow bloggers and winos – or anyone else who wanted to learn about and taste them.
But where? When? I was just a conference attendee, not a sponsor or part of the official program, upon which I consciously did not want to intrude.
To make a long story short, on the last afternoon of the conference (Saturday) Fred Dexheimer MS and I hatched the idea to invite folks up to his room after the evening's program of activities concluded for an "unofficial" Croatian wine tasting – or as it came to be known, the #afterafterparty.
At 3:45 pm the first tweet went out: "#wbc11 peeps – come join us tonight! Pouring Croatian wines with @FredDexMS…room 606 after 10. The Plavac calls! BYG."
Then at 8:09 pm: "Native grape jamboree: Plavac! Crljenak! Malvasia Istriana! Posip! Babic! Teran. #Croatiacrawl tonight! After 10, rm 606. #wbc11". Followed by: "The Donkey calls! Plavac Mali & friends! ##WBC11 peeps come say hi: rm 606 after 10. #Croatiacrawl".
The rest we left to the mysterious ripples of Twitter and the magic of social networking….
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who heard the Donkey call, retweeted my tweets, spread the word, and showed-up for our little impromptu tasting. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect so many people. Room 606 was bursting at the seams! And the Croatian wine – as Fred tweeted at 11:09pm – "flowed like water"!
Unfortunately, my small allotment of bottles was quickly consumed by many a curious blogger. But not before I had the chance to meet some very special people, folks of all ages who appreciate wines that are perhaps a little different, a bit tongue-twisting to pronounce, sometimes a little funky, but always authentic and interesting.
An extra special thanks to Richard Jennings, who made a valiant effort (despite the growing crush of a crowd) to listen to my descriptions of each wine and record notes. You can read his excellent blog post about the #wbc11 conference HERE, which included these very sweet words: "I did see a Twitter invite, however, for a Croatian wine tasting happening upstairs in someone's room, from Cliff Rames, who has retweeted my few blog posts about Croatian wines (attracting large numbers of viewers to those posts), so I decided to check that out before heading back to my hotel. I'm glad I did. I got to meet Cliff…and tasted there several of the most interesting wines I tried all weekend."
A special thanks also to Eric Asimov, Chief Wine Critic for the New York Times, who also stopped by and asked me to choose just two wines for him to taste. As it happened, at that moment I was pouring the Krajančić 2009 Pošip Intrada and Korta Katarina 2006 Plavac Mali, which were fine choices in any event.
As any true professional would, Mr. Asimov quietly tasted the two selections, politely thanked me, then wandered off to enjoy the company and energy of the Room 606 crowd.
OMG! He showed up! Perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps out of boredom, perhaps out of genuine interest….Only Eric knows. But let us hope that one day he wanders over again to taste a bit more and – just maybe – that important day will arrive when Croatian wines appear in The New York Times Wednesday wine column.
For those of you who came out to Room 606 that evening, and for those of you curious about the wines, here is the list of what was served:
1. Krajančić 2009 Pošip "Intrada" – Korčula island, Southern Dalmatia
2. Degrassi 2009 Malvasia Istriana "Selection" – Istria
3. Karaman 2008 Malvasia of Dubrovnik – Dubrovnik, Southern Dalmatia
4. Enjingi 2009 Graševina – Slavonia
5. Vinarija Dingač 2009 Plavac Mali "Pelješac" – Pelješac, Southern Dalmatia
6. Pilizota 2009 Babić – Šibenik, Northern Dalmatia
7. Piquentum 2008 Teran – Istria
8. Korta Katarina 2008 Plavac Mali – Pelješac, Southern Dalmatia
9. Zlatan Otok 2008 Crljenak Kaštelanski – Makarska, Southern Dalmatia (corked; removed from line-up)
10. Saints Hills 2008 Plavac Mali Dingač, Sv. Lucia Vineyard – Pelješac, Southern Dalmatia
There may have been a few others, but at some point during the crush of the evening I lost track of the bottles and surrendered any illusion of a systematic tasting. As a dear experienced drinking friend of mine often says, "One tastes like two, two tastes like three, and after three, it's away all boats."
And so it was. Until around 1 am – when a nice security officer from the hotel asked us to move to the hotel lobby or break it up. We were too much for Room 606 and apparently for its neighbors too….
All-in-all, it was a wonderful conference – the highlight of which was (for me) the #afterafterparty in Room 606, where for just a little while Croatian wines were the center of attention, making new friends and (hopefully) a few happy memories for those of you who were so kind to come. Thank you again!
One last thanks goes to Fred Dexheimer MS, who is always a source of inspiration. I never cease to be amazed by the man's energy. It was Fred who was the occupant of the now legendary Room 606 in the Omni Hotel, Charlottesville, and who generously offered the place for the first-ever (albeit unofficial) #croatiacrawl at #wbc11.
Thank you, Fred, for your ongoing support and encouragement. You rock, dude!
If anyone is interested in writing about Croatian wines for your blog, please feel free to contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
"Živjeli!" ("Cheers!", in Croatian). I hope to see you all again at next year's conference in Portland, Oregon. #wbc12 – the best is yet to come!
Richard Bampfield MW: Croatian Wines "Hold Their Own"
On May 10, 2011, Richard Bampfield became the first Master of Wine (MW) to visit Croatia to expressively taste and review its wines.
While in Croatia, Mr. Bampfield hosted an exclusive Master Class at the Hotel Bastion in Zadar. The event, sponsored by Yacht Gourmet Croatia, was designed to introduce guests to the U.K wine market while assessing the quality and potential of Croatian wines as an export product and tourist offering (particularly for the yachting community on Croatia's Adriatic Sea).
Attending the Master Class were 25 winemakers from Croatia, including Alen Bibich, Andro Tomić, Ivica Matošević, and Mladen Rožanić. Other guests included yacht crews, representatives of luxury villas and rental agencies, and Croatian journalist Rene Bakalović (who published this article in Croatia's largest daily newspaper, Jutarnji List).
After the Master Class and tasting, Mr. Bampfield noted that many of the Croatian wines he tasted would "hold their own" against similar wines produced elsewhere in the world.
"Croatian wines have the advantage of history, which is a good thing", Bampfield said in a statement to Croatian TV. "Croatian wines are unique and unlike anything you can find elsewhere. But this has a negative side, too. If people cannot find the wines, then they cannot get to know them. I think the U.K. market is ready for Croatian wines. But Croatia must be smart about its promotion and placement of the wines."
Alessia Cortesi, owner of Yacht Gourmet Croatia, said that the event was very interesting for the Croatian winemakers, and very important for Croatian wines. One of Yacht Gourmet Croatia's goals is to promote Croatian wines among wine buyers in the nautical market and demonstrate that Croatian wines are an authentic product that can compete on the same level with many French or Italian wines.
"This event was an excellent step forward for Croatian wines. Master of Wine Bampfield confirmed that the wines are top quality and have potential on the international market. He discovered many of Croatia's native grapes, some of which he would not otherwise be able to taste abroad", added Cortesi.
Wines of Croatia was graciously and generously granted exclusive permission to publish Mr. Bampfield's tasting notes, which follow below for your enjoyment. Cheers!
Tasting Notes by Richard Bampfield, MW
Badel 1862 Sauvignon Blanc, Daruvar 2009
Sweaty Sauvignon, very French, restrained, classy. Pleasing sweetness on palate, real depth of flavour. Dry and refreshing, the residual sugar undoubtedly enhances the character and flavour. Delicious.
Bibich 2009 Debit
Distinctive aromas, green apple, perhaps gooseberry too. Good fruit, pear-like texture, almost like a sherry. Fresh, dry, appetising, enjoyable and easy drinking.
Bibich 2008 Debit Lučica Riserva
Gold. Oaky, old-fashioned. Flat entry on palate, does not have the freshness to support the oak flavours. Oxidative and seems dated in style. Certainly sherry-like.
Boškinac 2009 Grand Cuvee
Golden colour. Alcohol highly evident and lacks freshness of most. Heavy and a bit clumsy.
Degrassi 2010 Malvazija Istarska Bomarchese
Gently unoaked, reminiscent of good, unoaked Chardonnay. Very clean, fresh, mineral notes, persistent although flavours are restrained. Quite neutral on finish, but very fine.
