FAGIOLINI Attractive Main Dining Room Above

212.883.9555
334 Lexington Avenue
(btw 39th and 40th)
New York, NY 10016
Click Here For Website

Private Party Room Above

Fagiolini is the quintessential small, neighborhood Italian restaurant to seek out if you crave a low key experience at affordable prices and without hype and hoopla.

The warm atmosphere downstairs is a long comfortable room with clothed tables, covered with butcher paper, votive candles, and attractive mirrors and colorful posters hung on the walls. Service is a real plus: warm and guiding, but not pushy.  All this and a  delightful menu are a few of the reasons it has become quite a mainstay in the neighborhood. Since 1986, customers have been returning to sample the different Italian dishes that make up the Fagiolini menu.

The restaurant serves only beer and wine from a friendly list with inexpensive wines by the glass or quartino and compatible bottles ranging from $28 to $49. The food-value is as excellent as it is unpretentious and delicious. Everything is homemade and the upstairs room can host a private event for up to 35 people, as it did on the night of our visit. And make no mistake, Fagiolini is discovered and was a packed restaurant on that night as well. So reserve.

Suggestions from the menu include terrific thin crusted pizza (try it with carmelized onions and mushrooms) Fresh Mozzarella, deep-fried or Fried Calamari with marinara or diavolo sauce. Pastas like Angel hair pasta with fresh clams, garlic and virgin oil. (our personal favorite) or  “Little Ears” of pasta with broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, plum tomatoes shine, as do Italian-American favorites such as two versions of lasagna (quite the rage these days) are yummy.

And entrees such as a fine Tuscan Chicken Meatloaf: Served with a wild mushroom sauce & whipped potatoes, veal Marsala or fresh grilled Atlantic salmon are perfect. Save room for a delicious dessert, like cheesecake or tartuffo at FAGIOLINI,
334 Lexington Avenue (btw 39th and 40th) Streets. You’ll like the experience.

Breakfast and Meeting Room Above

All Major Cards
Wi-Fi
Delivery
Take-Out
Reservations
Wine/Beer Only

Prix Fixe Menu  every day from

5:00PM-6:30PM. 

Hours

Mon-Sun 12:00p–10:00p

Area

Murray Hill, Midtown East

Directions

Nearest Transit: Grand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S) 42nd St-5th Ave-6th Ave (7, B, D, F, V)

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Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

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With almost a dozen dining choices on each ship, Crystal Cruises’ most popular daytime gathering spot, The Bistro, is expanding to evening hours.  Reflecting the space’s European-style sidewalk café ambiance, the complimentary menu will offer “small bites,” desserts, and “midnight” snacks, along with premium wines and flavored coffees.  The new nightly café debuts in April on Crystal Symphony and June on Crystal Serenity, shortly after the ships go all-inclusive.

The Bistro has long been a meeting place for cruisers due to its central location and quick, easy access to continental breakfast, fresh fruits, afternoon snacks, and wide selection of teas and coffee drinks, from morning to late afternoon.  Signature Guy Buffet china and Six-Star service remains at night, but gastronomic offerings greatly expand:

· 6-8 pm: Charcuterie of cured meats, prosciuttos, and pâtés, plus international cheeses paired with premium wines and champagne.

· 8-11 pm: Artisanal cheeses, with complementary accompaniments such as truffle honey and fig chutney, plus an assortment of fresh fruits and desserts, including a chocolate fountain and petit fours handmade by onboard pastry chefs, with fine wines, digestifs, and hot drinks.

· 11 pm-12 am: Late-night munchies such as mini-sandwiches, freshly-baked pizzas, quiche, tandoori chicken, and trendy beef “sliders.”

“In traditional Crystal luxury fashion, our evening Bistro brings aboard the elegance and international panache of a European café experience—a central place to meet, people-watch, and enjoy a glass of wine or espresso and a snack,” says Vice President Food and Beverage Operations Toni Neumeister.  “In addition, this expansion really enhances the culinary and social options for guests who spend a full day sightseeing and/or like to mix up their evening dining.”

Casual dining on deck is also offered most evenings with a new Chinese “Comfort Food” menu augmenting choices on Crystal Serenity.

