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This blog is set up as a place for RPM to post his thoughts and memories of Wine Country. Unlike the other blogs, it is not meant as a discussion board - more as a one way feed from him to us.
(copied from tour blog - comments below by RPM)
While this started out as an historical tour, and we will definitely talk about Northern California -- mostly Sonoma and Napa counties -- wine history, not all of the wineries we visit will be historic -- there are many reasons for this: in some cases, BV for example in Napa, it's really a tourist place and we're not in a position to get anything really behind the scenes there that would justify spending your time and money. This despite the fact I think their best wines are still very good, and very good values. I would love to be able to recreate some of my visits there many decades ago, but it's not the same place, and none of the people you'd have wanted to meet are still there or involved. The two most important temples of fine wine in Napa county from the old days, of course, were BV and Inglenook. Surprisingly for those of whose memories of wine begin after 1965, it was Inglenook that was had the highest reputation before Prohibition and the two were pretty much regarded as equals (though each had their partisans) until Inglenook was sold in 1964 to a giant, the winemaker left, and quality declined - sadly through some of the greatest years in the mid-20th century - 1964, 1968 and 1970 - until a renaissance began with the 1973s made by Jon Richburg. BV was sold in 1968 or 1969, but Andre T stayed as winemaker and made some of his best wines in those years.
A small personal aside: in an article I ran across about BV's early history a dozen years ago or more, the author said BV's first recognition for fine wine was the result of Georges de Latour's hiring my great uncle, Antonio Perelli-Minetti, as winemaker. Tony was academically trained as an oenologist in Italy as was his older brother Guilio, who was the winemaker at Swiss Colony in the early years of the 20th century.
woopdedoo wrote:This blog is set up as a place for RPM to post his thoughts and memories of Wine Country. Unlike the other blogs, it is not meant as a discussion board - more as a one way feed from him to us.
sorry, woop, i'm not trying to be difficult, but are you suggesting that if we have questions for rpm about his posts we should post them elsewhere? i would have thought that you would have wanted to model this after Peter's Random Ramblings, ie he posts a piece & we ask him questions about it, but that's just me. please kindly clarify.
themostrighteous wrote:sorry, woop, i'm not trying to be difficult, but are you suggesting that if we have questions for rpm about his posts we should post them elsewhere? i would have thought that you would have wanted to model this after Peter's Random Ramblings, ie he posts a piece & we ask him questions about it, but that's just me. please kindly clarify.
Yes, but keep the questions/discussion strictly on topic.
The Russian River Valley -- where we'll be visiting Iron Horse -- is special to me as a place where I spent quite a bit of time in the Summer growing up. I am very glad we're seeing Iron Horse. I like all of their wines, but I think their sparkling wines are really first rate. And, of course, the Russian River Valley is home to Korbel, one of the real historic pioneers in methode champagnois sparkling wine in California -- founded in 1882 and internationally well-regarded by the turn of the 20th century. When I was growing up, Korbel was really the best California "champagne." They made a true 'natural' champagne with virtually no dosage that was truly magnificent, but was never commercially available. It tasted like it was all -- or almost all -- traditional champagne varietals. What was released in the 1960s and later as Korbel Natural had a more significant dosage (though still drier than all other California, and most French, champagnes at the time) and tasted like there were other grapes in the blend (chenin blanc for sure and perhaps something else, columbard?).
One of my Mother's best friends was the widow of one of the Korbel brothers. Although the Korbels had sold the winery to the Adolf Heck in 1954, Mrs. Korbel could have all the champagne she wanted. When I graduated from high school, she unexpectedly, and generously, sent the champagne for our party!
NB -- the Davies' didn't buy the old Schramsburg property until 1965, and the wines didn't come onto the market until I was almost through college.
What are we doing starting our Historical tour in what we've called "Upper Sonoma County" and the Russian River Valley, when the very first wines made North of San Francisco were made in the Sonoma Valley, at the Mission, in the 1830s?
In part, the reason is idiosyncratic: it was Ed from Pedroncelli who first suggested the Tour, in part it's personal, my family's first involvement in California wine came in the upper part of Sonoma County, as winemakers at Italian Swiss Colony at Asti, and, in part for historical reasons, Sonoma County, from Santa Rosa on up through Asti above Geyserville, was the extremely important in the development of what I'll call "high quality bulk wine".
In the 19th century, and really up until Prohibition, very few wineries anywhere in the world bottled their own wine, let alone bottled it at the winery. Most wine was made, sold and shipped in bulk, in barrels and larger containers. In California, that meant the wines usually went to San Francisco for ageing, blending, finishing and ultimately sale, either locally or, increasingly, back east. Some operations had facilities for ageing, blending and finishing in other cities, especially in New York.
In the last half of the 19th century, upper Sonoma County had a large number of wineries, some well-known like Italian Swiss Colony, Simi, and Fountain Grove, others known only in the trade as suppliers of bulk wine. Names I heard growing up from my Father, Grandfather and Great Uncles, like Frei Brothers, Martini & Prati, Foppiano, Seghesio, Pedroncelli, etc. were the growers and vinters who supplied larger and better known wineries with the wines that were the backbone of many blended wines.
Before Prohibition, probably the most widely planted red grape was Zinfandel, and most of this area – Alexander Valley, Asti, Dry Creek Valley, and the area from Healdsburg South to just North of Santa Rosa, grows excellent Zinfandel, which can be made into powerful, age-worthy fine wines on its own, or can be used to blend with lesser grapes to make "sound commercial wine" that served as the vast majority of the everyday table wines of the pre-Prohibition era.
During Prohibition, the grapes that were in demand were those that shipped well – principally Alicante Bouschet and Carignan, not varieties like Zinfandel, Cabernet and Pinot. While a fair amount of what had been Zinfandel was grafted with these inferior grape varieties, thousands of acres of vines were pulled out and replaced with fruit trees – lots of plums, both for eating fresh and prunes, peaches, apples (especially over towards Sebastopol), etc. When I was growing up in the 1950s and early 1960s, the agricultural growing area between Santa Rosa and Healdsburg was probably 80% fruit trees and less than 20% grapes. And, of course, it was all empty, where it's now built up.
If you know Italian Swiss Colony at all, I'm sure it's for their rather mediocre jug wines and even less palatable "wino" wines that competed with Gallo in the post-Prohibition period. But, before Prohibition, they were a very highly respected winery. I have read that their "Tipo" commanded higher prices in New York restaurants in 1910 than did imported authentic Chianti.
While they did use a lot of Zinfandel, Italian Swiss Colony also planted Sangiovese and some other Chianti varietals to make both the red and white "Tipo Chianti" that won Gold Medals in Italy and France by 1900. The Seghesios, whose winery we're visiting for our tasting lunch on Monday, started out working at the Colony (as it used to be known), then as grape growers for the Colony, and later as makers of bulk wine they sold to the Colony and elsewhere. According to Seghesio's literature, they have a vineyard with very old vines that's an almost classic Chianti field blend – which fits.
Here's another thought: Sonoma County grape fruit has almost always been used primarily for table wine, as opposed to sweet wine. It may seem odd today, but traditionally, consumption of sweet fortified wines has usually greatly exceeded the consumption of table wine – think of all of the historical references to the British drinking Port, Madiera, Sherry, etc. [Not to mention the very great German sweet wines made from very ripe Riesling – another story entirely].
In California, naturally there was high demand for sweet fortified wines, and that was mostly met with grapes from East of San Francisco in the upper San Joaquin Valley – Lodi, Fresno, etc.
After Prohibition, these sweet fortified wines dominated the industry for almost 40 years – it wasn't until about 1968 that production of table wines exceed the production of sweet fortified wines. In fact, if you go into most liquor stores today (other than truly high end stores) you will find substantial sections of California jugs of sweet fortified wines. I don't drink them (well, except some Ficklin or Quaady Port and similar premium wines) and I doubt you do, but someone is buying them!
So, what we're going to be seeing in Upper Sonoma County is a combination of the new and the old: Pedroncelli and Seghesio, wineries run by families who've been in the County for a very long time, and part of the wine industry since the 1880s to 1920s and some newer wineries run by people who've come into the area as part of the 1970's wine boom and after, who are making some outstanding wines from the area's wonderful grapes: Dry Creek, Armida and Iron Horse.
I will talk a bit more about them Sunday night, but each one of these wineries is special: Pedroncelli's wines have always been considered a 'local secret' as both very solid wines that are better than most of their price competitors, especially the cabs, zins, gewürztraminer and that zin rose. Seghesio will be a fabulous lunch and tasting experience. Dry Creek is a winery that has done more (in my view) with Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc than almost anyone – where almost all the Sauvignon Blanc's from Sonoma County used to be excessively grassy to my taste, they made a really dry, fresh tasting wine that is great with seafood. And their reds – Cabernet and Zinfandel – have also been very fine; without slighting the Cabernet, I have always thought they made wonderful Zinfandel, with true Dry Creek character, but rarely as huge as some. (Here one thinks of the short-lived Lytton Springs winery, which made tannic monsters from the Lytton Springs vineyard Zinfandel that Paul Draper at Ridge did such wonderful things with in the '60s and '70s, and has again in more recent years.)
Armida, I don't know well, but the winery was originally started by a guy whose grandparents lived in Healdsburg, and now has other partners/owners who are share a philosophy of small lot wine making and fun. I'm looking forward to visiting Armida.
Iron Horse really takes us over into the Russian River Valley, known since the 19th century for California champagne (sparkling wine these days) and more recently Pinot Noir. Iron Horse was a recent woot winery as well, and needs little introduction. Their sparklers are on my short list of the top 3 in California (they did some wonderful late disgorged sparkling wine a decade or so ago – really excellent!), the Cabernet Franc we all scooped up on woot is super, and I think you'll be impressed with their other wines.