Degrassi 2009 Terre Bianche Cuvee Blanc
Very fresh smelling, modern, expressive. Fresh and persistent, good acidity. Pleasing lightness of touch, very easy to drink, quite international in style.
Figurica 2009 Kulica Coupage
Fresh, apple and nut aromas. Well made, relatively simple, but natural, dry and easy to drink, especially with food.
Korta Katarina 2009 Pošip
Fresh, pears and nuts. Evident cool ferment characters, but well done. Dry, fresh, lovely fruit. Fine, light touch to the oak, natural and appetising.
Kozlović 2010 Malvazija
Clean, light, scented. Light on palate, gently perfumed, good texture. Bright, young and appetising.
Kozlović 2008 Santa Lucia Malvazija
Golden colour. Toasty aromas, orange peel, marmalade. Nice texture and flavour, not dissimilar to traditional semillon-based Graves. Dry, characterful, may not appeal to all.
Matošević 2008 Alba Barrique (Malvazija Istarska)
Sweet oak on nose which tends to dominate. No question that the oak is sweetly flavoured and enhances the flavour of the wine……..but it hides the grape flavour in my view.
Matošević 2008 Alba Robinia (Malvazija Istarska, aged in acacia wood)
Honey, roasted nuts, less overtly oaky than the French oak. Lovely sweetness on palate, good texture, fresh acidity. Exciting wine, finishing brisk, dry and flavoursome.
Matošević 2009 Grimalda Bijelo
Intriguing mix of Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Malvazija. Actually really interesting, with a distinctive and pleasing Sauvignon lift to the aromatics. Fine and complete on the palate, harmonious and fresh. Well judged oak, delicious.
Roxanich 2007 Malvazija Antica
Deep gold. Very perfumed, complex – notes of yeast, marmite, thick cut marmalade, fernet branca. Dry, textured, good acidity, long flavours, evident amontillado sherry character. Touch of alcoholic warmth on finish, very fine.
Saints Hills 2009 Nevina
Aromas not too oaky, note of pepper. Higher in alcohol than most and seems heavy. Appears to have sacrificed flavour for alcohol. But interesting blend of an international variety (Chardonnay) with a local grape (Malvasia Istriana).
Tomac (2007?) Anfora
Deep, orange gold. Complex aromas of poached pears, toast, creme brulee – note of acetate. Somehow smells of ice cream. Dry, assured, pleasing orange-peel tanginess. Surprisingly, not that oxidative. Very persistent, very natural, very good.
Trapan 2010 Malvazija Istarska Ponente
Gently perfumed, touch phenolic, hint of marshmallow. Fine, dry, touch mineral, bit heavier than the others, but the overall sensation of lightness is still very pleasing.
Trapan 2009 Uroboros (Malvazija)
Honey, nuts, creamy. Rich, oxidative notes, but not overtly oaky. Good acidity and very clean finish. Lasts well, fine food wine.
Korta Katarina 2010 Rosé (Plavac Mali)
Subtle, vinous, really smells winey, even of white wine. Lovely flavours, not like any other rose I have tasted, note of pepper, which reinforces the sensation of great freshness. Very good.
Roxanich 2008 Rosé
Mature orange. Stewed strawberries, marmite, almost smells of Rivesaltes, definitely some very attractive grapey notes. Dry, very Burgundian, somewhat surprisingly it tastes of mature red Burgundy! Intense flavour, fresh, dry, persistent. Interesting.
Saints Hills 2010 St. Heels Rosé
High alcohol, dry, but lacking a core of flavour. A bit heavy-handed and lacks the pure drinkability and freshness of a rose.
Tomac Pjenušac Rosé (sparkling)
Pale, red tinge. Excellent, fruit aromas, very bright. Dry, fresh, beautifully balanced, long and elegant. Extremely classy glass of sparkling rose.
Trapan 2010 Rubi Rosé (Cuvee)
Deepish colour, pale red. Touch confected, smells familiar, almost Australian, may be the Syrah component. Plenty of flavour, vinous, tastes off-dry (but is apparently dry). Good, bold style that retains good freshness.
Badel 1862 Korlat Syrah 2007
Fabulous aromas; pepper, ginger, spice; reminiscent of young Grange. Sweeter style of Syrah; intense, ripe, mellow tannins, spicy, savoury and hedonistic. Very generous; lovely current drinking.
Badel 1862 Plavac Mediterano 2008
Meaty aromas, note of liver, notes of green pepper, reminiscent of certain St Emilion. Fresh, fruity, Merlot character persists, but with more overt freshness. Good – and genuinely tastes Mediterranean!
Bibich 2008 Riserva R6
Mature-looking. Warming, pleasing aromas, some of the sweetness of aroma of a Tawny Port. Sweetly fruited, mature but not cedary. Dry and slightly bitter on the finish, comes across as faintly Italian in style on the palate.
Bibich 2008 Bas de Bas
Very deep colour. Lifted, perfumed, strong new oak. Sweet, expressive but not overripe Syrah; very fine. Really intense on the palate, well judged oak, beautifully balanced by an overall sensation of freshness. Seductive, not over-extracted. Well done!
Boškinac 2007
Rich, oaky; perhaps a note of volatility. Bold, high alcohol, big wine. Better suited to the US than the UK.
Degrassi 2007 Merlot Contarini
Really good Merlot aromas, note of meatiness. Good sweetness of fruit and a fine, fruit-forward, appetising appeal that seems to characterise the Degrassi style. Fresh, pure and early-maturing, excellent restaurant wine.
Degrassi 2005 Refosk Terre Rosse
Creamy, spicy, but seems to be tiring. High acidity, bitter cherry characters, very Italian. Very long and very fresh for its age. Definitely interesting but seems better suited to Italian market than British one.
Degrassi 2007 Terre Bianche Cuvee Rouge
Deep, youthful. Very fresh, bright Cabernet aromas. Refreshing, peppery edge to the fruit; juicy, flavoursome; tastes just off-dry. Really enjoyable and the sweetness of fruit is balanced by the pepper character.
Figurica 2009 Cuvee Figurina
Fresh, unusual aromas – a mix of raspberry fruit and gamey characters. Juicy, fresh and flavoursome, apparently with a touch of sweetness. Light, appetising and easy drinking.
Korta Katarina 2007 Plavac Mali
Mature looking. Stewed aromas, alcoholic, big wine, could easily have been made in Australia. Touch of volatility? Reminiscent of Chateau Musar; not a style that would be mainstream in the UK.
Roxanich 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep, starting to mature. Really classy; pencil-lead cabernet aromas, a sort of restrained Penfold's Bin 707. Very pure, ripe cassis character; assured, long, tobacco edge, moderate tannins. Great freshness; top class.
Roxanich 2007 Superistrian
Intriguing aromas that remind me of butter, cream and coconut……..but it is not oaked! Fruit comes through well on the palate but not yet as complex as it could be. The firm tannins and grip suggest this will still improve for a few years.
Roxanich 2006 TeranRe
Intriguing aromas, seems to show the meatiness of Merlot but also the rawer meat characters of Syrah; touch of reduction (in a positive way). Very fresh acidity, great flavour; firm but balanced tannins. Tastes like a really classy Pays Catalan. Magnificent.
Tomić 2007 Plavac Mali Reserve
Perfumed, classy – clear oak, but also some lifted fruit and floral characters. Really nicely made, good oak, fine overall balance and intensity of flavour. Warming, but not alcoholic.
Bibich Ambra NV (Debit)
Pale to medium, yellow-brown. Unusual aromas, notes of dried grapes like PX, but also reminiscent of the must aromas of Pineau de Charentes. Compelling on the palate though, great grip and length. Sweet, well done.
Bodren 2008 Chardonnay Ice Wine (Ledeno Vino)
Not as sweet as the Riesling, but still very sweet. Beautifully made and balanced, very complete…….but I cannot help thinking that the relative lack of aroma and character betray the fact that Chardonnay lacks the intensity of flavour to make the best dessert wines.