Extraordinary culinary experiences are a hallmark of every Crystal vacation.  The ultra-luxury line’s extensive, innovative choices for gourmandizing include coveted cheese and wine cellars, overseen by on-board, certified cheese and wine sommeliers (Court of Master Sommeliers-certified); fresh, chef-like cocktails served by certified mixologists; gourmet dining options at every meal, whether in the Crystal Dining Room, at afternoon tea, or in Nobu Matsuhisa and Piero Selvaggio’s specialty restaurants; and, starting this spring, all-inclusive premium spirits, fine wines, and champagnes throughout the ship.

Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure

Until February 28, couples can receive $1,000 to $4,000 in “Book Now” Savings on 48 remaining 2012 worldwide itineraries, including 25 seven- to 15-day voyages visiting the Mediterranean from March through December.

For more information and Crystal reservations, contact a travel agent, call 888-799-4625, visit www.crystalcruises.com.

PEDRONCELLI
A Sonoma County Tradition Since 1927
Pedroncelli Winery 1220 Canyon Road Geyserville CA 95441 800-836-3894
service@pedroncelli.com www.pedroncelli.com

We first tasted this wine at the revered Frankie and Johnny’s steak house. It was a perfect steak wine and the best buy on the list for under $50. Delving into its background, we found that it was harvested in late September, the grapes were brought in with optimal ripeness and acidity. The fruit was crushed into stainless steel tanks where frequent pumping-over of the juice during fermentation allowed
the young wine a substantial increase in flavor. The color extracted from the skins turns the wine a very deep purple color.

The wine was aged for sixteen months in American and French oak barrels, one third new oak balanced with seasoned barrels. We blend in 4% Zinfandel to give
a well-rounded fruit profile.

It was opaque purple in the glass. The wine is rich with ripe blackberry,
black pepper and chocolate aromas. It contains very deep and complex
flavors with a lasting finish braced by smooth tannins. It has the
structure to age well over many years, but if you drink it now,  open and decant about 1 hour or more if desired.

At about $17, suggested retail price, it can’t be beat and rates A Major on Wine On Line.

Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure

Technical Information:
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley
Barrel Aging: 16 months in American and French oak
Alcohol: 13.8% pH: 3.60 Total acidity: .630g/100ml
2008
Petite Sirah
Family Vineyards
Dry Creek Valley
Sonoma County

Family Vineyard Sources
This richly flavored grape, long known for its intense characteristics, has
been grown side by side with Zinfandel in Dry Creek Valley for over
100 years. Petite Sirah has been planted on our vineyard since the early
1900s and used in our Zinfandel production as an important part of the
blend. The “Family Vineyard” connection is with Carol Bushnell who is
John and Jim Pedroncelli’s niece; her vineyard has been a source of fruit
since the 1940s. John blended this wine with half the fruit from estate
vineyards and half from the Bushnell vineyard.
Winemaking

Dare we say this is the best P.S. we have ever tasted? Well, let’s leave it at a love affair that is truly unforgettable. The near-black color will blow you away and the room fills with the haunting bouquet (we used the “b” word instead of “nose”, God forgive us) of what is it? The winemaker notes say blueberries, but we got a house of violets.

This is not a wine for quaffing. It craves food and was superb with osso buco, heady cheese, and proved to be a perfect steak wine.

We adored it. A Major on our Wine On Line Rating scale.

http://www.robertbialevineyards.com

Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure

4038 Big Ranch Rd., Napa, CA 94558
Ph 707.257.7555  Fax 707.257.0105
dave@robertbialevineyards.com
2009 ROYAL PUNISHERS
Napa Valley Petite Sirah
ROYAL PUNISHERS: an anagram for the newly discovered parents of what was wrongly thought to be a lowly orphaned grape. Alas, the father is now known to be Syrah, the mother – Peloursin. Rearrange the letters and get Royal Punishers. Noble and refined yet a little brash and in need of some discipline. This tremendous blend of our best lots of several vineyards exemplifies the exciting new wave of Petite Sirah that has captured wine geeks’ full attention.
Vintage Notes: Late bud break, dry moderate summer. Later harvest before fall rains.
Harvest Dates: 9/9 and 9/22/09
Winemaking: The fruit was hand-sorted first in the field then again at the winery. Open-top fermentation and punched down three times per day. Pressed to Burgundian oak – 20% new. Aged 14 months.
Alcohol: 15.7%
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Blueberry, currant liqueur, intense black fruit. Spanking new.
Just 325cases made.

:Morso

ADDRESS:420 East 59th Street

(Between First Avenue and York Avenue)

New York, NY 10022

WEB SITE:www.morso-nyc.com

TELEPHONE:(212) 759-2706

FAX:(212) 759-2709

HOURS:Dinner: 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM, Mon.-Sat.