The Russian River Valley -- where we'll be visiting Iron Horse -- is special to me as a place where I spent quite a bit of time in the Summer growing up. I am very glad we're seeing Iron Horse. I like all of their wines, but I think their sparkling wines are really first rate. And, of course, the Russian River Valley is home to Korbel, one of the real historic pioneers in methode champagnois sparkling wine in California -- founded in 1882 and internationally well-regarded by the turn of the 20th century. When I was growing up, Korbel was really the best California "champagne." They made a true 'natural' champagne with virtually no dosage that was truly magnificent, but was never commercially available. It tasted like it was all -- or almost all -- traditional champagne varietals. What was released in the 1960s and later as Korbel Natural had a more significant dosage (though still drier than all other California, and most French, champagnes at the time) and tasted like there were other grapes in the blend (chenin blanc for sure and perhaps something else, columbard?).
One of my Mother's best friends was the widow of one of the Korbel brothers. Although the Korbels had sold the winery to the Adolf Heck in 1954, Mrs. Korbel could have all the champagne she wanted. When I graduated from high school, she unexpectedly, and generously, sent the champagne for our party!
NB -- the Davies' didn't buy the old Schramsburg property until 1965, and the wines didn't come onto the market until I was almost through college.
woopdedoo wrote:
Dry Creek is a winery that has done more (in my view) with Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc than almost anyone – where almost all the Sauvignon Blanc's from Sonoma County used to be excessively grassy to my taste, they made a really dry, fresh tasting wine that is great with seafood.
What a coincidence: just this evening I was enjoying the Dry Creek 2005 Taylor's Vineyard Musqué with my favorite grilled swordfish recipe.
EDIT: Sorry, forgot where I was. Feel free to delete this.
Day Two Musings
We're still in Sonoma County on Tuesday, this time in what's probably the best known Sonoma viticultural area, Sonoma Valley. Stretching, as you can see from the map, from the Napa Sonoma Marsh and the sloughs of San Pablo Bay (a subsidiary of the larger San Francisco Bay) up to the North and North-northwest, it begins as a broad valley framed by large hills (known locally as mountains) on both sides: Sonoma and Bennet Mountains to the West, oriented North-northwest and the Mayacamas Mountains to the East, which separate the Sonoma Valley from the Napa Valley and continue to separate the upper Napa Valley from the upper Sonoma County growing areas. Sonoma Valley narrows as you move up the Valley beyond the town of Sonoma to the Northwest, narrowing most at Glen Ellen, then broadening a bit as it continues until it debouches into the plain of Santa Rosa (though the Sonoma Valley AVA ends a ways beyond Kenwood. The lower part of the Valley includes the Carneros region which lies partly in Sonoma County and partly in Napa County.
The Sonoma Valley, known also as the Valley of the Moon (because that's what the indigenous Coast Miwok's called it), is the home to the oldest vineyards North of San Francisco. The earliest vineyards were planted at Mission Sonoma in the 1820s, undoubtedly mostly the inferior Mission grape. When the Missions were abandoned in the mid-1830's, General Mariano Vallejo – a name you will see everywhere in this part of the world – took over the vineyards and, so was probably the first commercial wine grower in the region. Vallejo had quite a career, both during the Mexican period and after the Americans took over. His home in Sonoma is open to the public. Vallejo's wines won medals at early California State Fairs.
In the mid-to-late 1850's, grapes and wine became important in Sonoma. This is era of the colorful "Count" Agoston Haraszthy. Haraszthy was a colorful Hungarian figure who was called the "Father of California Wine" when I was growing up. He had been commissioned by the California State Legislature to go to Europe and bring back a wide variety of grapevines, which he did. The California Legislature never paid Haraszthy, however, which shows politicians haven't changed much….
We used to think he'd been the first to bring Zinfandel, which we used to think was a Hungarian grape – though we now know that the origin is probably Dalmatia in the Balkans, with the grape as a distinct clone in Puglia (Southeastern Italy on the Adriatic – where my Great-grandfather Giuseppe Perelli-Minetti owned wineries after the Wars of Italian Independence, in which he fought with Garibaldi) towards the end of the 18th century. It was apparently imported to the US in the early 19th century, with cuttings commercially available in the 1830s. It was probably brought to California during the Gold Rush in the 1850s by nurserymen William Robert Prince and Frederick Macondray. It was planted in Napa and Sonoma in the mid-1850s, and Haraszthy was making wine from Zinfandel soon thereafter at his Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma.
Haraszthy was very much better a promoter than businessman, and was not successful with the winery (unlike Jacob Gundlach and Charles Bundschu, see below). His son ran the Buena Vista Winery for a long time, in friendly rivalry with General Vallejo's wines, whose daughter he married.
Sonoma was an important winemaking area in the pre-Prohibition period, but (as we mentioned on Day One Musings) probably mostly for bulk wine shipped to San Francisco and bottled there.
In the late pre-Prohibition period, we also see the name most post-Prohibition wine drinkers would associate with Sonoma: Sebastiani. In fact, Sebastiani was the "big man in town" through Prohibition and well into the 1950s – a huge benefactor of the town, you'll see the name all over town. Old Sam (who died in 1946) and his son August (Gus) was active through 70s, with Young Sam becoming active and leading the charge into the modern era. Sebastiani was transformed itself from a bulk wine producer into the producer of really good jug wines by the early 1960s and, under Gus, began to move into more serious varietal wines from the 60's onward. Their wines have always been on the rustic side, showing their origins as approachable, mostly Zinfandel and basic Cabernet reds, and rather simpler whites, the best being Rieslings of various sorts. Of course, the Sebastianis did make make one absolutely top class wine: Gus' Barbera. Those wines were his pride and joy, and in a great year, like 1970, they were truly great wines. In 1988, at a DC restaurant, I absolutely blew the mind of a confirmed drinker of first and second growth Bordeaux with the 1970 Sebastiani Barbera. He also make some very good Pinot Noir (from vineyards in what we now call the Carneros region, before people understood it much)
Sonoma has also figured heavily in the modern renaissance of California winemaking: the first truly Burgundian-style Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in California was made at Hanzell, in the hills Northwest of town beginning 1957. Hanzell, founded by San Francisco industrialist James Zellerbach (of Crown Zellerbach), is still there (but costs $80 each to visit) making wine under successors that's very expensive and very limited in quantity. (Sometimes it can be very good, but I've always thought it overpriced).
It's hard to imagine, but in 1946, Sonoma had only 5 wineries, and only 9 in the early 1970's, including Sebastiani, Buena Vista and Hanzell, plus Chateau St. Jean (which had a huge reputation for Chardonnay in the '80s) and Kenwood (known for Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon), and lesser lights Grand Cru, Hacienda, ZD and Vineburg Wine Co. Since then, Gundlach-Bundsch has reemerged, and dozens more have been started.
The Wineries We're Visiting
Although the first grapes were grown near the mission in town, and the most historic wineries are closer to town – many grapes were planted in the fields and hills around the town of Sonoma proper, which is nestled up against the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains – we're starting our visit at the Northwest end of the Sonoma Valley with Peter Wellington's Wellington Vineyards, located just beyond Glen Ellen.
Wine.Wooters all know Peter online as SonomaBouliste. He comments on wine extensively and gives very generously of his knowledge and time to all of us, in addition to making excellent wine that has been offered on Wine.Woot. After WineDavid, I can't think of any single individual who has contributed nearly as much to the Wine.Woot community. It will be my first visit to Peter's winery, and I'm certainly looking forward to seeing, hearing and tasting with Peter. We've allowed more time here than at any of the wineries (other than those including food) yesterday, so that Peter can take the time he wants with us, and to give each of us a chance to meet him personally.
The Glen Ellen area is much associated with Jack London and Wolf House. As a child we went to a swim club on Warm Springs Road, and as a young adult I remember fond hours at an ancient, rickety bar in Glen Ellen proper right where Arnold Drive makes a 90° turn.
A little past Glen Ellen towards Sonoma, we come to Little Vineyards Family Winery, where we'll taste, have a catered picnic lunch and see a performance by Rich Little. I'll be honest that the wines are new to me, but I think this will be a really fun place and I'm excited. Some Little wines were offered on Wine.Woot and I understand they were very well received.
Some morning, eh? Different, and a little more leisurely than Monday's tasting marathon, but gives us a chance to catch our breath with a good friend and some fun!
From Little, we'll come down the Valley through the town of Sonoma to the historic Gundlach-Bundschu Winery East of town. The family (Charles Bundschu married founder Jacob Gundlach's eldest daughter in true Horatio Alger fashion) has been in Sonoma since 1858 and has farmed grapes ever since. The winery was in operation by the early 1860s and continued until Prohibition. Carl Bundschu was an important winemaker, and was an early post-Prohibition winemaker at famed Inglenook (which we'll see on Wednesday).
Well, the first shall be last they say, and we've saved the Buena Vista, the first real Sonoma winery for last. Buena Vista has changed hands many times since it was reopened by Frank Bartholomew after World War II. It had been closed sine the tunnels collapsed during the 1906 great earthquake. He rebuilt Buena Vista, replanted the vineyards (except for a couple of old Zinfandel blocks) and restored most of the tunnels, which were hand dug by Chinese laboreres in the 1850s. The ownership has changed a few times since then, and Buena Vista no longer makes wine from grapes grown on the property. Having ridden the wine boom of the late '60s - 80's as a usually OK, but not great, winery, it is now a premium, small production winery specializing in Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In fact, Buena Vista is the largest grower in Carneros now. This should really be fun!
After our last winery of the afternoon, and before we go the dinner at Deuces, we'll have an hour or so to explore the Sonoma Plaza. When I was growing up my Mother was director of the Valley of the Moon Nursery School in Sonoma – for most of the time it was located just off the Plaza behind Mission Sonoma. So, I spent quite a bit of time at the Plaza. It used to have the Town Hall there, the Library, the Bear Flag Monument, and great places around the Plaza, such as the Vella Cheese Company, makers of really good Monterey Jack. The annual Vintage Festivals were always fun when I was a kid – sometimes we'd get some wine, sometimes not (depended who was around), but it was quite the combination of carnival and street fair.
rpm wrote:Day Two Musings
[It's hard to imagine, but in 1946, Sonoma had only 5 wineries, and only 9 in the early 1970's, including Sebastiani, Buena Vista and Hanzell, plus Chateau St. Jean (which had a huge reputation for Chardonnay in the '80s) and Kenwood (known for Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon), and lesser lights Grand Cru, Hacienda, ZD and Vineburg Wine Co. Since then, Gundlach-Bundsch has reemerged, and dozens more have been started.