Bodren 2008 Pinot Blanc Ice Wine
Fresh, pears, stone fruits. Very sweet, good texture and beautiful balance. Really good, with a fresh, peppery finish.
Bodren 2009 Rajnski Rizling Izborna Berba Prosušenih Bobica (TBA)
Very fine, baked apple aromas, lifted, pure, fine Riesling. Very, very sweet, almost liquorous, like apple puree. But well balanced acidity, hugely impressive.
Degrassi 2009 Muškat Bijeli San Pellegrin
Lightly grapey, also a touch soapy. Sweet, some CO2 for freshness, well balanced, but lacking a bit in real grape flavour and verve.
Kozlović 2009 Muškat Momjanski (semi-sweet)
Excellent aromas, reminscent of Muscat blanc a petits grains. Sweet, grapey, floral and bright. Fresh, flavoursome, lovely balance. Not that complex but beautifully done.
Tomić 2006 Prošek Hectorovich
Perfumed and soapy, notes of grapes and orange. Sweet, well balanced acidity, gripping and very fresh. Very good, really zingy – hard to describe the flavours, but it certainly works!
Wines of Croatia Interview with Joe Campanale
Joe Campanale, beverage director and co-owner of three hot New York City restaurants – dell'anima, L'Artusi, and Anfora – recently visited Croatia to attend the Dalmatia Wine Expo and tour some of the country's wine regions.
In a charming and sweetly memorable moment from his trip, Joe sent out this tweet on Twitter: "Ok I'm about to fall asleep in Korčula but this picture of vineyards clinging to a mountain is still on my mind http://t.co/LxEWtsj".
In this exclusive interview, Joe shares some more thoughts and observations about his trip and offers some sage advice for the future of Croatian wines.
1. You just returned from a tour of a few wine regions in Croatia. What are your general impressions of Croatia as a country and as a wine-producing country?
Croatia is country with a ton of stunning natural beauty, like the electric-blue Adriatic coast, breathtakingly steep vineyard sites, endless islands and incredible mountain peaks. It is fascinating to see a country as a relatively new quality wine producing country trying to find its way, sometimes with great success. I think the quality is only going to improve as the vines get older and as winemakers become more experienced and share information with other producers.
2. Was there anything that surprised you? Disappointed you? Blew you away?
I was surprised by the extreme beauty. It was really one of the most stunning places I've ever been, and I was not expecting that. I was blown away by the sheer steepness of some of the vineyards, especially in Dalmatia. It is heroic to work them.
I was also surprised by the truffles! Croatia is one of the few places that truffles grow in the world and they were incredibly delicious.
I was disappointed to see a lot of Plavac Mali wines that were unbalanced, too hot and alcoholic, often with 15.5% alcohol or higher and residual sugar.
3. How many of Croatia's different indigenous grapes varieties did you try through the wines you tasted? Any favorites?
We probably tasted 15-20 different grapes. I loved the white grapes Pošip and Grk for their minerality and crisp acidity, though Grk was just a bit more complex. As for red grapes I thought that Terran had the most potential for its structure and food pairing ability.
4. Were there any particular wines that really impressed you? Any "wow" moments?
Miloš 1994 Plavic Mali showed me that Plavic Mali has an incredible ability to age when it's made in a balanced style with alcohol kept in check. Also Miloš is one of the few producers making wine a very traditional, natural way. He holds the wines back until they are ready to drink.
5. You visited Tomac winery and tasted his "Anfora" wine. Wines made in amphora are a particular interest of yours. What did you think of Tomac's version?
I love Tomac's Anfora wines and his entire philosophy. His wines were balanced, nuanced and delicious. They were also unique but not in a way that would turn off people who haven't had them before. I also loved his Pinot Noir.
6. Can you offer a little advice on what Croatian winemakers can do better to compete on the world market, particularly in the US?
I'd say focus on creating wines and flavors that are indicative of Croatia. Embrace your native grapes and create wines that go well with food. Croatia is never going to be able to compete at the lowest end because of cost parameters and there is so much competition for "international-styled" wine. So the only way Croatia can compete is on it's uniqueness of high-quality, balanced wines.
7. Say one thing that American consumers/wine lovers should know about Croatian wines.
Croatia has an immensely diverse amount of grape varieties and terroirs, creating the opportunity for a wide range of wine styles. There are a few very interesting wines now but these wines will continue to improve.
8. How did you like the Croatian restaurants/cuisine? Do you have a favorite dish? Any food and wine pairings that you really liked?
The restaurants were of an extremely high quality. We ate a lot of extremely fresh fish and the local shrimp were especially sweet and soft. One of the fun things that quite a few restaurants did was that they put out a wide variety of olive oils for us to taste with our breads. One restaurant even had 15 local olive oils on the table.
9. Would you like to return to Croatia someday? Where would you go?
Of course! There are a 1,000 islands and I'd like to explore them all but I want to go back to Korčula first.
A Report from the 2011 Zagreb Wine Gourmet Festival – Part 3
Text and photos (unless otherwise noted) Copyright © Cliff Rames
In Part 2 of this 3-part report, we went inside the festival to explore the venue, meet the VIP guests, and hear about the round table workshop. In Part 3, we provide some general observations about the wines, offer some "names to watch out for", and mourn a missed opportunity to leave the festival in style. Živjeli!
[Note: The views presented here are strictly my own and are in no way intended to reflect the views of the festival organizers or its sponsors and partners]
The Wines
Let me begin by saying, two days was not enough time to taste everything, even if it were not for the crowds and the less-than-ideal tasting conditions. Perhaps the organizers would consider extending the festival by one day next year? Just an idea….
Based on what I succeeded in tasting (see special note below), it was clear the quality of Croatian wines continues to rise. While a few of clunkers could be found here and there, a greater number of delicious treasures could be discovered and enjoyed at nearly every table. Overall the wines were well-made, full of character, expressive of a unique terroir, and very drinkable.
It was also great to see so many of the well-established, bigger wineries investing in new winery technology, newly designed packaging, and updated marketing strategies – thereby demonstrating an understanding that they cannot rest on their laurels if they are to survive in the current market environment.Agrokor Vina, a conglomerate that owns several wineries and nearly 1,700 hectares of vineyards, has recently invested heavily in redefining its brands and market presence. The results are now in bottle: many of their brands are very approachable, value-driven, quality wines with attractive packages offered at affordable prices. This could easily propel Agrokor to the lead as a producer of competitive, value-driven gateway wines, especially for the export market.
Not to be outdone, many of the traditional industry-leaders and well-established wineries have stepped up their games, becoming more active with social media, introducing new wines and labels, and taking steps to ready themselves for the international market.
These key players include: Krauthaker (the man who put premium Graševina on the map and whose TBA Graševina landed a much-celebrated place on the wine list of Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck in London)….
Feravino (their new "Dika" and "Miraz" Graševina labels are very approachable and tasty); and Kozlovic (his 2009 Malvazija was the stand-out favorite of Decanter's Sarah Kemp)…
Matosevic (watch out for his new "Grimalda" wines, a red "Super Istrian" blend and a white Malvazija/Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc blend); Kutjevacki Podrum (their "De Gotho Aureus" 2009 Chardonnay just took the silver medal at the 2011 Chardonnay Du Monde competition in France)….
Then there's: Bura-Mokalo (this dynamic duo of a brother/sister winemaking team are the early pioneers of "cult" Plavac Mali wines; watch out for a new Zinfandel release this year); BIBICh (his new limestone "kamenica"-fermented, long-macerated Debit may take the orange wine category to new heights)….
Caric (produces a lovely, fresh, seafood-friendly white from Bogdanuša, an indigenous variety native to Hvar island; also produces an interesting Beaujolais-style young Plavac Mali called "Novello"; just introduced some very cool new labels too!); and Zlatan Otok (their first-ever commercial production of Crljenak Kašelanski has been scoring very well and is making history as the first-ever commercial production of the "original Zinfandel").
Even more exciting was to see a new generation of rising-star winemakers who are truly making names for themselves with wines that are clean, well-made, expressive of place, and cleverly and attractively packaged.