5:00 PM – 10:00 PM, Sun.

Lunch: 12:00 Noon – 3:00 PM, Mon.-Fri.

Lunch/Brunch: 12:00 Noon – 3:00 PM, Sat.

11:30 AM – 3:30 PM, Sun.

CUISINE:Modern Italian with Mediterranean influences

Taking little bites of inspiration from all over Italy and the mediterranean, Morso represents authentic, contemporary cooking under the masterful direction of acclaimed restaurateur/celebrity-chef  Pino Luongo.Executive chef Tim Ryan, has crafted a menu featuring a unique combination of classic Italian and mediterranean dishes,with a modern flair at Morso, which means morsels or  small bites in Italian

. The design of the restaurant evokes a mid-century modern feel, featuring vibrant poster art, contrasting wood and steel elements, and a light, airy ambiance for an elegantly informal setting in which to eat and entertain. The restaurant also features 16-foot high ceilings, custom-made tables, Italian leather chairs, Chilewich fabric banquettes, slate floors, soft and flattering modern lighting, and colorful wall graphics, all creating a welcoming environment much like a hybrid of a modern trattoria and a more formal ristorante.

There is an impressive 8 foot by 12-foot long custom-made L-shaped bronze bar, located at the front of the restaurant, features a specially curated, predominantly Italian wine list. A variety of wines are available by the glass. In addition, a premier selection of spirits, liquors, after-dinner drinks, dessert wines, imported and draft beers, and specialty cocktails such as Morso (Prosecco, Salerno, April, Blood Orange Juice, and a Splash of Gin) are also available. (The Dinner and Lunch/Brunch Menus are available at the bar, too).

The menu offers dishes available as morso (smaller servings), or tutto (full size). It is cleverly organized by ingredients, so pastas, for example, may be found under salads, eggs, beef and other unexpected areas of the menu. The result is incredible food, cooked with care and precisely seasoned. Start with sensational gorgonzola fritters that literally float right off the plate (below) or the “egg of the day,” in our case, soft boiled with a runny center, breaded in Panko and deep fried, served on a bed of frisse and parchment-crisp bacon.

While spaghetti carbonara that will blow you away and Penne farro flour pasta is lovely, two other pastas are noteworthy for their originality:: Bucatini Pasta with pecorino cheese and black pepper sauce, which may be the best pasta we’ve had in years and a terrific version of Pappardelle, homemade pasta with brisket pot roast, and porcini sauce.

A crackling-skin. moist roast suckling pig, which is a Thursday special, was singularly superb and worth a visit to Morso on its own merits.

Osso buco (above)  that is classically prepared and vies for the best rendition of this Italian masterpiece in town, Don’t miss heavenly spinach dumplings in rabbit and chicken sauce, grilled lamb chops, with eggplant and lamb roll, fresh whole roasted fish of the day and homemade meat lasagna that will make your Italian grandmother swoon. Steak lovers will adore the huge, succulent Bistecca Fiorentina grilled sliced rib eye steak, creamed spinach and mashed potatoes: Absolutely as good as any NY Steak House.

The wine list is short, well select and priced and interesting. A standout is the Super Tuscan Sondraia, 2007 Poggio al Tesoro ($80). Service is warm and professional and don’t miss desserts, which change daily. I can vouch for an incredible flourless chocolate nut cake and the most creamy, delicious Neapolitan cheesecake imaginable.

The vibrant, relaxed space features a semi-private dining area for events and parties as well as an inviting communal table . Morso 420 east 59th street [between first avenue and york avenue] is destined to become one of NY’s hottest restaurant tickets.

Acclaimed Restaurateur/Chef Pino Luongo  collaborates with Executive Chef Tim Ryan, formerly at Picholine and Bouley, to craft a menu featuring a unique combination of classic Italian and Mediterranean dishes, including Pino’s finest signature dishes with a modern flair.

Book your table online. Here is a pace you are going to want to return to again and again. Fortunately we live nearby and could happily dine here on a regular basis. But if you don’t live in the Sutton Place Area, Morso is a worthy destination. Affordable, excellent and run with style and panache by a hands on Pino Luongo, who after all, is a legend in his own right.