The Glen Ellen area is much associated with Jack London and Wolf House. As a child we went to a swim club on Warm Springs Road, and as a young adult I remember fond hours at an ancient, rickety bar in Glen Ellen proper right where Arnold Drive makes a 90° turn.
You forgot Valley of the Moon Winery (understandable), located in the great vineyard once owned by Wm. Randolph Hearst.
Morton's Warm Springs Resort is still there, but The Rustic (bar where Jack London hung out) burned down over thirty years ago. There's now our own little, local owned, gourmet grocery store on the site. Glen Ellen's down to only one bar (other than in restaurants) now. The ABC has not been re-issuing or transferring liquor licenses of closed establishments in Sonoma Valley for decades. They have some formula that determined we had way too many drinking establishments per capita. You can go down highway 12 and say "there was a bar there, and one over there, and...".
SonomaBouliste wrote:You forgot Valley of the Moon Winery (understandable), located in the great vineyard once owned by Wm. Randolph Hearst.
Morton's Warm Springs Resort is still there, but The Rustic (bar where Jack London hung out) burned down over thirty years ago. There's now our own little, local owned, gourmet grocery store on the site. Glen Ellen's down to only one bar (other than in restaurants) now. The ABC has not been re-issuing or transferring liquor licenses of closed establishments in Sonoma Valley for decades. They have some formula that determined we had way too many drinking establishments per capita. You can go down highway 12 and say "there was a bar there, and one over there, and...".
Sorry to forget Valley of hte Moon Winery.
I knew The Rustic had burned down, very sad day that... I suppose I should have mentioned Jack London hung out there.
I remember there were bars everywhere in Sonoma Valley in the old days, but I really don't have memories of most of them. The Rustic was memorable!
I'm very much looking forward to meeting you in person, and hoping you'll be joining us a lot.
Napa Valley! For most American wine drinkers since 1960 or so, the Napa Valley has been the only place they consistently associate with top level wines, especially the primary red and white varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. I feel a little guilty that we're only spending one day in the Napa Valley, and all of that within a relatively small part of the heart of the Valley between Rutherford and St. Helena.
If it's any consolation, though, I think we're in the most historically important part of the Napa Valley. This is the land of the famous Rutherford Bench, where some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon in the world has been made, with the characteristic "Rutherford Dust" in the nose. We'll be on both sides of the Valley, along Highway 29 on the West side of the Valley and the Silverado Trail on the East Side of the Valley. The vineyards are everywhere here. It's in this area that you'll find the old Inglenook winery, Beaulieu Vineyards, and many of the other great names and the vineyards that have provided the fruit for great wines since the American Civil War. And, this is the center of the seven or so miles between Oakville, where Mondavi build his new winery in the 1960s, and a mile or so North of St. Helena where the famous old Beringer winery was located. It's within this area that most of the modern American Wine Revolution really took hold with Bob Mondavi, Joe Heitz and so many others. (Stag's Leap is an outlier, further South on the East side of the Valley near Yountville
This is not really Chardonnay country, though there is some here (and some great ones have been from grapes grown here). Most of the Chardonnay these days is grown down in the cooler Carneros Region at the bottom of the Valley.
The very early history of wine in the Napa Valley, like that in Sonoma, predates American ownership of California. George Yount – from whose name we get Yountville in the Valley – planted some Mission vines from cuttings he got from our old friend General Vallejo, to make wine for his own use. The 1850's and the coming of large numbers of Americans brought more people to Napa who had an interest in growing grapes and making wine. Still using Mission grapes, Charles Krug (long an important Napa Valley name, though not under his descendants) came in 1858.The Thompsons, down near Napa, Sam Brannan up at the far end of the Valley near Calistoga and George Crane were early planters of better European grape varieties.
By the 1880's, Napa had begun to develop a reputation for very good wines. The beginning of the "Romance" associated with Napa wine probably comes with Robert Louis Stevenson, who honeymooned near Calistoga and Mt. St.Helena and wrote his famous Silverado Squatters in 1880. I don't think I know anyone in Napa or Sonoma County who doesn't own a copy and profess to love it. This was the period in which Gustave Niebaum built Inglenook, and the Greystone building (long associated with the Christian Brothers, rather latecomers to the Valley towards the end of Prohibition who bought it in 1950) was built. Inglenook, Jacob Schram of Schramburg (known then for still wine, not sparklers), who was mentioned by Stevenson, and the To Kalon Vineyard of Hamilton Crabb achieved high reputations as far away as New York and Europe. By 1891, before Phylloxera swept the Napa Valley, there were 18,000 acres in grapes – most of them wine grapes. It wouldn't be until the 1960s there was as much acreage in grapes in Napa! The nadir was around 3,000 acres in production after Phylloxera's devastation in the 1890s, though there were around 10,000 acres in production just before Prohibition closed the wineries down.
Napa didn't loose nearly as much acreage to Prohibition as neighboring Sonoma County, but the truly tragic loss in Napa was the grafting of substantial amounts of excellent Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Riesling vines with grapes like Alicante Bouschet and Carignan that would ship well. Nonetheless, what was left of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa and its Zinfandel were the best quality red grapes available to the few remaining wineries and the home winemaking and bootleg markets.
It's interesting that Napa did not fare as well as the warmer regions of California during the immediate aftermath of Repeal, because the immediate demand was for sweeter dessert wines – the fortified Ports, Sherries, Muscatels and the like best made from the less expensive – inferior, really – grapes that ripened well (though with low acid) under the hot San Joaquin Valley sun, yielded plenty of fruit per acre, and were easy to grow. There was very limited demand for high quality dry table wine. Many of the independent growers in the Valley sold to bulk wineries – who got their best grapes in Napa to improve their blends – and very few wineries even made an attempt to make serious, high quality varietals.
Of those, four names stand out as what Bob Thompson (probably the best writer on California Wine in the last third of the 20th century) called the "keepers of the flame" of quality wine: our old friends Inglenook, under John Daniels, and Beaulieu Vineyards, under Georges de Latour, and two newer wineries, Louis M. Martini and the revival of Charles Krug by the Mondavis. At least until 1965, if you wanted a serious, truly world class, Cabernet Sauvignon wine from California, those were your only choices. In an ideal world, we'd be visiting all of them, but times change and so have they. BV and Inglenook have been under corporate ownership since the 1960s, Krug suffered greatly when Robert Mondavi left to form his own winery in 1966, and Gallo bought Louis Martini in 2002.
In my personal tasting history, it's the great wines from these four wineries that stand out consistently, year after year. From the now virtually legendary 1941s of Inglenook and Beaulieu, to wonderfully balanced and elegant Martini and rugged Krug wines of the 1950s and early 60s, I cannot remember any of them that were not good. (I think I was lucky in not having many wines from the relatively "off" or bad years – but even as I was selecting my own wines by the late 1960s and picking up cheap bottles of lesser years like 1965 and 1967, these wines were almost always better than anything else. Perhaps the most imortant single figure in Napa, of course, was the great André Tchelistcheff, winemaker at BV from 1938 through the mid-1970s, and a consultant to many others during that time and well after his retirement.
Of course, the 1960s, and the late 1960s especially, ushered in the California Wine Renaissance and dozens of new wineries blossomed in the Napa Valley – some destined to greatness and most to at least something better than mediocrity. The McCreas at Stony Hill, white wine specialists who long made one of the very best Chardonnays in California, a clean wine with little oak, with vines based on cuttings from Wente's pioneering Livermore Valley plantings of Chardonnay. (Wente bottled the first varietal "Pinot Chardonnay" around 1962). The recently passed Bob Mondavi, of course, made some great and a lot of good wine for years, and names like Freemark Abbey, Chapellet, Caymus, Clos du Val should be familiar to many of you.
As we think about Napa wine, I want to talk a bit about blending and vintage dating. The way we're used to buying wine today – by grape varietal or stated blend, and by vintage year – is not the way wine has traditionally been sold. Remember, the notion of bottling at the winery (or chateau in France) is a modern idea, not common before 1950 or so. Most wine was sold and shipped in bulk by wineries, and then bottled by or for various wholesalers or distributors around the country and the world.
I should point out that Inglenook did vintage date at times from the 1880s and made some varietal labeled wines. It was not unheard of to see wines labelled as Cabernet or Riesling, even in the age of generics and names like 'Claret' or 'Burgundy' or 'Hock" or 'Mosel'.
Less common, too, was vintage dating. Especially in a world where crops varied enormously in quality and quantity, but a winemaker had to sell wine every year, it was common for wineries to hold stocks of the best wines made in good years, aging them slowly in large casks, and blending various wines until a desired result was achieved.
This aging and blending process was an important part of the winemakers skill. The idea was to make the wines as consistent as possible. Not to sacrifice quality, but to maintain it at a high standard. At least that's what my great uncles said. A number of wineries had significant stocks of wine as much as 15 years old for blending.
The 1906 great earthquake in San Francisco (which also affected much of Sonoma County and, to a lesser extent, Napa) destroyed millions of gallons of aged wine stored in the city (which was a natural place to age wine because it was (1) close to the consumers and shipping, and (2) cool year round). Some of Italian Swiss Colony's wine reserves were even used to fight the fire after the earthquake when the water mains were out of service! What the earthquake and fire didn't destroy, Prohibition pretty much did.
Almost no one (no one?) emerged from Prohibition in 1933 with any significant stock of aged wine. And the Post-Prohibition tax scheme – in which wineries were taxed every year on their entire inventory – combined with insatiable demand for wine (though sweet at this time) to make it uneconomic for wineries to build up their stocks to pre-Prohibition levels.