Names that come to mind as examples in this category are: Dimitri Brečević (his "Piquentum" Teran and Malvazija wines from Istria are generating a lot of excitement); and Benvenuti (making some very impressive sweet wines from Malvazija Istriana and Muscat of Momjan under the "San Salvatore" label).
Then there's: Marko Gerzinic (noted for his beautiful stainless-steel fermented Teran and consistently good Malvazija); Franco Radovan (his young Malvazija wine is incredibly pure and fresh; cute label too!)…
Bruno Trapan (with cigar in hand, this young upstart winemaker has rocked the domestic wine scene with a number of recent awards and high scores, especially for his macerated and mature Malvazija wine, "Uroboros"; he recently opened a brand new winery and tasting room in the style of a train depot, called "Wine Station Trapan")….
Watch out for the "other" white wine of Korčula island (more commonly known for the Pošip grape), made from the indigenous Grk variety (producers Cebalo and Bire are pioneers of Grk wine and are working hard to revive interest in the grape and the quality of the wines); and Grabovac (one of the only producers of sparkling wine in the Dalmatia region, Grabovac is noted for their unique wines made from Kujundžuša and Trnjak – two obscure native grape varieties from the Dalmatian hinterland).
Other names to watch out for: Roxanich (a winery with a rockin' name, owner Mladen Rožanić is considered the father of the "Super Istrian" red blend; he also makes a wonderful extended skin maceration, wood-aged "Antica" Malvazija that is almost an orange wine;); Moreno Coronica (his '07 "Gran Teran" is a profound expression of Istria's native son red grape); Velimir Korak (making elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the cool Plešivica region); Boris Drenški "Bodren" (for award-winning TBA and ice wines)…
Giorgio Clai (an organic/biodynamic winemaker who produces somewhat inconsistent yet fascinating, terroir-driven wines); Moreno DeGrassi (his "Terre Bianche" blend of Malvazija, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier was the fan favorite at the Gala Dinner).
More names to watch: Leo Gracin ("the Professor"; a consultant and winemaking pioneer of the indigenous Babić red variety of northern Dalmatia; his 2008 vintage was another favorite of Decanter's Sarah Kemp); Frano Milos (long considered a "traditionalist" among Plavac Mali producers, the increasing involvement of his very attractive, twenty-something son and daughter in his marketing and social media activities has injected new energy into his brand; his "Stagnum" Plavac Mali is a cult favorite)….
Luka Krajančić (his Pošip "Intrada" and "Sur Lie" is taking the native Pošip white grape from Korčula island to a whole new level; world class juice!)….
Finally, there's Saints Hills , whose "Nevina" and "Dingač" wines are well on their way to achieving cult status (Ernest Tolj's winery now stands poised to release a new and exciting Plavac Mali rosé this spring, "St. Heels" with a sexy, craftily cheeky and irreverent label depicting a pair of women's high heel shoes. We also eagerly await the first-ever vintage [2010] Plavac Mali wine from the new "St. Roko" vineyard at Komarna).
[Special Note: To all the winemakers I didn't meet, I'm sorry! It was impossible to make it to every table, and my selection of who to visit was completely random, subject to the surges of the crowd, and dependent upon how much time I had between meetings in the café. I didn't mean to miss this opportunity to meet you and taste your wines. For what it's worth, I am very aware of whom I missed, and I hope to one day have another chance to visit you and taste your wines.]
The Food
Okay, how can I put this diplomatically….? I spent most of the time at ZWGF starving.
Starving is an odd way to pass the time at a festival that touts the word "gourmet" in its title. The fact is, there was very little to eat, at least I couldn't find much. Yes, there were the 16 food vendors with their tooth-pick-harpooned nibbles and bites, and the 15 Kuna sandwiches at the café bar….But it was the "gourmet" part that I needed – and was so sadly missing.
Okay, yes – there was the cooking demonstration tent. A couple of us, lured by the scrumptious aromas coming from within, tried unsuccessfully to grab a plate or two of the gourmet dishes prepared by guest chefs. These small plates were randomly handed out to lucky mouths in the audience (the system for receiving one of these tasty-looking offerings seemed to entail being in the right place at the right time) – but not to us.
Mouths watering and defeated, we went to the information booth to ask about our dining options in the vicinity. The friendly (English-speaking)information desk girl told us to go to the shopping center across the highway, where (we were told) there were surely some fast food places….
Having learned my lesson, the next morning I really filled-up at the breakfast buffet in the Westin Zagreb hotel. For an inclusive hotel breakfast, it was really quite an extensive and satiating spread.
The Slide
It was not until the festival was over that I realized my greatest disappointment of the trip: I had missed "the Slide".
The Slide? Is it an art exhibit? A secret restaurant?
Nope. It's a huge metal tube that corkscrews all the way through the center of the Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, traveling down from the 4th floor to street level. Given the opportunity, a person could slip into the shiny tube and slide all the way down to the bottom, where he/she would be spit out onto the sidewalk outside the museum. The slide looks like this:
Riding that slide down and out would have been the grandest and most memorable exit from any wine festival ever, anywhere, anytime! Period.
Maybe the museum is not such a bad venue after all. Maybe the organizers will decide to hold ZWGF there next year.
The crowds? Who cares! The hunger? Never mind!
A good whirl on that giant silver slide would have made all of those things just a second thought…a pesky inconvenience…the price of greatness!
In fact it should be mandatory. Everyone should be asked to leave the festival on the slide. What a hoot that would be!
In a recent article for Wine Spectator, Matt Kramer wrote that "terroir" is no longer enough to sell wine; most wine regions today hold some claim or another to terroir. What we need more of (writes Kramer) is "narrative". The question then becomes, what "stories" do the wines or wine-producing regions have to tell?
As silly as it may seem, I mention the slide here because (for me) it suddenly became such a wonderful component of Croatia's somewhat quirky and complex wine story – a memorable detail that sets ZWGF apart from many other wine expos and festivals.
Despite a few minor glitches and lessons learned, ZWGF demonstrated that Croatian wine producers are ready and able to join hands with the world of wine and take the plunge into the future. While the journey has just begun, the twisting way forward – if smartly navigated with poise and passion – promises to be a lip-smacking, exhilarating ride.
Istria Scores with Grimalda, Nevina & Uroboros: Part IV of the Neal Martin Report
Editor's Note: With this report, Robert Parker's influential "Wine Advocate" journal has published its first-ever review of a selection of wines from Croatia. The report and subsequent scores were written and posted by Neal Martin of www.wine-journal.com and www.erobertparker.com and are reprinted here with permission.
In Part IV of his report, we present Mr. Martin's reviews and scores (based on a 100-point scale) of wines from the Istria region of northwest Croatia, which Mr. Martin tasted in May 2010. The opinions and reviews contained herein are purely Mr. Martin's work and are subject to copyright and may not be republished elsewhere without permission of the author.
Tasting Notes: Istria
2008 Matosevic Alba Barrique – 86
This Malvasia from Istria has a fine nose with well-integrated oak, notes of fresh green apple and a touch of hazelnut. The palate is ripe with fresh acidity, quite malic on the finish with lime zest and citrus fruit. Simple but well made. Tasted May 2010.
2004 Matosevic Alba Robinia – 82
The Malvasia '04 has slightly lower alcohol comparative to others in the range, with a rounded, rather buttery nose with tropical fruit. The palate has a lively entry, but the middle is disjointed and attenuated towards the finish. Tasted May 2010.
2008 Matosevic Grimalda (White Blend) – 87
The blend being 50% Chardonnay, 25% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Malvasia Istriana, the White Blend has fine definition on the nose with apple-blossom, pear and candle wax. The palate has a ripe entry, lightly spiced with a hint of ginger and watermelon on the clean, crisp finish. In a word: tasty. Tasted May 2010.
2008 Matosevic Grimalda (Red Blend) – 89
A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Teran, this has a lucid ruby hue. The nose is rounded with boysenberry and mulberry fruit, perhaps just lacking a little definition but clean. The palate is spicy on the entry, good fruit concentration with mulberry, briary and a touch of cloves, crisp and caressing on the finish with a tang of lemongrass on the aftertaste. This is a very fine Croatian red. Tasted May 2010.