.Acclaimed Restaurateur/Chef Pino Luongo  (Below)

-

Click Here To Make A Reservation Now:

Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure

DINING ROOM:

PRIVATE DINING ROOM/

COMMUNAL TABLE:A stylish Private Dining Room, located to the side of the

Main Dining Room, features a unique, hand-painted

communal table that seats 14.

OUTDOOR CAFÉ:A 70 seat outdoor dining terrace with spectacular views

of the Queensborough Bridge and the Roosevelt Island

Cable Cars will be open April 2012 through November

each year.

DESIGNER:Restaurant Design Arts

EXECUTIVE CHEF:Tim Ryan

SOUS CHEF :Scott Burnett

WINE DIRECTOR:Alessandro Bandini

OWNER:Pino Luongo

OPENING DATE:October 2, 2011

TAKE-OUT SERVICE:Yes

CREDIT CARDS:All major cards accepted

PRICE RANGE:Morso (Small Main Dish): $14.00 – $16.00

Tutto (Large Main Dish): $24.00 – $30.00

(Most dishes, categorized by food group, are

available as a morso or tutto.)

DRESS:Casual Elegant

RESERVATIONS:Recommended

SEATING CAPACITY:Dining Room:86

Bar: 8

Private Dining Room/ Communal Table: 14

Outdoor Café: (Will seat 70)

NUMBER OF ROOMS:2

PARTY FACILITIES:With semi-private and private dining areas available,

as well as the whole restaurant if required, Morso

can cater parties large and small for both daytime

and evening events.

Menu & Prices Subject To Change

Current Wine List

The highest ranked cruise ship in the world, according to the 2012 Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships[1] Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ MS EUROPA is offering guests two world-class music festivals in 2012. The “Ocean Sun Festival,” the only classical music festival on the High Seas, will feature internationally acclaimed classical music stars performing on board, as well as exclusive concerts at historical sites ashore. Additionally, the “Stella Maris“ International Vocal Competition will bring together up-and-coming young singers from the most renowned opera houses in the world to perform and compete on board a Middle East and Africa itinerary. These two music cruises are the highlights of a total of nine music cruises aboard the EUROPA in 2012.

Now in its sixth year, the “Ocean Sun Festival” has been compared to the prestigious Festival del Sole in Napa Valley, California and the Tuscan Sun Festival in Italy. For an added dimension to this musical experience, international music critics will offer lectures along the route. On board, “Ocean Sun Festival” guests will experience the breathtaking violinist Janine Jansen, the aspiring pianist Igor Levit and renowned soprano vocalist Marlis Petersen. This musical voyage continues ashore with the soloists joining the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Bergen, Norway. While the classical music concerts are the highlights of this itinerary, the EUROPA will glide through the picturesque Norway fjords, with stops in the charming and multifaceted cities of Bergen and Oslo. This 12-day itinerary from August 12-24, 2012, starts at $6,670 per person/based on double occupancy for a suite.

In cooperation with the prestigious international opera houses, the EUROPA will also be hosting their fourth annual classical music competition at sea, “Stella Maris.”
Under the direction of Canadian tenor Michael Schade, a jury of famous personalities in the classical music field will judge the top talent represented by international opera houses. The distinguishing feature of “Stella Maris” is that the audience determines the winner of the cash prize worth €15,000. This prize, generous compared to others in the world of classical music, is provided by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. The jury will decide on the recipients of the additional prizes, which include: a guest engagement at an international opera house, a concert, and a test recording with Deutsche Grammophon. The competition will occur on board an 18-day Middle Eastern and Africa cruise through the Indian Ocean from November 7-25, 2012, making stops in Dubai, Oman, the Seychelles and Madagascar this November. The itinerary starts at $9,150 per person/based on double occupancy for a suite.

For information on these itineraries visit www.hl-cruises.com or call one of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ sales agencies below.

 Disclosure

In the USA and Canada:
Air Travel Marketing Services, Inc. 1-800-888-0200
Euro Lloyd Travel Group, Inc. 1-800-782-3924
Kartagener Associates, Inc. 1-877-445-7447

About the EUROPA:
The EUROPA is the first “all-suites” cruise ship, with staterooms that are never less than 290 square feet, 80% of them having their own veranda, assuring privacy and relaxation. The EUROPA offers guests the largest space per passenger, as well as one of the highest staff passenger ratios, with 280 staff members for max. 408 guests. New to the EUROPA, Dieter Mueller became the first award-winning chef to open his own gourmet restaurant onboard. He’s personally on board 70 days a year. Also recently launched, the EUROPA’s “Baby Welcome Package” offering baby care products and baby food for passengers traveling with infants. The EUROPA will be visiting over 20 countries in 2012, as part of her international (German/English) itineraries.
[1] According to the 2012 Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships

Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

Napa Vineyard Preservationists Take Zinfandel to “the Next Stage”

Back to the Future.