I think a description of old style blending, known as "fractional blending" might be interesting. The idea is to match a previous bottling with which you were particularly pleased (or which represents your 'house style'). You start with samples of all the wines you're considering for the blend, of different years, grape varieties, vineyards, even blocs within vineyards. The samples are tasted and from that initial tasting choices are made for further consideration. Those are assembled into sample blends using essentially a scale model of the amount of wine you want to build. That is, you must take samples in proportion to what's available in the wine your considering. If you were making a 30,000 gallon blend, and you had only 1,000 gallons of one of the wines you wanted to use, you could not put more than 1/30th of that wine into the sample blend. It sounds simple, but in practice you could have literally hundreds of samples and several dozen trial blends until you came up with what you wanted.
This could also be a way of making a lot out of a little in the bulk wine trade. I recently came across some of my father's blending cards – index cards and/or slips of paper with proportions of various named 'stock' wines in the inventory to be used as a starting point for assembling various blends – from his brief youthful work as a winemaker in the mid-1930s. They made little sense now, as whatever wines he was assembling from are long gone, and were undoubted blends themselves, but it was fascinating to see how a relatively large number of wines with different characteristics for consumers could be made from a rather smaller group of 'stock wines'.
Well, we've come a long way from talking about Napa premium wine….Time to talk about the wineries a bit. It was hard to decide who to visit in Napa – there are so many wineries that make good wine, so many wineries with some claim to historical importance, and just so so many wineries now! But, I think we're extraordinarily lucky to have been able to arrange the visits we have. I think it would take the better part of two weeks to get a working aquaintance with the wineries in the Napa Valley, and several years to become fluent. The best thing to do is to find a few wineries you really like, buy their wines consistently, and continue to experiment. But, your core collection of ageworthy California Cabernet Sauvignon is going to come from Napa Valley, and you could do a whole lot worse than making the wineries we're seeing the cornerstones of your cellar.
The Wineries We're Visitng
We're starting early in the morning with a visit to my cousin Bill Harrison's winery at the intersection of Zinfandel Lane (always have loved that address) and the Silverado Trail. I think you will all like Bill – he's a down-to-earth guy, a hunter and outdoorsman, with absolutely none of the pretensions that all too often can be found in Napa. Bill's winery is small, making very limited amounts fo really nice Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Bordeaux blend called Rutherford Red, from (mostly, I think) his own grapes. Bill has been in the business since he was a kid (his Mother was Conchita Perelli-Minetti) and knows every aspect. For many years after the family winery was sold almost 30 years ago, Bill has had a mobile bottling business: a state of the art bottling line in a semi-trailer that he brings to small wineries all over California and the Far West to their wines. The first time I actually saw the operation he was bottling Rubicon for Coppola at the old Inglenook property where we're having our tasting. This is the operation we'll be seeing, as described on the Day Three page.
Next is Napa Mumm – Mumm is a great champagne house with some of the greatest marques in the trade. This will be my first visit to the Mumm Napa facility – over the years I've hit most of the important sparking wine houses in Napa and Sonoma many times, from classically French style Schramsburg to German style (a Riesling based cuvee) Hans Kornell (now long gone, but once a contender for the best California sparkling wine with their "Sehr Trocken"), first-French house Chandon and, of course, the old Korbell winery in the Russian River Valley. But, I haven't been to Mumm yet. I've liked their wines, and I'm looking forward to their take on things.
Next is Corison, where I have high expectations from Cathy's wines. She seems to make Cabernet Sauvignon the "old way" – to please herself. Check out the video of her talking about her wines on the winery's website. The way she talks about her wines is very familiar: she talks about many peaks and the different flavors over the life cycle of Cabernet – she uses different terms, but it sounds very much like my own views of the life cycle of California Cabernet Sauvignon. We haven't met before, but I'm very much looking forward to the opportunity to talk with her and taste. The Corison family is an example of the Napa version of a story we've seen in Sonoma County: long time growers who have ventured into winemaking. Make no mistake – this isn't the "public" name like Rubicon, but we are in the stratosphere of truly premium Cabernet here.
After lunch, it's back across the Valley to Frog's Leap, one of the important wineries that began in the 1970s – with a bit of a tongue in cheek and a great sense of humor taking off from the then towering reputation of Warren Winiarski's Stags Leap. There's a personal connection here, but with the younger generation. My daughter Sara, a serious palate in her own right, and Frank Leeds' daughter Lauren were college classmates and are close friends. Sara was in Lauren's wedding at Frog's Leap last Summer. I know they make fine Cabernet Sauvignon, but I have always been most impressed by their Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel. You don't find that much Zinfandel in Napa anymore, but when you do it had better be good! And this is.
Our last winery is Rubicon – Niebaum-Coppola. This is the old Inglenook estate and winery, once the great temple of fine wine. I'm looking forward to seeing what's been done to restore things. My first visits came as a kid when George Deuer was still the winemaker for John Daniels, Jr. – with the old guys – and I remember being sad coming here in the late '60s and early '70s when it was under corporate ownership before Francis Ford Coppola bought it. It's been a long time since I've visited, a decade or more ago when Bill was bottling here.
RPM's Highly Idiosyncratic Annotated Wine Bibliography
There are thousands of books on wine, many of which are even good. I think everyone who is interested in wine as the subject of some study has his or her own favorites, and no two winos would be likely to come up with the same list of wine books he or she considers essential to a wine education. And, perhaps they would not even agree on what a wine education is. I've been reading about wine almost as long as I can remember reading – if only sneaking peeks at things like old Wines and Vines magazines and other things around my grandfather's house in San Francisco. It was always interesting. I wish I had my grandfather's and great grandfather's wine libraries, but they're long gone who knows where. I think Mario has a few things our great grandfather wrote on wine, I only have a few newspaper articles and pamphlets. None of my other cousins own up to having any of it.
So, what is a wine education? From books, I mean – after all, this is all ancillary to the experience of drinking wine! To me, it includes books and articles about tasting and appreciating wine, books and articles about the history of wine, books and articles about making wine, books and articles about viticulture, and books and articles about the business of selling wine.
Of course, for those of us who aren't really in the business, books and articles about wine tasting and appreciation, and perhaps about wine history are our focus. What follows is a short, almost abbreviated (believe me, it is), and highly idiosyncratic, list of books and periodicals on various aspects of wine that I have enjoyed or found useful over the years. Some of the books fit into more than one category, and most of these books are not the current things you'll find touted. It's a bit of a library assembled over more than 40 years, and it encompasses almost every level of knowledge (except the most technical).
Tasting and Appreciation (mostly appreciation, mostly California)
Amerine, Maynard .A. and Singleton, Vernon.: Wine: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: University of California Pess ("UC") 1977. Basic book, dated but still useful. I cut my teeth on the original 1965 edition, but it got lost in a move somewhere along the line.
Muscatine, Doris, Amerine, M.A., Thompson B, eds. The University of California- Sotheby Book of California Wine. Berkeley, CA UC 1984. A wonderful coffee-table-sized collection of articles written for this book by 44 leading authorities. Again, this is not current, but it is indispensible for the serious student in almost every area of a wine education, at least concerning California wine. In preparing my notes I had occasion to revisit this, and am amazed how good it is.
Thompson, Bob. The Pocket Encyclopedia of California Wine. New York. Simon & Schuster 1980, rev. ed. 1985. I like Thompson and think of him as perhaps the best writer on California Wine of the last quarter of the 20th century. I recommend several of his books, as you'll see. This was intended as a companion to the Hugh Johnson pocket book, one of several for many regions of the world published in the '80s, few of which even saw a second edition. It's a pity, because this was quite good in the same way Johnson's book was and is.
Thompson, Bob and Johnson, Hugh. The California Wine Book. New York. William Morrow & Co. 1976. A now-old essential. There is nothing even close to as good as this on the better wines of California from the end of Prohibition through the time of its completion in late 1975. Some history, but, really it's now most useful for a snapshot of the best writers' understanding of the wines as the first real fruits of the Wine Renaissance in California began to mature.
Thompson, Bob. Notes on a California Cellarbook: Reflections on Memorable Wines. New York. Beech Tree Books/William Morrow. 1988. You want tasting notes on California Wines? None better available, though they're limited by the date of publication. While you probably won't get to drink many (any?) of these wines, as you develop your palate and come to know Thompson's style, you can get some idea of how wines you're currently drinking and/or evaluating compare to the wines Bob describes, and their life cycles. Perhaps because I overlap Thompson's tasting period, and because my ideas about the life cycle of traditionally made California Cabernet Sauvignon are consistent with his, I have always found his notes extremely valuable (even when I don't agree) in considering the aging potential of wines. Good notes, from someone you trust – like Thompson for me – are almost an addition to your own taste memory.
Tasting and Appreciation (mostly appreciation, mostly elsewhere)
Coates, Clive. The Wines of Bordeaux. Berkeley. UC. 2004. One of the best books on Bordeaux. Much better than Parker or Peppercorn (whose reputation was tarnished because he did not think highly of the 1982s, but who was really pretty good), this is a book every serious drinker of claret should have.
Coates. Clive. The Wines of Burgundy. Berkeley. UC 2008. The most up to date serious book on Burgundy. If you like Pinot Noir, you should get this and drink deep of his knowledge.
Hanson, Anthony. Burgundy. London. Faber and Faber. 1982. A controversial book at the time, I think Hanson was pretty good.
Johnson, Hugh. Wine. New York. Simon & Schuster. 1966. This is the first American edition. Hugh is one of the best, and one who has appreciated California wine more and longer than many English wine writers. I wouldn't look for this oldie, but I'd get the latest edition of his Wine Companion (2003).