2008 Saints Hills Nevina – 88
This blend of Chardonnay and Malvasia Istriana has a lovely, open-knit nose with hints of vanilla and white flowers, though there is some oak to be subsumed. The palate has lively green lemon on the entry, but perhaps just a little too oaky in proportion to the fruit (9 months in new French.) I like the fruit here, but would like to see more of it, so I would afford this another 12 months in the cellar. Tasted May 2010.
2009 Saints Hills Nevina – 89
A lovely fresh nose that disguises the 14.5% alcohol well: fine definition with brioche and pear skin. The palate is well balanced with hints of spice and ginger, showing good weight towards the finish with a faint hint of nutmeg on the aftertaste. This is an absorbing, well made Istrian wine that could actually improve with 6-12 months bottle age. Tasted May 2010.
2009 Coronica Malvazija – 80
This lacks freshness on the nose whilst the palate seems a little 'soapy' and far too phenolic. More winemaking than wine. Tasted May 2010.
2007 Coronica Gran Teran – 87
This pure Teran has an attractive nose with bilberry, blackberry, tar and a touch of cloves. Good definition and lift. Supple entry, soft and fleshy but with sufficient tannic structure to maintain balance, plush and very Merlot-like on the finish. Well-crafted. Tasted May 2010.
2008 Matic Malvasia Istriana – 82
There is some under-ripeness on the nose here, dried herbs and undergrowth. It has a soft entry on the palate that is primal and needs more tension. It seems like a case of too rapid ripening and a lack of physiological ripeness. Tasted May 2010.
2008 Benvenuti Malvazija – 82
This has a simple green apple, smoke tinged nose with a touch of kiwi fruit and nettle. The palate has a sharp entry, quite simple and primal with a Sauvignon-like, short, cat's pee finish. Tasted May 2010.
2006 Arman Franc Teran Barrique – 87
This pure Istrian Teran (12.5% alcohol) has a lifted, high-toned nose with blackberry, black olive, iodine and mulberry fruit, good definition if not exactly complex. The palate has ripe, chewy tannins, a touch of pepper on the entry, notes of mulberry, boysenberry and cassis leading to a fleshy finish with a touch of sourness on the back palate. Fine, joyful even. Tasted May 2010.
2007 Roxanich Chardonnay/Milva – 76
Spending 30 months in seasoned French oak, this has a slight honeyed, very yeasty bouquet, quite Rhône-like in style. The palate has an oxidative character, which does not work for me. Very nutty and smoky on the finish. This is a chore to taste. Tasted May 2010.
2007 Roxanich Malvasia Antica – 78
This has a striking dried honey, lanolin, waxy bouquet that lacks definition and subtlety, whilst the palate is very oxidative in style, raw and dry on the finish. Tasted May 2010.
2006 Roxanich Cabernet Sauvignon – 83
The Cabernet '06 has a rather fungal, damp soil-scented nose that needs more freshness and vigour. It seems to have spent far too long in wooden vats (36 months.) Soy-tinged entry, dry tannins, a little disjointed with a tannic finish, I think the Merlot has worked much better for Roxanich in this year. Tasted May 2010.
2006 Roxanich Superistrian Merlot – 88
A blend of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Borgonja (Gamay), this has a clean ripe nose with ripe strawberry, redcurrant and dark cherries, quite Saint Emilion in style. The palate is well balanced with firm tannins, a lot of dry extract, blackberry, boysenberry, clove and a saline touch towards the finish. It needs another couple of years in bottle to mellow, but clean and harmonious. This is the best wine from Roxanich at the moment. Tasted May 2010.
2007 Roxanich Teran Re – 84
From magnum, this has rather muffled, animally nose with traces of black olive, clove and a touch of leather. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins, a touch of pepper on the entry, rather chewy with the fruit subdued on the dark cherry finish. Again: too long in oak. Tasted May 2010.
2009 Kozlovic Malvazija – 88
This has a simple, light, quite yeasty nose with a touch of walnut and dried herbs. Moderate definition. The palate is ripe although a little reductive, leading to an innocuous lemongrass finish. Tasted May 2010.
2009 Kozlovic Santa Lucia – 86
This Malvasia comes in with a walloping 15% alcohol. Yellow flowers on the nose, some warm alcohol denuding freshness with dried mango and tropical fruit developing. Considering the alcohol level, the palate is well balanced but the finish is smudged. Tasted May 2010.
2009 Kozlovic Muscat Polushi (Half-Dry) – 84
This Muscat has a clean fresh nose that is reminiscent of a Gewürztraminer, Tropicana notes developing with time. The palate has a nice clean entry, although is needs a little more acidity to balance that residual sugar on the finish. Tasted May 2010.
2009 Trapan Winery Ponente – 89
This is a very fine Croatian Malvasia with a lovely waxy nose: dried flowers and thyme, nice definition. The palate has a rounded entry, with touches of ginger and apricot, good weight with hints of walnut on the pleasantly oxidative finish. Interesting. Tasted May 2010.
2008 Trapan Winery Uroboros – 90
Another excellent wine from this Istrian producer, light and floral on the well defined nose: green apple, white flowers, watermelon and a touch of apricot. The palate has a ripe entry, lovely balanced and poise with well judged acidity on the finish. This is a sophisticated, very well-crafted Croatian wine from Bruno Trapan. One to watch! Tasted May 2010.
2009 Trapan Winery Rubi (Rose) – 87
A crisp, lively rose from Trapan from Syrah grapes. Nice lift on the nose, animated and zesty on the palate with subtle strawberry and red cherry notes on the finish. Fine. Tasted May 2010.
2008 Trapan Winery Syrah – 87
This is over-extracted and slightly volatile on the gamey nose: cooked meats, soy and black bean sauce. The palate was very peppery on the entry, firm tannins, black cherries, boysenberry and a touch of soy, nice delineation on the fleshy, Gigondas-like finish. Fine. Tasted May 2010.
2008 Festigia Merlot – 88
This has a fine, vibrant nose of redcurrant, strawberry, spices, a touch of hickory and cooked meats. Good definition. The palate is fleshy and rounded, fine acidity, lighter tannins than its peers, but nicely poised with a fresh, caressing finish. Lovely. Tasted May 2010.
2008 Festigia Cabernet Sauvignon – 86
This has a lovely, savoury, espresso and dried herb tinged nose with good delineation and vigour. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, black pepper and mulberry, fanning out towards a smoky, peppery, animally finish. Fine. Tasted May 2010.
2007 Istravino Dajla Teran – 86
This is a little reductive on the nose: tarry black fruits, a touch of Wellington boot and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannins, a nice gamey element coming towards the finish with wild strawberry and mulberry caressing the mouth. Well made, if just lacking persistency. Tasted May 2010.
2007 Istravino Dajla Malvasia – 83
The nose is well defined with apple-blossom, kiwi fruit and nettle with good definition, but the palate is very simply, quite peachy but lacking definition on the smudged finish. Tasted May 2010.
P.S. from Editor: In Part V, we will present Mr. Martin's notes and scores for wines from the Dalmatia region.
Robert Parker's "Wine Advocate" Reviews Croatian Wines – Part I
Editor's Note: With this report, Robert Parker's influencial "Wine Advocate" journal has published its first-ever review of a selection of wines from Croatia. The report and subsequent scores were written and posted by Neal Martin of www.wine-journal.com and www.erobertparker.com and are reprinted here with permission.
The Wines of Croatia: An Introduction
Apart from a debauched weekend in Prague with vague memories of an absinthe bar and a school-friend's wedding in Ljubljana when the nuptial solemnity was ruined by a flotilla of Slovenian 'Gay Pride' floats manned by hirsute men in latex sailor suits congregating directly outside the church, I have very little experience of Eastern Europe. The nearest I have ventured to Croatia is a highly enjoyable soiree hosted by eRP Forumite Leo Frokic in Westchester last June and even then I collapsed on his kid's bunk bed with acute jetlag.