According to Dave Pramuk, Robert Biale’s co-founder and marketing strategist, “Robert Biale Vineyards is delighted with this project – the most significant planting of Zinfandel in Napa Valley in our modern era. In the pioneering days of California viticulture, Zinfandel was the grape of choice across the state. In Napa Valley, Zinfandel once comprised over 25 percent of the vineyards in the county. Since the Robert Mondavi era and Napa’s marketing switch to French wine grapes in the 1970s, it’s dwindled to a scant two percent of the valley’s vineyards.”

In the story that follows our review, you’ll learn the important facts of this most significant planting:

• Why Biale approached Jan Krupp, Stagecoach Vineyards’ managing partner, about a new and exciting project overlooking the Oakville District of Napa Valley, and just south of prestigious Pritchard Hill.

• “Renegade” Zinfandel planted unabashedly among Napa Valley Cabs, priced into the high hundreds of dollars per bottle, has no such pedigree, a cultish following, and is making history.

• History of the Zinfandel grape on which you may not have yet had a focus, including its Croatian beginnings.

• Stagecoach is a re-creation of a Zinfandel from the pioneer era. Learn its classic vine selection.

• A huge calculating gamble pays off, with two important factors.

• Viticultural terroir, above Napa Valley versus Sonoma.

• What the 2002 and 2004 harvests delivered.

• By 2007, potential was becoming reality.

• New winemaker Steve Hall, takes on the 2008 harvest and gets into a selective picking regime that spells more success.

• And 2009 delivers an uncommon Zinfandel that combines finesse, power, and identity in the same package. For Biale, the ideal wine is the ultimate expression of where it’s from.

We had be impressed with the 2009 Royal Punishers Napa Valley Petite Sirah, which is an outstanding example of what a great winemaker can do with this often misunderstood grape, which managed to keep its intensity, while exuding a definitive Rhone structure. So we were exited to taste a vertical selection of Stagecoach Zinfandel: 07, 08, 09 vintages so that we could get a fairly complete picture of the progress of the vineyard, how it has performed in different  seasons, and ageing characteristics.

Working from youngest to oldest vintage, we were impressed with the remarkable aging potential. While the 2009 was fruity and balanced, it only hinted at what it might evolve into. The 2007 was mature, yet fresh and inviting. A surprising elegance and finesse combined with a generous nose and glorious, lingering finish. The 2008 was a tad closed, but after several hours opened up to display flavors of cherry, black current  and hidden mint.

Food friendly, theses wines are the stuff that California admirers can flaunt with pride. Lovely with steaks, roasts, game, assertive cheeses and grilled salmon.

Inquire at the vineyard for pricing and availability. If you are fortunate enough to fine one on a restaurant wine list, grab it!

Mountain-raised, and making the torturous struggle to slowly ripen grapes, the vines at Stagecoach are producing Zinfandels that would make the Zinfandel forefathers proud, and delight the avid fans of this legacy to America’s viticultural origins.

For more information on Robert Biale, visit www.robertbialevineyards.com.

Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure

Appellation
Napa Valley
Composition
96% Zinfandel
4% Petite Sirah
Alcohol
15.8%
pH
3.72%
Total Acidity
0.64g / 100ml
Barrels
30% New French Oak
70% New American Oak
Cases Produced
308
Release Date
December 11th, 2010
Suggested Retail
$ 40

Vineyard Notes
Stagecoach Vineyard – This Mountainside vineyard is owned
and operated by Dr. Jan Krupp. It sits at the top of Soda Canyon
Road on the Eastern rim of Napa Valley in the Vaca Range at
around 1500 ft. elevation. Boasting fantastic views of the valley
floor, it has an extremely rocky soil with more rocks than soil.
The vine spacing is 4 x8 ft. with a 3 wire vertical trellis system.
Gamble Ranch – This Napa Valley gem of a vineyard is owned
and managed by Tom Gamble.  The Petite Sirah is planted in a
rich Napa Valley Loam and thus requires a split vertical trellis
system to hold down the vigor.  It is located right by the Napa
Valley Grape Vine Wreath Company, and makes extremely dark
colored wines.