Johnson, Hugh. Pocket Wine Book 2008. London. Mitchell Beazley. 2008. This has been published in annual editions since 1977. It's small and handy, and remarkably useful, though hardly an in-depth book for study. Used to be called the Pocket Encyclopedia of Wine, which was pretty accurate. There's nothing like it that his endured. I get the current one every year (someone always stuffs my Christmas stocking with one…) and have kept most of the old ones, which make an interesting set of references to changing reputations and tastes.
Livingstone-Learmonth, J. and Master, M.C.H., The Wines of the Rhone. London. Faber and Faber. 1983 (rev. ed). This was another in the generally good Faber series on wine published in the late '70s and early '80s.
[There is a newer Livingstone-Learmonth book on Rhone wines that should definitely supplement and probably replace the above, this time with well known importer Kermit Lynch: The Wines of the Northern Rhone. Berkeley. UC. 2005. I don't have this yet, but will probably look into it in the Fall]
Peppercorn, David. Bordeaux. London. Faber and Faber. 1982. Despite Peppercorn's having been dumped by the public for Parker, this is a good book.
Robertson, George. Port. London. Faber and Faber. 1982 (rev. ed). Really very good book on port, perhaps the best of the Faber books on wine.
Sainstsbury, George. Notes on a Cellar-Book. London. Macmillan 1963 (with Andrew Graham preface – originally 1920). This is the grandfather of all great wine writing, and a book that every enophile should own and read this both for the historical background it contains, and the broad and wise education in wine generally you can glean from it. Prof. Saintsbury has generally been acknowledged as one of the greatest writers on wine ever. I dip into it from time to time and always come away glad I did. Saintsbury and Shand (see below) help form the knowledge bridge between the 19th century wines and those of our own day, and are essential to understanding the evolution of wine style – though some of that has to be teased out, I'll admit.
Tasting and Appreciation (mostly formal tasting)
Amerine, Maynard A. and Roessler, Edward B. Wines: Their Sensory Evaluation. New York. W.H. Freeman & Co. revised & enlarged ed. 1983. Better than the original 1976 edition. I've touted this on the forums before. Anyone who tastes seriously should read this book carefully more than once. The first five chapters and the Glossary are not especially technical (though much of the book is). This is truly pioneering work and has advanced the state of the art in being able to describe and talk about wines in a way that is consistent and communicates usable information, not purely subjective descriptions. This book explains the various Davis scorecards and their tasting methods. The ultimate antidote to Parker's descriptions.
Broadbent, Michael. The Complete Guide to Wine Tasting and Wine Cellars. New York. Simon & Schuster 1984. (Revised from his 1968 Wine Tasting and his 1982 Michael Broadbent's Pocket Guide to Wine Tasting.) An English view. This was given to me as a gift, but I found it reasonably useful. I like the illustrations (pictures?) of various selected wines showing color variation in the glass as young and older wines. I've never seen anything like it, and have used it as a teaching tool.
Peynaud, Emile. The Taste of Wine: The Art and Science of Wine Appreciation. New York. J. Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2nd ed.1996 (English translation by Michael Schuster of French original). This is the French counterpart to the Amerine & Roessler, newer, and very good. This volume, too, should be on every serious taster's shelf, and be read more than once.
History of Wine
This encompasses some books that were intended as histories and, more, books that were topical, appreciation books and buying guides at the time they were issued, but are now of only historical interest. I wouldn't run out and buy many of them, but if you seem them in a used bookstore, or in a library, they may well be worth your time to look at. You could also consider some of the books in the appreciation section as historical.
Bancroft Library Oral History Series. I would also highly recommend that those who are interested in the ins and outs of California wine and hearing it from the horses' mouths, as it were, check out the University of California's Bancroft Library Oral History series. We've linked some of them on the RPM Notes page of the website. There are many more. Google "wine oral history", or go to http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/food_wine/ and you will find them. They were recorded beginning in 1969 and continue to the present.
Adams, Leon D. The Wines of America. New York. McGraw-Hill 2nd ed. 1978. Adams was involved in wine from the late 1920s on as a publicist and writer. He knew everyone and everything, almost, at all levels of the business. Involved with the Wine Institute for many years, Adams was in the best position to have the most comprehensive knowledge of the industry and the wines. This book is good on history and the state of play in the 1970s. You should be able to find this used for next to nothing. As good as this is, though, for the historically-minded, Adams' UC Oral history (see the page on RPM Notes on the website) is even better.
Balzar, Robert Lawrence. Wines of California. New York. Harry N. Abrams. 1978. A nice late-70s coffee table book with lots of pictures. Balzar was an important, well-connected and knowledgeable Los Angeles based wine writer in the third quarter of the 20th century. I like it for the picture of great uncle Tony, but it really is a pretty good book.
Chroman, Nathan. The Treasury of American Wines. New York. Crown. 1973. Another large format book by another well known wine writer of the same period as Balzar, with similarly wide contacts. Nice capsules on wineries.
Pinney, Thomas. A History of Wine in America. Berkeley. UC 2007 (2nd edition) 2 volumes. If you're only buying one real wine history book, get this while it's still in print. This is the most comprehensive and complete reference work available.
Shand, P. Morton. A Book of French Wines. New York: Knopf 1928. a bit of a tease for Americans during Prohibition, Shand was a fine and well-regarded wine writer of the first half of the 20th century. This is about French wine, but it's a fun read as a counterpoint to Sainstbury (who was writing at the same time, but much older).
Younger, William. Gods, Men and Wine. Cleveland OH. World 1966 (in association with The Wine and Food Society Ltd.) This is another large format book, not so heavily color illustrated that I'd call it a coffee table book, but very interesting on the mostly European history of wine from ancient times on.
There are a lot of books about home winemaking, and less than technical books on winemaking, but I've never looked at them much. Here's the real stuff:
Amerine, Maynard A. and Joslyn, Maynard A. Table Wines: The Technology of their Production. Berkeley. UC 2nd ed. 1970. (First edition was 1951). The Bible for California winemakers for a very long time, written by the guys at UC (Davis and Berkeley) who were the heart and soul of enology for more than 50 years. It's now, lamentably, a bit out of date.
Boulton, Roger, et. al. Principles and Practices of Winemaking. New York. Springer 1996. A modern Bible of winemaking. I haven't studied this one the way I have spent time with the Amerine and Joslyn. This would probably be the book to get now if you're serious about learning winemaking.
Cruess, W. V., Joslyn, M.A. and Saywell, L.G. Laboratory Examination of Wines and other Fermented Fruit Products. New York. AVI Publishing. 1934 Hopelessly out of date – a ringer from the books my Father used as a winemaker. Cruess was one of the original UC heavyweights.
Ribereau-Gayon, et. al. ed. Handbook of Enology. New York. Wiley. 2006 (2nd ed) 2 volumes. Another modern professional reference.
Novitski, Jospeh and Pavloff, Nick. A Vineyard Year. San Francisco. Chronicle Books. nd. This is for the wine lover, full of interesting text and photos. I think it dates to 1982 or 1983. It's makes a nice read/look. Farming is work, people….
Winkler, A.J., et. al. General Viticulture. Berkeley. UC 2nd ed 1974. Long the standard reference, this is somewhat long in the tooth by now. I don't keep up in this area. We'll have to ask some of the growers we're meeting with for updated references.
In this category, too, I put the various wine atlases, of which by far the best is:
Johnson, Hugh, and Robinson, Janis. The World Atlas of Wine: Completely Revised and Updated. London. Mitchell Beazley. 6th ed 2007. This really is wonderful. I need to get the updated version.
Thanks RPM for the notes! They really did help (especially reading before we got there!)


text:
Located in Hayward & can also meet in Modesto during a weekend.
I'm probably going to hate myself for getting rid of my car, but I want to get something a little bit newer.
Asking $2700 or shoot me a trade offer I'm looking for either a mk1 or mk2 gti, del sol, civic hatchback 92-95, or a crx
This is my daily driver it isn't perfect but it gets me where I need to go without a problem. I've taken it up to San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland without any issues.
It has a 1.6D swap 5 speed manual, unknown mileage but it has never failed on me and always started up on the first try.
It has an extra fuel tank drum in the spare tire well that holds about 10 gallons. I get about 800 miles per full tanks around town.
I have a huge list of maintenance/repairs that I have done to this car and I'm probably forgetting some stuff
Here we go..
New headgasket and head bolts (12 point stretch type)
New timing belt & timing belt tensioner
New crankshaft oil seal
New brake master cylinder and rebuilt brake booster
New front wheel bearing
New control arms and bushings
New heater core
New valve cover gasket
new inner & outer tie rod ends & ball joints
New Pioneer deck and 6.5 inch door speakers
Now the cons
oil leak coming from intermediate shaft pulley
Rear passenger window crank is missing
I cracked a little piece of the exhaust manifold when doing the headgasket so it makes a helicopter hovering sound when you give it more than a 1/4 throttle.
Came with dealer installed a/c but a few lines need to be hooked up and the evaporator was removed
Cracks on the dash

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Data Center
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Why is Cisco John Chambers Oracle OpenWorld Key Note Speaker?
________ Do you know the expected size of the audience at Oracle OpenWorld 2011 in San Francisco , October 2-6.Read More
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Hyper-V Joins the Party
Today, we announced we will be delivering VM networking support for Hyper-V in Microsoft's forthcoming Windows 8. Specifically, we areRead More
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Cisco Innovation Advances Microsoft Windows 8 Server Virtual Networking Opportunities
A guest post by: Appaji Malla, Nexus Product Manager Arnab Basu, UCS Product Manager At last week's MicrosoftRead More
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Multipurpose, Multi-role, Multi-Cisco. The New RTP Datacenter is ready for anything
With the opening of the new Cisco Datacenter in RTP, I thought it would be cool to reach out toRead More
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Part 2 – The Winchester House and the Strategic Imperative for Architectural-led IT Evolution and Transformation
Last week in part 1 of this blog, I used the analogy of the Winchester House to start the discussionRead More
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More VXLAN Q&A
So, the recent VXLAN announcement we made with some of our partners (including VMware, Citrix, and RedHat) certainly generated aRead More


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The hot topic in fantasy land these days is the allure of stacking lineups with a star-studded cast of wide receivers at the expense of other positions. There are for sure some traditionalists who still prefer two bell-cow running backs as the foundation of their rosters, but in an era where passing and receiving statistics are shattering records, their old school approach has some holes.