Eastern Europe has been ill served by Wine-Journal and one could argue, ill served by wine journalists in general (with one or two notable exceptions.) Let's not turn a blind eye to the fact that it has not been easy to shake off the tag of a 'poor man's' wine, the kind of cheap-looking bottles you see languishing on the shelves next to the cat food in corner shops, the unpronounceable, vowel-less names and dodgy-sounding grape varieties. Against a funky sounding New Zealand or Chilean wine with a snazzy eye-catching label, I can understand why they may remain unappealing to conservative consumers. But the revolution in Croatia and other Eastern European countries has been underway since the mid-1990s and perhaps it is time we began to take notice.
I noticed that this month, Mark S. posted a few notes on Bulgarian wines and I posted my own Wine-Journal article on some wonderful Hungarian wine back in January. To further redress this imbalance, I will present two reports from countries: Croatia and later on, Slovenia. My feeling is that the Eastern European countries have the potential to become major international players, as wines improve and as perceptions of a more open-minded generation change. I must stress that these reports take an objective approach to the wines of each country. I read too many fawning, patronizing reports whose objective is to pat the 'underdog' on the back, instead of pointing out where they may be going right but perhaps more importantly, where they might be going wrong.
This first article looks at the wines of Croatia, inspired by a very well organized generic tasting event organized by the Croatian Chamber of Economy at the Inter-Continental Hotel in London back in May 2010. As far as I am aware, the country's wines have not been covered in detail in The Wine Advocate, so in this case, allow me to present a potted history, the basic geography and the main grape varieties.
Croatia's viticultural heritage stretches back over 2,500 years, after the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus commanded vast swathes of land from Germany down to the Danube to be turned over to vineyards. Although there was a short interregnum in regions occupied by the Ottoman Empire, viticulture continued over many centuries with an emphasis on European varietals. After diseases decimated the vines in the 19th century, these varietals tended to be replaced with those from German and Austria, swayed by the ruling Habsburg family.
In the 20th century, the trend was more towards French varieties, although Istrian and Dalmatian varieties survived the ravages of disease and today, sixty indigenous varietals remain, the most important of which I have outlined below. There are presently 33,000-hectares under vine in Croatia, equally split between continental and coastal regions, home to 800 wineries producing wines of controlled origin.
The Croatian wine industry really started to gel and modernize in the so-called "Wine Spring" in the mid-1990s, a period that witnessed a new generation of winemakers such as Gianfranco Kozlovic, Andro Tomic and Davor Zdjelarevic enter the limelight.
The coastal region consists of Istria, Hrvatsko primorje and Dalmatia, the latter warmer due to its proximity to the Adriatic and therefore producing generally riper, simpler, more alcoholic wines.
Continental Croatia comprises of four wine regions: Danube Region, Slavonia, Central Croatia and North-Western Croatia. The climate is generally one of cold winters and hot summers. Western regions planted with aromatic varieties such as Muscat and Riesling whilst Eastern regions err towards Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Grasevina, with a strong emphasis on white wines (approximately 90%.) These are extremely broad generalizations and of course, the Croatian viticultural landscape is far more complex than I have described here.
White Grape Varieties
Grasevina – this is most successfully cultivated in the sub-regions of Baranja and Ilok next to the Danube and Kutjevo in central Slavonia. It was rather abused under socialist regimes since it can be a high yielding variety and its synonyms, Welschriesling and Laski Rizling, meant that consumers misconstrued the grape variety to be an inferior Riesling, when it is nothing of the sort. Recently there has been a reassessment of Grasevina, a grape that can produce excellent quality in the right micro-climate and in the hands of a conscientious winemaker. Its wines can be aromatic, green apple and citrus aromas in cooler climes, exotic and floral in warmer.
Malvasia Istriana – recent ampelographical studies have indicated that Malvasia Istriana is only very loosely related to the Mediterranean Malvasias. It is a sweet grape variety whose naturally high yielding nature demands control in the vineyard. It generally produces aromas of nectarine and peach and occasional minerally accents, particularly toward the western coast, whilst southern Istrian Malvasias can be more exotic. Look out for bottles labelled "IQ", an indication of quality and traditional values designated by the Association of Istrian Winegrowers.
Posip – an increasingly popular indigenous variety that is a hybrid of bratkovina and zlatarica from Korcula. It is an adaptable grape variety and whilst most of it is fermented in stainless steel, some is being matured on their lees in barrel.
Chardonnay – widely grown over Croatia, though particularly respected in Slavonia.
(Also Riesling, Zlahtina, Sauvignon Bijeli (Sauvignon Blanc) and Traminac (Gewurztraminer), Debit, Grk (a perfect grape variety for Scrabble players), Skrlet, Vugava and Kujundzusa.
Red Grape Varieties
Plavac Mali – known as the "king of the Croatian red wines" and can be found under "fantasy names" named after geographical origin such as Postup and Ivan Dolac. It is very adaptable to Mediterranean climates and poor soils. It can be prone to over-crop so quality can vary, though generally it produces high alcohol wines up to 16 percent and high levels of residual sugar. It can produce rich, heady aromas of baked fruit and prune.
Babic – this indigenous variety needs a poor soil and can retain the acidity well. It can obtain vegetal notes in its youth and needs to achieve full physiological ripeness and therefore, high alcohol levels. Much is aged in barriques.
Teran – this indigenous variety was more prevalent in the 19th century. It can easily achieve high acidity levels up to 10g/L and tends towards aromas of ripe blackberries with vegetal accents.
(Also Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Frankovka, Pinot Crni (Pinot Noir), Plavina.. Plus we must mention Mr. Zinfandel…Crljenak Kastelanski.)
(To be continued…)
London Calling: Over 200 Wine Professionals Turn Out for Croatia Tasting
Adapted (in English) by Cliff Rames from various media reports, including a Vinistra press release: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10856096/2010-10-14-Predstavljanje%20Wines%20of%20Croatia%20u%20Londonu%20okupilo%20više%20od%20200%20vinskih%20distributera,%20kupaca,%20sommeliera%20i%20medija.pdf
All photos by VinMedia
Spearheaded by Croatian winemakers Ivica Matošević, Ernest Tolj (Saints Hills winery), and Vlado Krauthaker, Wines of Croatia held its first-ever tasting event in London this past Tuesday, October 12, 2010.
The event, attended by more than 200 wine distributors, buyers, sommeliers and journalists, represented the first of many initiatives in a new campaign by individual wineries to promote Croatian wines on the international stage and facilitate the creation of a unified brand concept under the moniker "Wines of Croatia", which will come to symbolize wines of quality, distinction and authenticity.
In addition to the wines of Matošević, Saints Hills, and Krauthaker, various selections from the Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia regions of Croatia were also chosen for representation at the tasting. Included among them were the wines of Agrolaguna, Belje, Kabola, Korta Katarina, Kozlović, Mihalj, Trapan and Zdjelarević wineries.
Seizing upon recent momentum and positive coverage of Croatian wines in the media (including by Robert Parker), the Wines of Croatia event was an opportunity for UK-based distributors and journalists to learn more about the country's wines and network with winemakers and other industry personnel.
The Wines of Croatia team was on hand to tell guests the story of the wines and about the unique assortment of indigenous grapes from which they are made and the beautiful places where they grow. More importantly, the winemakers shared a simple message with those gathered at the event: "Croatia has arrived on the scene. We have something special. Give us a try. We think you will enjoy the discovery".
Judging by the positive comments and smiles, the message seems to have found a receptive audience. Reactions to the wines included expressions of pleasant surprise, thirsty curiosity and enlightened excitement. And everyone seemed to agree on one point: The time has come for Croatia to emerge on the international wine scene and showcase its wines, especially its small batch and family–produced wines, through a well-organized, smart and attractive marketing campaign.
Influential wine journalist, Tara O'Leary, seemed convinced: "Croatia has three very different wine-growing regions with three very different styles of quality wines. All we need is more information in order to activate and engage communication with the public and the wine world, because Croatia is still pretty unknown. On the other hand, events like work well to inform and inspire the wine community. In all these gifts lies the potential of Croatian wines."
During the presentation, guests were also able to meet and speak with Saša Špiranec, one of Croatia's premier wine experts and writers. Mr. Špiranec provided information about many of the indigenous grape varieties that were showcased at the tasting – Babić, Graševina, Malvazija Istriana, Plavac Mali, Pošip, and Teran – and explained how the wines from these grapes each reflected a sense of the place from which they came.
Many of the distributors, wine buyers and sommeliers also expressed an interest to travel to Croatia and provide their clients with a first-hand experience to see for themselves the potential of Croatia's wine regions.
The London presentation was just one a series of international events planned for the coming months, and it is the first formal event that occurred since the establishment in September of an association for small and family wineries under the banner, Wines of Croatia. The primary mission of this association is the promotion of Croatian wines as part of an overall economic and tourism strategy, as well as to highlight the potential of Croatia's wine as an export product.
Similar Wines of Croatia tasting events – scheduled for November – are currently being organized for New York and Chicago.
The Notting Hill tasting differed from the June's "Fine Wine Croatia" tasting in London in that attendees were representatives from wine associations, distributors and buyers, whereas the June tasting focused on wine critics and journalists – who afterwards published some very positive reviews.
Finally, after the day-long tasting, about twenty influential London distributors, sommeliers, and wine buyers gathered at the Notting Hill Brasserie for a formal wine dinner and presentation, organized by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce. The multi-course meal was accompanied by perfectly paired wines from Matošević, Saints Hills and Krauthaker wineries.
From the dinner, Tara O'Leary reported on her blog, Wine Passionista:
"Seared scallops with lobster and prawn tortellini and lemongrass velouté were paired with the Krauthaker Graševina "Mitrovac" 2009, while cep crusted John Dory with a broccoli purée, white beans, pata negra and cep velouté was accompanied by Saint Hills "Nevina" 2009.
The dark spice and tannins of the Matošević "Grimalda" 2009 was perfectly suited to a roast breast of partridge with creamed cabbage, truffle purée and truffle sauce. The youthful Saint Hills Dingač Plavac Mali 2008 stood up well to the succulent slow cooked venison loin with sweet potato purée, confit red cabbage and the valhrona chocolate sauce that made the wine's mocha mannerisms sing! Lastly, the luscious Krauthaker Zelenac IBPB (TBA) 2008 dessert wine captured the essence of the evening when accompanied by the apple tarte tatin with crème fraiche and Calvados sauce."
To read Tara's full report from London, check out her blog here: http://winepassionista.com/?p=788
Next stop on the Wines of Croatia tour: TRU restaurant in Chicago, and the Oak Room in New York. Stay tuned!


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OWENSBORO, Ky. (4/25/13) – Today, members of the Owensboro Police Department Street Crimes Unit, acting jointly with the Kentucky State Police, and Ohio County Sheriff's Department, conducted an investigation concerning the trafficking of anabolic steroids.
During the investigation authorities determined that Wayne B. Williams and his spouse, Tiffany D. Williams, were allegedly involved in the trafficking of steroids in Owensboro.
The McLean County Sheriff's Office was notified as detectives executed a search warrant at their Livermore home. A large amount of steroids were seized during the search, police said.
SurfKY News
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New this year is a Brew To Brew Guy bumper sticker to dress up your vehicle. If your "ride" is drab, this item is a must. They are a screaming deal at $1.00 each. You can get as many as you like at the Packet Pickups
Can You Live Without A B2B Bumper Sticker?
January 13, 2012


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The World Cup started yesterday, so, is anybody watching it?.
I know soccer ain't the most popular sport in the USA (and with good reasons, it can get pretty boring at times), but the world cup is exciting as hell. One bad game and you're out...
So, the question is, who's your favourite to win it all?
I leaning towards Brazil, even if the world cup is hosted in Europe, but there's too much difference in talent level between them and the rest of the teams.
That said, GO SPAIN!!!
World Cup 2006
Talk about any other sports here.
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I picked Argentina to upset Brazil in the final prior to the World Cup.
We'll see...making predictions for this is like making predictions for this year's March Madness...
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I did. They had 5 clear chances in the first half, and made only one, but Angola had a good one finishing that half, so Portugal decided to come out in full defensive mode for the second. That was one of the most boring halfs of the whole world cup.
If you want more than recaps, Fifa puts up free videos of each game in the world cup page:
btw, Australia 3 - Japan 1
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geez US got tortured by czech republic. 3-0? and i thought game 2 of the finals was bad.
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They were losing 1-0 and then scored 3 goals in the last 8 minutes!
migya make the ring fall on ya
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Former UI student accused of robbery sentenced to probation
Takes plea deal, avoids 30-year prison sentence
A former University of Iowa student accused of robbing an Iowa City convenience store with a knife while wearing a ski mask in December 2011 has been sentenced to three years probation.
Jonathan T. Bogaard, 22, originally was charged with first-degree robbery, fourth-degree theft, assault with a weapon and being armed with intent. He could have been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison, but instead received supervised probation as part of a plea deal.
Bogaard pleaded guilty in January to going armed with intent and first-degree theft. All the other charges were dropped. His judgment was a deferred sentence, meaning Bogaard�s record could be cleared of the felony convictions if he stays out of trouble for the duration of his probation.
He also has to pay back his financial obligations within two years, according to online court records.Bogaard was arrested in 2011 on suspicion of robbing the L&M Might Shop, 504 E. Burlington St., on Dec. 14, 2011, while wearing a ski mask and brandishing a knife. He fled the store with cash, according to police.
|Hollande says U.S., France to step up st ...
|Is Black Friday fading to black?
|56 percent of Iowans give Grassley thumb ...


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The hearse carrying David Kime, Jr. pulls up to the drive-through at the Burger King in York, Pa. on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. To honor Kime, who loved fast food, his mourners went to Burger King and each got a 'Whopper Jr.' sandwich. Kime Jr. passed away Jan. 20. (AP Photo/York Daily Record, Jason Plotkin) YORK DISPATCH OUT / AP
- Filed Under
Linda Phiel places a 'Whopper Jr.' sandwich from Burger King on the casket to be buried with her father David Kime, Jr. at Prospect Hill Cemetery in York, Pa. on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Phiel and other mourners went through the drive-through at Burger King and each got the hamburger to honor Kime, Jr. who loved fast food. (AP Photo/York Daily Record, Jason Plotkin) YORK DISPATCH OUT / AP
YORK, Pa. (AP) Mourners at a Pennsylvania fast-food fan's funeral wanted him to have it his way, so they arranged for his hearse and the rest of the procession to make one last drive-thru visit before reaching the cemetery.
David Kime Jr. "lived by his own rules," daughter Linda Phiel said. He considered the lettuce on a burger his version of healthy eating, she said.
To give him a whopper of a send-off Saturday, the funeral procession stopped at a Burger King where each mourner got a sandwich for the road.
Kime got one last burger too, the York Daily Record reported. It was placed atop his flag-draped coffin at the cemetery.
Phiel said the display wasn't a joke, rather a happy way of honoring her father and the things that brought him joy.
"He lived a wonderful life and on his own terms," she said.
Kime, 88, a World War II veteran, died Jan. 20.
Restaurant manager Margaret Hess said she knew his face and his order. She and her crew made 40 burgers for the funeral procession.
"It's nice to know he was a loyal customer up until the end the very end," she said.
Information from: York Daily Record, http://www.ydr.com


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November 25, 2015
Make sure you know where you're voting!
Go to this site, click on Washington Co. Board of Elections, under Departments. Then click on Polling Places. Look up where your precinct is voting this election!
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


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・Map of Japan
・Attraction of Japan
・General Information
・Regional Information
・Model Tour
・Special Interest Tour
・Japan Rail Pass
・Seat-in-Coach Tour
・Online Hotel Booking
・Model Itinerary
・Party Venue
・Visit in Luxury
・Model Itinerary
> Leisure Travel > FIT Package - Japan My Plan
KNT commences sales of the JAPAN MY PLAN, a package product providing tours in Japan to be marketed toward foreigners visiting Japan.
Personal travel for foreign visitors had focused on delivering tailor-made plans, but because such rates were comparatively higher than group travel, the issue arose of how to develop low price products for individuals. To meet this need, KNT has harnessed its acquired sales know-how and resources of domestic package product to newly arrange tours for inbound FIT market in a total of eight destinations popular with foreigners (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Takayama, Kanazawa, Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Hokkaido, and Okinawa). Rates also have been set to compare favorably with those of conventional products, starting at 25,500 yen for a 2 day/1 night Kyoto tour and 37,400 yen for a 3 day/2 night holiday in Takayama.