Both 2012 and 2013 saw 10 receivers top 1,300 yards receiving. That's in comparison to an average of five receivers topping 1,300 per year spanning a ten year range of 2002-2011. And if receivers are crushing, it only makes sense that more quarterbacks are lighting up fantasy scoreboards. Quarterback is a deep position this year, making it critical to find value relative to ADP, especially in competitive leagues such as the Scout Fantasy Football World Championships. Since you are likely loading up on beast receivers or chasing running backs, you may be waiting on quarterbacks. One QB poised to significantly outperform his current QB ADP of 15 and make a run at top 5 output is Jay Cutler.
On the surface, it's easy to be skeptical of ranking Jay Cutler in the top tier of NFL QBs in 2014. While nobody questions his arm strength and ability to make every throw, his career stats are less than exceptional. He has had various injuries, causing him to miss 12 games over the last three years and perhaps more hurtful for fantasy purposes, was knocked out of two additional games in the first half.
Cutler has regularly come across as a prima donna. Remember Cutler berating his offensive lineman J'Marcus Webb in primetime after a sack? How about being a less than ideal teammate when seen sulking on the bench and immersing himself in his iPod after leaving the 2011 NFC Championship game with a knee injury? Factor in the fact that he has battled his fair share of fumbles and interceptions his entire career, and you have the perfect recipe for a player not given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to ADP ranking.
But this is 2014, and the glass is half full, not empty with Cutler. Just on raw 2013 numbers alone, Cutler is a solid play with significant upside. In 2013, Cutler started 11 games, one of which he was replaced in the 2nd quarter by Josh McNown. McNown finished up that game and started five others as Cutler was sidelined with a nasty groin injury. The combined stats of Cutler and McNown were as follows: 373 completions on 579 attempts totaling 4,550 yards, 32 TDs and a passer rating closing in on 100. All of those figures comfortable place the Chicago Bears in the top 10 in every relevant passing category for 2013. Considering that it was Cutler's first year under Marc Trestman's leadership, the opportunity for Cutler to match or exceed 2013's cumulative numbers is there for the taking as he gets more reps.
Trestman and the Bears have proven to be loyal to Cutler. Despite McNown excelling in Cutler's absence, Trestman repeatedly proclaimed Cutler as the starter when healthy; a somewhat unpopular stance amongst Bears fanatics and fantasy fans who enjoyed McNown flourishing as a cheap waiver wire pick up. Cutler immediately regained his starting role when cleared to play only a day after McNown had a 5TD performance in a Monday Night Football shootout victory over the Cowboys. Cutler shook off some rustiness from being sidelined four weeks with an injured ankle and led the Bears to victory in his first game back, and validated Trestman's continued loyalty. The Bears then displayed their greatest evidence of support in Cutler by rewarding him with a seven-year contract at the end of the season. Meanwhile, McNown was signed to a two year contract by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, paving the way for Cutler to lead the Bears offense going forward.
The Bear's impressive aerial attack in 2013 was thanks in part to the new approach up top with Trestman. Trestman's coaching background specialty is quarterback. He served as either quarterback coach or offensive coordinator for Bernie Kosar, Scott Mitchell, Jake Plummer and Rich Gannon during their most successful seasons. While those names may not excite you, the fact that Trestman was able to generate the best performances of their career speaks volumes to why last year's passing figures are more a sign of things to come than a fluke.
The Trestman led Bears finished the 2013 with 445 points, 2nd in the NFL to the Denver Broncos. This was a 14 spot jump compared to the prior year under Lovie Smith. Clearly Bears brass recognized the importance of hiring a leader who emphasizes offense as a head coach; a complete reversal of the traditional approach of a franchise known for dominant defense over many regimes.
Cutler is in a unique position of being the beneficiary of such a change as he goes into year two of Trestman's quarterback friendly system. Both Trestman and offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer have spent time working with Sean Payton, arguably one of the best offensive minds in NFL history. The change in approach is so drastic that it's reasonable to throw out Cutler's statistical averages with the Bears pre Trestman.
His first few years with the Bears were played in a Mike Martz system with limited proven weapons other than Matt Forte and Greg Olsen. Given that Martz's system doesn't utilize tight ends to their maximum potential, Cutler was left with a handful of mediocre receivers to get the job done. Then, in an attempt to reinvent the offense, Martz was fired as offensive coordinator and replaced with Mike Tice; an experiment that lasted one year before the Trestman/Kromer regime started. Under the new regime, an emphasis was placed on protecting the quarterback. In 2013, Cutler and McNown were sacked only a combined 30 times. That compares to Bears quarterbacks being sacked 56, 49 and 44 times 2010 through 2012. A good trend for those fearful of another Cutler injury, and making it less likely we'll see dirty looks coming from Cutler in the direction of those protecting him.
Coaching tree is one thing but it's tough for extraordinary success without a proper supporting cast. No problem for Cutler there. The Bear's have arguably the best three headed monster of weapons in all of football. Brandon Marshall and 3rd year stud Alshon Jeffery are an incredible WR duo, and Matt Forte is a terrific receiving weapon at running back. The Bears have also upgraded depth at the skill positions. Ka'Deem Carey looks to be a significant upgrade to Michael Bush in providing breathers for Forte. Playmaker Marquess Wilson, speedster Chris Williams and veteran Josh Morgan all look to replace Earl Bennett as another option for Cutler. Factor in continued chemistry between Martellus Bennett, who was a reliable weapon in 2013, and you have an offense with no holes and solid depth.
In a league where free agency dominates the league and continuity is not the norm, the Bears offense looks the part of a cohesive unit that can flourish and easily be in the very top tier in all statistical categories. Marshall frequently raves about his chemistry with Cutler and glows when speaking of his partner in crime Jeffery. Forte, Marshall and Jeffery all have success priced into their current ADP. Forte and Marshall are consistently getting drafted in the first round and Jeffery is being grabbed in the 2nd round, and in some cases at the end of first round wrap. Yet Cutler continues to remain on the board well after quarterbacks are taken that have less upside and opportunity. It can be argued that even if Cutler misses a month, as long as you have a serviceable QB replacement, you can weather the storm, particularly if Cutler dominates the stat line when healthy.
A case can be made that the Bears offense will be on the field more in 2014, meaning more opportunities for points. Even though average time of possession was 31:00 minutes in 2013, a small improvement in a horrific run defense will get the defense off the field quicker. You have to be certain the Bears were embarrassed that their defense made Brandon Jacobs look like Jerome Bettis. It has to get better or at the very least, less bad.
One last factor that just serves as icing on the cake. The Bears schedule has the look and feel for one that will have plenty of shootouts. In particular, check out the fantasy playoffs. Assuming Cutler is standing upright deep into the season, Cutler and the Bears face the Cowboys, Saints and Lions weeks 14-16. All three of those games have to potential to have tecmo-bowl like scoring. And if you need to finish strong to make your playoffs, Cutler is still your guy. The Bears face the Bucs and Lions week's 12 and 13. Cutler going for 325 and 3TDs will make that Thanksgiving dinner that much more enjoyable.
Draft Cutler with confidence after the headline QBs get called and reap the benefits and all the fantasy points that come with it.


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Hozier Tears Up The iHeartRadio Daytime Village After Tearing Up The Charts
Photo Credit: Getty
It has been a whirlwind year for 25-year-old Andrew Hozier-Byrne. The Irish-born Hozier's, "Take Me To Church," has become a mainstay on radio, after becoming a huge on hit on Rock radio before crossing over to the Pop airwaves. With a Grammy Nomination for Song of the Year and a performance at the Billboard Music Awards and SNL, Hozier's unique blend of indie blues has clearly struck a chord.
Before his main performance in the MGM Grand Arena, Hozier gave the iHeart Radio Daytime Village crowd a taste of what was to come. In the hot Las Vegas festival, he opened up with, "Jackie and Wilson," a tale of fallen lovers, followed by his bluesy ode to addiction and death, "Angel of Small Death and The Codeine Scene," Hozier proved his entire catalogue of songs are extremely promising.
Only a couple of years ago, Hozier was living in his parent's attic when he composed, "Take Me To Church." He later made a low-budget music video that quickly went viral, with over 80 Million hits. The slow-paced, soulful vocals came as almost a shock to most listeners once hitting American shores. Hozier's incredible voice hides pain, and the song's haunting tone and honesty make the rock gospel the standout song of last year.
Photo Credit: Mariel Tyler
Placed between singer Tori Kelly and R&B star, Trey Songz, Hozier's set was a standout at the 2nd year of the Daytime Village, which features artists across a large variety of music. He held company with fellow rock acts like 70's throwback band, The Struts, and breakout British folk artist, George Ezra. These bands are all part of a new wave of back-to-basics traditional rock and folk music to the mainstream, after the massive rise in popularity of bands like The Black Keys and Mumford & Sons.
A song as big as, "Take Me To Church," has momentum and Hozier is clearly rolling with it. His self-titled debut, "Hozier," has been a huge hit both commercially and critically and has proven he is far more capable than being a one-hit-wonder. His distinct soulful sound has made him an artist to watch out for in the coming years.


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Cadillac Audio, Video and Security Systems Discussion, 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire? in Item Specific Cadillac Discussion; I've searched with negative results... Okay, this is totally frackin' ridiculous! Up until a couple of days ago I've been ...
- 11-19-09 11:13 PM #1Cadillac Owners Connoisseur
- Automobile(s): None
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- Aug 2007
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- Portland, OR
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2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
I've searched with negative results...
Okay, this is totally frackin' ridiculous! Up until a couple of days ago I've been tapping into some of the speaker leads coming from the Bose amp in the trunk to get my remote input. But for some odd reason it's quit working lately and only provides enough voltage to intermittently turn my aftermarket amp on. Additionally, ever since I initially wired it I noticed that every time you open or close or lock or unlock the doors or open the trunk it gives the wiring coming out of the Bose amp a temporary voltage spike that in turn activates my amplifier and THUMPS my sub. But whatever, at least it worked...
But for whatever reason these wires no longer provide enough voltage (around 6 volts tops) to trigger my amp to come on. Again, whatever...I'll just find another wire in the myriad of wires in the trunk that provides 12 volts whenever the stereo is on, right? WRONG!!
I just spent the last two hours with my voltmeter checking EVERY wire and fuse in the trunk and could not find ANY that provided a dedicated circuit for the stereo. Both radio-related fuses in the trunk fuse box provide 12 volts ALL the time, not just when the radio is on.
Seriously? Is there not a single wire in the trunk that only provides a 12 volt source when the stereo is powered up? Am I missing something? Even the main, large red w/ black stripe power wire that goes into the Bose amp has power running to it ALL the time.
Am I going to have to settle for a wire that is powered at all times when the ignition is on? I mean, I guess this is fine assuming I want my amplifier on whenever the car is running regardless of whether I'm listening to music or not. I'm just a little miffed at my inability to find what I was looking for.
Rant done.
If someone knows something I don't, please chime in!
Re: 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
Welcome to the world of Retained Accessory Power. You need to shell out the bucks for a shop manual and select the proper power feed to meet your needs for the location you desire. Improper installation of aftermarket accessories pretty much guarantees you'll throw codes on a Tech 2 when diagnostics are run, so proper connections are a must. That may also explain the other inconsistencies you're experiencing with your stereo during power-up. The good old days of splicing in components are all but over in newer cars, with their integrated electonic systems. Without the schematics and knowledge of how the systems are inter-related, it's easy to break the first tenant of auto DIY: Do no harm. Thumping your sub should have been the first clue that you had issues.
Re: 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
I doubt you'll find the shop manuals in downloadable format, though somebody may be able to scan the info you need and post it for you. Besides the schematics, you need the sections that explain how everything is supposed to work to get the full benefits. The shop manuals are a couple of inches thick and cost about two hours of shop labor. My CTS-V manual is 4" thick and the XLR has (two) 4" thick books. They're totally worth the investment if you plan to do anything yourself on your vehicle. They can be purchased directly from Helm or ordered though you dealer.
Re: 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
I'd have to do some major searching but I'll tell you one thing you are up against.
There are no 'switched 12V wires' for when the radio is on, probably not even anywhere on the car.
Most of our on board electronics get power all the time and are turned on by the "power mode master" module via a data message.
Gone are the days fo a switched input.
The wires on the ignition switch are just inputs to the PMM (whichever module they use on that one) and it sends out messages to wake up all the components of the car.
If I can find time I might look but you'd think I was crazy if I told you how busy I am right now.
Re: 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
I sure appreciate the input you two have given. Even if it doesn't help me find the appropriate wire, it makes me feel better knowing that I'm not stupid and/or crazy (at least as it pertains to this subject that is.)
I guess I'll just have to be happy tapping into a 12 volt wire near the trunk fuse box than comes alive when the ignition is on.
Do either of you know if EVERY wire in the system gets a bump when you open a door or the trunk? It's easy enough for me to check but I thought I'd ask first. I don't like my amp turning off and on all the time.
And here's a really stupid question (if you believe in stupid questions.) Are there any problems I should be concerned with in terms of installing an Optima battery? I feel weird asking this because I know a battery is a battery, but I didn't think I'd be having a conversation about the lack of a remote input wire either!! I haven't checked the physical dimensions yet, but I would really like to stick a yellow top back there because I listen to the stereo quite a bit while I'm parked with the engine off in my garage. I've already had the OEM battery go dead on me once.
Re: 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
The only stupid question is the one never asked.
Like Luke said, with the electronics installed in late model vehicles, times have changed. You have to understand systems integration and digital electronics if you want to get intimate with your electrical system. In the old days to lower a window, you pressed a switch that applied power to a motor (or relay to a motor) and activated the circuit. The CTS-V uses an integrated data buss to send messages, using switch presses as interrupts. When you press the switch to lower the window, a command is placed on the buss. The message is routed to the appropriate door module which applies power to a motor. When the window reaches the high or low limit, a message is sent to the door control module and power to the motor is removed. Your stereo works in a similar way. When the control head is energized, it commands the amp to follow suit. A cabin microphome measures ambient noise levels and adjust's the amp's output to compensate for changing decibel levels by placing a message on the data buss.
Retained Accessory power is applied after the ignition is shut off until a door is opened or the countdown timer reaches zero--this is to protect the battery. You can replace your battery with the appropriate Optima, but the RAP will still de-energize the vehicle's systems as before. You can leave it in ACC or Ignition ON, but you still run the risk of depleting the battery if the built-in self-protection features are bypassed. The newer cars are much more power-hungry and can do some crazy things when the battery voltage gets low.
Today's auto mechanics are multi-disciplined repair technicians and have their hands full keeping abreast of the new technologies that are arriving at a frantic pace in vehicles these days. DIYers are a dying breed. I got sick and tired of taking my XLR in for every little thing that happened, since it's so dependent on it's 23 inter-connected modules. The XLR is the most complex thing I've ever been in (with the exception of love.) I had to buy a Tech 2, but can now diagnose, test and repair just about any electrical or top issue that occurs, though I had to hit the books long and hard to make sense of how the different systems (and two data busses communicate.) Upgrading even a stereo used to be a simple afternoon exercise. Nothing is simple anymore when it comes to cars.
Re: 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
1. Using an optima battery is okay If yours has the battery in the trunk, see what size it is, I haven't messed with those yet. The underhood ones were all 101 on the last variant of the V and installation was a problem because of the top posts, they can hit the hood and caus problems.
2. I might be able to pour over some wiring and find you something but I am not sure what. I am not even sure if the fuse boxes are in the same place on the '09 as I have not messed with any for anything. You could always wire something to 12V and then put a small switch somewhere but I know that would be a pain.
You are not stupid or crazy, these cars are pretty complex as noted.
It took me a lot of study and work to know what I know and I still don't know it all.
Some of our vehicles have over 30 computers on them these days. Before we only had to know basic electricity, now we have to deal with complex computer systems and know how to fix the "network" if something should go wrong.
Don't get me started....
Re: 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
Old thread but why not just tap into the ignition fuse? That's all I had to do in my 2001 Seville for my amp to turn on and off with the car...ACC = amp off, ON = amp on
- 09-10-10 06:46 AM #10Cadillac Owners Member
- Automobile(s): 2008 Cadillac CTS
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
- Posts
- 21
Re: 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
On my 2008 CTS I used a PAC SOEM-T 2-Channel Premium Line-Out Converter with Remote Turn-On Trigger. I did not use the converter feature...just the trigger.
- 08-11-13 03:06 PM #11Cadillac Owners Member
- Automobile(s): 2004 & 2008 Cadillac CTS
- Join Date
- Apr 2012
- Posts
- 8
Re: 2009 CTS-V Remote Amp Turn-On Wire?
I just ran a remote wire to the front fuse block in the engine to the ignition... problem solved. fairly easy to do... didnt have to take any paneling off.
- 09-18-14 09:36 AM #13Cadillac Owners Member
- Automobile(s): 2008 CTS
- Join Date
- Aug 2014
- Age
- 25
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- 3


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A party ain't a a party if Diddy don't run through it. That's why the rapper/music mogul is getting $75,000 for an appearance at a New Jersey club following his New York show. The Diddy Dirty Money "Coming Home" tour arrives in NYC today (April 22) for a gig at the Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom.
Though several venues in New York City refused to pay Mr. Combs his asking fee, Club 4 Sixty 6 in West Orange, New Jersey, has signed an agreement with Diddy to host. As part of the deal, Diddy will get to use a new Bentley continental GT for the evening and will receive a private helicopter ride across the Hudson.
Previous reports claimed that Diddy's hosting price was $45,000. One source told the New York Post, "After the cost was revealed, we were not in the running. We were running away."
(Photo: Shareif Ziyadat/PictureGroup)


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More Musings on Stand Your Ground (SYG). Here are some common positions I envision for both sides of the debate. To read my topic analysis from the beginning, click here.
An interesting report has recently been filed by the Florida Stand Your Ground Task Force, chaired by Senator Chris Smith. The report presents a very good review of the reasoning behind the passage of the Stand Your Ground law in Florida stating:
"In the purported reasoning for passing the law, the legislature stated that the law was passed in order to give "law-abiding people" the right to protect their family and themselves from intruders and attackers without having to worry about criminal or civil penalties before taking action in defense of themselves and others."
It then adds the following:
"But some of the individuals who might be able to claim the protections of the law do not appear to be the types of "law-abiding" individuals the legislature sought to protect."This very nicely summarizes one aspect of the debate, at least as it pertains to the Florida implementation of the law.
(see: http://senatorchrissmith.com/standyourground/finalreport.pdf)
Ambiguous Interpretation
If SYG eliminates the fear of prosecution (and in the case of Florida, fear of being detained by Police) then a threatened citizen need not mull over the decision to use deadly force to defend oneself from a perceived threat. Indeed, in the Supreme Court case of Brown v United States in 1921, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, citing the prior Beard case (see part 1 of this analysis) opined:
"Detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife. Therefore, in this Court at least, it is not a condition of immunity that one in that situation should pause to consider whether a reasonable man might not think it possible to fly with safety or to disable his assailant, rather than to kill him."(see: http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/256/335/case.html)
Clearly, it seems logical to assume the intention of these rulings and laws are to acknowledge the fact that a person in a life threatening situation should not be required to pause and reflect whether other courses of action are available. The threatened person needs to be able act and act immediately.