These products will be marketed through travel agencies around the world which are organizing tours to Japan so as to meet the growing demand for travel to Japan.
Copyright(c)2008. All rights reserved by Kinki Nippon Tourist Co.,Ltd.


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Bringing Lungs to Bloom
Fifty years ago, U-M surgeon Robert Bartlett helped invent a life-saving procedure called Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). Now researchers are using the next-generation of ECMO to give lungs a new life.
In the sub-basement of a building on the U-M's medical campus, 20 people in blue scrubs and white coats crowd into a surgical suite in the U-M's Extracorporeal Life Support Research Laboratory. They are learning how to evaluate lungs for potential transplantation outside the body during a process called ex vivo lung perfusion.
These surgeons and technicians are preparing for a groundbreaking clinical trial at the U-M Health System. Today they are training with animal lungs, but once the study begins, they will be working with human lungs. Called the Novel Lung Trial, it could mean the difference between life and death to thousands of people who need a lung transplant.
The trial is sponsored by XVIVO Perfusion, the Swedish-based manufacturer of a machine called an XVIVO Perfusion System (XPS) and the perfusion solution called STEEN Solution, both used in the study. After surgeons remove lungs and attach them to the machine, the XPS flushes them with STEEN Solution and warms them to normal body temperature, inflates the lungs to their normal size and then tests them to determine if the lungs are healthy enough to transplant. The environment inside the system can allow some damaged lungs to heal themselves, or recondition. The machine's function, though, is to allow physicians to evaluate a lung for transplant.
Ex vivo lung perfusion is a direct descendant of a life-saving procedure called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which was developed by U-M surgeon Robert Bartlett (M.D. 1963) and his colleagues during the 1960s and 1970s to treat children dying from acute respiratory failure. The device, invented by a small group of young surgeons to heal sick lungs inside the body, has evolved into a machine that can give damaged lungs a chance to heal outside the body.
It's the latest in a long line of research advances taking place in the U-M's Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) Research Laboratory. Bartlett, now a professor emeritus of surgery, brought the lab to U-M in 1980 when he joined the Medical School's faculty. Part of the Department of Surgery, the lab has an international reputation for pushing the boundaries of knowledge about artificial organs and organ transplants.
"This laboratory has always been focused on the big clinical problems and what we can do to solve them quickly," says Bartlett, who has an enviable record of 40 consecutive years of NIH research funding. "We can't always do it within five years, but that is always our goal."
Advances in ECLS technology are bringing us closer to what Bartlett says is the field's ultimate goal. It's called organ banking or organ conditioning. The objective is to keep human organs viable and healthy outside the body for several days — much longer than the current limit of a few hours. Once researchers figure out how to do this, Bartlett says ECLS will revolutionize the practice of medicine.
"Not only could we have many more organs available for transplantation, we could have organs that do things — livers that make albumin and clotting factors, bone marrow that makes red blood cells," says Bartlett. "We could take out a liver that's full of cancer, treat it and then return it to the patient. We think all those things could be possible."
Advanced ECLS technology is already being used clinically in Canada and Europe either as a temporary bridge to lung transplant, or to evaluate health of lungs awaiting transplant. Researchers are developing technology to support other organs like hearts, livers and kidneys outside the body, but this work is still in the animal research stage.
Bartlett is not the only U-M physician who is enthusiastic about what ECLS research could mean to thousands of patients on the waiting list for a donor organ and to the doctors who care for them.
"I think that the number of lungs available for transplant will be 50 percent greater five to 10 years from now, because of this technology," says Jeffrey Punch (M.D. 1986, Residency 1992, Fellowship 1994), a U-M professor of surgery and head of the Section of Transplantation at UMHS. "I hope we'll see renewed interest in doing this for livers and kidneys, as well."


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This is the place to post that hilarious irreligious YouTube video, an irreverent, anti-religious cartoon, or other humorous bit of media. Posts that do not reflect an atheist/irreligious theme will be deleted. (Don't make me go Old Testament.)
Members: 2119
Latest Activity: Nov 11
A slightly longer version of the clip that used to be here.
Started by Gary Canup. Last reply by Joseph P Sep 29. 7 Replies 1 Like
Started by Gary Canup. Last reply by The Flying Atheist Sep 27. 6 Replies 4 Likes
Started by Loren Miller. Last reply by Daniel W Sep 27. 10 Replies 5 Likes
Here's what will probably be another controversial comment...
You have all probably heard this one, but it's just so good...
* * *
A priest, a pedophile and a rapist go into a bar.
And then he orders a drink.
Poorly punctuated, too.
I didn't have the same bad-taste reaction. It's just stupid and not funny.
Not quite atheistic but---
Do you know why Santa is so Jolly?
He knows where all the naughty girls live.
Santa goes in a house and this beautiful woman steps out wearing a see thru teddy. She says "Santa can you stay?"
Ho Ho Ho I Gotta go. Got all these toys to deliver don't you know.
She lets the teddy slip off one shoulder and says "Santa are you sure you can't stay?"
Sweating now-Ho Ho Ho I Gotta go. Got all these toys to deliver don't you know.
She lets the whole teddy fall off and seductively says "Santa are you SURE you can't stay.
Hay Hay Hay gotta stay I can't get up the chimney with my dick this way.
Did you here about the strange white stuff falling out of the sky?
It was the second coming of the lord.
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Do you have a lot of domains?
Ready to start making money off them and be in Google search results?
Do you want to build a quick niche site in minutes and let it run itself?
You should check out Adsense Machine and start making money from your domains. Why let your domain sit there doing NOTHING and not generating page rank or getting indexed by Google? It's such a complete waste of your money.
With Adsense Machine youjust select the keyword you want and you will get a site instantly in less than 5 minutes. You can download the trial version and check it out for yourself. That's the easiest way to see how incredibly easy it is. Or go to the site and type in a keyword and see it build the site instantly in less than 2 seconds.
Yes, I want to start making money from my domains.
Download Free Trial


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Your official information source from the .NET Web Development and Tools group at Microsoft.
The public release of Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview is now available and can be downloaded. Please visit Jason Zander's Blog for the download links and overview of the new features.
We have many great features in the preview. We'll discuss some of them in the future blogs. Scott Guthrie has a blog "ASP.NET vNext Series' which links to the detail of many ASP.NET 4.5 features.
Here is a few features included in the Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview:
Here's more resources to help you start coding:
Please note we are shipping some features through Web Platform Installer, such as MVC next and page inspector showed by Scott in BUILD. Please check back on our blog and scottgu's blog for announcement.
Please also note developer preview features may get changed between now and Beta time. Feedbacks are always welcome, you can use asp.net forum to provide feedbacks.
Web Platform and Tools
Getting dizzy at this pace but excited all the same. ;-)
Will it support CSS3 and HTML5?
Andrey, yes, it supports CSS3 and HTML5


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I just found the only pics I actually own of me riding. No one seems to be present when I want pictures taken, even when I don't want any for that matter! Anyways they were taken right before I wrecked myself and had to take time off which means I have been on a horse for about 2 years so that's how old those photos are.
Oxford-my trainer's Grand Prix horse. That photos is actually from last year. I did ride for 2 months.
A friend's pony at my old place, I was leading my yearling at the time.
Those lime polos are fantastic


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Give Now
Singers add words to hardbop classics, plus Son of Mel.
This edition of Afterglow features Madeline Peryoux's new CD Bare Bones, as well as songs from Bill Henderson, Eliane Elias, and a new Frank Sinatra anthology.
This episode of Afterglow looks at some of the best new releases and reissues/historical releases from 2008.


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Classical music concert of selections by soloists, chamber, orchestral. Our classical music host presents the full range of classical music with comments. See our webpage at http://www.musiclassical.com for classical music bios & directories.
The greatest symphonic masterpieces, performed under the masterful direction of Leonard Bernstein. Enjoy the likes of Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Mahler, Copland, and more in glorious 128k stereo. We play the complete recordings.