As I see it, the problem is not in the intention. If a person is in danger of imminent bodily harm including death he should have the right to act. The problem is the ambiguity of the perception of imminence and threat. One may feel threatened when an assailant is in her face, another when the assailant is five yards away. One may feel threated when an intruder is in the house, another when the intruder is standing on the driveway. Which of these constitutes a reasonable interpretation of imminence? The same kind of analysis can be done for threat of death or bodily harm. At what point does an encounter morph into a legitimate fear of death? When the aggressor exposes a weapon or when the aggressor is yelling threatening words? By justifying the use of deadly force in self-defense and impeding prosecutorial review, each individual is more or less free to interpret the law in their own way and then act believing the action is fully in compliance with that interpretation instead of a standard determined by a panel of jurors who's opinion would be in accord with the principle of law examining, "what would a reasonable person do".
Shield For Crime
In some cases it may be possible for SYG laws to be used as a cover for killing someone, either premeditated or in the "heat of the moment". Whereas, prior to the law the burden upon the killer would have been much greater than under a more unrestricted stand your ground law. If I shoot someone in my front yard or in the mall parking lot, all I need do is explain how I sensed imminent threat of bodily harm from the victim. I could claim, the victim had threatened me in the past for example. If I can show I did not provoke attack and had a legal right to both carry the weapon used and be at the location at that time, there is little the police or the prosecutor can do to question my purpose. It would seem, even if there was a known history of trouble between myself and the victim and even if it was publicly known I hated the victim, my claims of self-defense under SYG could potentially protect me from prosecution.
Escalation of Violence
Prior to the implementation of SYG laws, there was a common law expectation one had a duty to retreat, if possible, from a threat. By answering aggression with equal or greater aggression, there is an escalation of hostility that can quickly turn deadly. An interesting paradox arises when the potential victim answers with aggression. Is it possible the escalation of violence creates a justification for the aggressor to feel threatened and so act to defend against the initial victim. In effect, the victim becomes the aggressor and the aggressor becomes the victim. These situations ordinarily create dilemmas for prosecutors even though, often it is deemed that once an aggressor attacks he forfeits his civil liberties and right to self-defense. In any case, the escalation of violence creates additional problems that potentially complicate the ability of justice officials to sort out. Anytime the victim responds aggressively and the initial aggressor answers with even more aggression, the potential for a violent, possibly deadly ending escalates accordingly, when simply running away at the outset could have averted the problems in the first place.
PRO Positions
CON Arguments Misrepresent SYG
The fact of the matter is, any time one claims self-defense, there is a standard of proof that must be upheld. At minimum, the claimant must not have been the aggressor and it must be shown the response was necessary to avert an imminent threat of harm. Throughout this analysis, that mantra has resounded over and over. SYG laws do not remove that burden of proof. They merely say, the potential victim need not consider fleeing before choosing to defend oneself and in fact this right to stand ground has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The CON side of the debate wants to obfuscate the facts and leave that impression that somehow the laws bypass the burden of proofs for the requirement of self-defense. SYG does not do this.
Better to Error on the Side of Safety
The claim is made that SYG makes it easy for persons to get away with murder but that is a presumption not based on facts of law. SYG does not remove the burden of proof and does not eliminate police investigation of each case. SYG laws are designed to allow ordinary, law abiding citizens the right to defend themselves without fear of being drawn into a protracted and expensive trial and questioning of their duties when the conditions for the self-defense claim are clearly met. In those circumstances where the facts are not so clear, where a crime may have been perpetrated by the claimant, it is better to error on the side of safety than force innocent to turn their backs to armed aggressors.
SYG Is a Legitimate Expansion of USSC Rulings
Even if one could cite flaws in the way a particular state legislature chose to implement an SYG statute, it does not mean we should issue a sweeping declaration that such laws are illegitimate. The fact is, the laws are enacted as a response to the need to give law-abiding citizens the freedom to answer threats, as the U.S. Supreme Court has stated "Detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife". SYG laws are a legitimate expansion of the precedent already established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Beard v. United States. There is no duty to retreat when the conditions for a self-defense claim are met.


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Live Eels and Dead Gators Sold At International Wal-Marts
Wal-Mart, with the approval of First Lady Michelle Obama, recently announced it would introduce healthier foods. Store brands will eliminate trans fats and reduce sugar, artificial colors and sodium. This is a positive step.
What many people don't know is that Wal-Mart owns and operates over 4,000 stores in more than 15 different countries and that the foreign places stock their shelves with local goodies not found in the American stores. So while the Wal-Marts here in Miami are loaded with white bread, sugary cereals and canned stews, Beijing locations offer a totally different experience. Here are some food items at International Wal-Marts that you're not likely to find at your neighborhood store anytime soon:
Flickr/David Thiel
Walmart China sells live eels and fish for food. At least you know they're fresh.
Flickr/Flippy Whale
Wal-Mart China has pig feet for sale. What's disturbing is that the feet are out on display for anyone to touch, like we display bananas. Are you supposed to squeeze a pig foot to see if it's ripe
Flickr/Jeff Beam
It's Florida so it's not uncommon to go out to The Everglades and enjoy a boat ride and some gator bites. But when was the last time you saw a whole gator in the fish department at Publix? I'll guess.
Flickr/David Thiel
The last turtle standing. He looks so sad...you would be too if you knew your family were sold to make soup.
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The Art of Journalism
What is journalism, exactly and what makes it journalism? Literally, journalism is the process of gathering information, processing it into something meaningful and informative, and circulating it to the general public through various media platforms. Information gathered and published addresses public affairs and broader forms of expression that would be considered of-interest to a general population.
The term, journalism, can both refer to the method of gathering and inquiring for the information as well the literary style the information is written in.
Traditionally, journalism served the purpose of distributing information based on fact alone. The digital era, however, has altered the role journalism and its distribution to the general public, presenting not only the information within the the source, but perspective and public reaction. The digital era allows for news to appear more instantaneously and reaches a wider audience world wide, allowing viewers to gain access to more angles to the story and gain more perspective, making news more than one-sided.
And Then Came the Weblog
With the emergence and evolution of the world wide web came the introduction and evolution of the weblog and how journalism interacts with the general public.
Weblogs began originally as online diaries, a running account of the personal lives of the writers, including what they were doing, their thoughts on particular matters, and thoughts and reactions on particular of-interest matters in the media. At the time, they weren't known as weblogs, but were personal websites that individuals would express themselves and their interests. Through these online diaries, there was a new power behind people, a voice that could be heard.
Online diaries shifted to news based weblogs, which combined a mixture of the writer's personal life and reactions along with manually updated components of common websites, drawing particular attention to obscure news sources that may not necessary reflect the agenda or spin portrayed in mainstream media. The purpose? Many early weblogs were aimed towards individuals to exchange information on technology, but began including bits of information on their personal lives and news that was either not mainstreamed or of interest. As more people became interested in exchanging media, weblogs started to play a crucial role in the circulation of breaking news, to aid in shaping the story, and spinning the stories to include reaction and perspective.
Published media could be brought into the public light, and even include real time, instant commentary to readers. Weblogs created a greater connection between people and the media.
The early days of weblogs can very much be equated to what social media sites, such as Facebook and Google +, are today. They are social platforms that allow a user to include personal information and components of the media. Generally, the people that the user is connected to have a strong enough common interest to the user to also find interest in that particular bit of information, which means they may share that people in their circle, and so on and so forth.
How Do Weblogs and Journalism Work Together?
With weblogs becoming increasingly popular and with weblogs taking a greater role as a media platform to journalism, the question shifts to inquire how to define journalism in the new digital media world, and where do weblogs fit into this? Do we observe journalism as an art or an act over a profession? If we observe journalism as an art or an act, do the final works merit credibility, or does journalism only count if it was created from a professional journalist, per se? The question has been asked and moderated by Jay Rosen to be addressed and responded to by other bloggers.
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The purpose of the question was originally questioned to view the relationship that weblogs and journalism played together. If you view the role of journalism to be to circulate valued information to the general public, arguably the role of bloggers play a very important role as a media platform. However, given that most bloggers don't get paid for the contributions they make to the distribution of news, can it be argued that a blogger is not professional, therefore should not be merited as a credited source? Observe, however, that "professional" journalists are owned by someone or an entity, where as bloggers are not, which allows information not to be constricted from agenda.
But journalists and the general public are recognizing that blogging is a part of today's media and will play an increasingly important role in the Future of Blogging. Weblogs do more than just discuss matters and distribute news, but have a network following, which cannot be denied as an important role in journalism.
Weblogs: Voice and Interest
With weblogs successfully connecting people, why stop with just the person lives of individuals and circulating journalistic media? The possibilities to connect and give voice or perspective is incredibly broad. Subjects that connect people include:
- Books: Books and passages within them provide the opportunity to strike discussion on culture, history, and society.
- Politics: Politics are not just black and white, and need to be discussed to shape the evolution and progression of society. The more access to political truth, the more informed we become, allowing individuals to make conscious political decisions and change.
- Culture: It is important for active members of society to know and to understand culture to aid in the progression and stabilization of a well ran society.
- Technology: Technology is constantly evolving. Weblogs create a great platform to discuss up and coming technologies, the uses and functions, and the benefits (or lack there of). With so many reviews of web products being shoved in consumers' faces, it becomes difficult to know what resource to trust. Discussing this information on weblogs provide a trusted platform with possibly more accurate information about the product.
- Religion: It is important to understand how religion plays a role in society or in the personal lives of others to be understanding and empathetic.
- Movies: It's not necessarily important to discuss movies, but it is fun. Most of us end up going to movies based on the lure of the trailer and are unsure whether the movie will be good or not, so hearing the discussing plot puts a better perspective on what to expect from your movie experience.
- Issues: In order to make effective and beneficial change in society, issues need to be discussed.
- Philosophy: Almost every action is made following a philosophy. When we understand the philosophy, we understand the action.
Who Runs Weblogs?
There are no rules behind who can or can not run a weblog. With the evolution of technology and the desire to have a voice be heard (if only by a few interested people), the possibilities for anyone to start a weblog is endless.