Production
The zinfandel grapes had such a brave minerality that it shows
right through the finished wine.  A long cold soak and macro
bin fermentations urged the berry fruit to brightness.  We inoculated this lot with BM 45, BM 4×4, and D80 yeast strains and
then was aged in oak barrels.
Wine maker Comments
Flavors and aromas of dulce de leche and caramel crème lead
the way, followed by rich raspberry, sage, dark chocolate, graphite minerality, and violets.
Awards
91 Points & 2 Puffs – Connoiseurs’ Guide
Gold, Best of Class – 2011 California State Fair Wine Competition

Written by Dave Pramuk of Robert Biale Vineyards. (Dave is one of the founding owners.)

Robert Biale Vineyards

Stagecoach Vineyard, The Biale Block

Napa Vineyard Preservationists Take Zinfandel to “the Next Stage”

Back to the Future.

Robert Biale Vineyards is delighted with this project – the most significant planting of Zinfandel in Napa Valley in our modern era. In the pioneering days of California viticulture, Zinfandel was the grape of choice across the state. In Napa Valley, Zinfandel once comprised over 25 percent of the vineyards in the county. Since the Robert Mondavi era and Napa’s marketing switch to French wine grapes in the 1970’s, it’s dwindled to a scant two percent of the valley’s vineyards.

In 1999, seeing the scarcity of Zinfandel, but an increasing demand for its top quality Zinfandel wines, Biale approached Stagecoach Vineyards’ Managing Partner Jan Krupp about a new project. The proposal was to perpetuate the legacy of Napa Valley Zinfandel, by establishing a new Biale vineyard at a prime site. In this case, it was a sloping ridge overlooking the Oakville District of Napa Valley, and just south of prestigious Pritchard Hill.

Surrounded by a who’s who of elite Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon producers, this little four acres of America’s iconic grape is something of a renegade, if not an outright rebel. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons are priced into the high hundreds of dollars per bottle – collectible trophies that are compared equally to the even more expensive old-world, First Growths of Bordeaux. Zinfandel, an iconoclast, has no such price pedigree and is prized by a cultish clan of devotees, who cherish it for its sheer hedonistic pleasure.

Zinfandel, now known to be one of the world’s oldest wine varieties, is a flavored-packed grape typically evoking wild blackberries, raspberries, and exotic brown and black spices. It’s the spunky California-raised orphan, whose parentage we now know is linked directly to the Dalmatian Coast of the
Adriatic, due to the recent discovery of nine old vines in Croatia – identical to Zinfandel.

There, the variety is called Crljenak Kastelanski (pron. Tsurl-yenik cast-el-anski). Zinfandel, thin-skinned and delicious, arrived on America’s shores as a popular new table grape in the 1830’s; and, migrated west with the Gold Rush, to the warm and sunny Golden State in the 1850s. In ensuing decades, Zinfandel would become the most widely planted grape in California’s thriving wine industry.

Planted on classic, old-fashioned St. George rootstock, and grafted with old vine selections from Aldo’s Vineyard and Dr. Crane’s original ranch, Stagecoach is a re-creation of a Zinfandel from the pioneer era. The modern influences are labor-saving, sun-catching wire trellises and a water-stingy drip irrigation system. California’s back-breaking and penurious first farmers would have loved to have afforded the labor-saving luxuries of pruning, canopy shaping, cluster thinning, cluster ripening, and flavor-driving goodness.

Of course, dedicating prime Napa real estate to such an endeavor was a huge calculated gamble for a small winery such as Biale; but, there were two mitigating factors.

1. Biale was working with Jan Krupp, an established expert grower/partner, who was willing (as he does with all vineyard projects) to give this unique Zinfandel mission his best effort.

2. Biale was isolating a new vineyard site, which seemed to the experienced winery partners to be ideally suited to a Zinfandel project. “This site had ‘slam dunk’ written all over it,” says Bob Biale, co-founder of Biale and vineyard manager. “It’s a stressed and severe site, but this is what Zinfandel needs in order to control its vigor, to ripen slowly, avoid bunch rot and mildew, and to keep the berry size smaller. We’re not after sheer grape quantity here – we’re after a red wine that’s expressive and compelling,” says Biale.

In fact, Stagecoach resembles Sonoma Valley’s legendary Monte Rosso Vineyard in so many ways: the sunny 1,200 foot elevation, the sloping pitch of the terrain, the air movement, sunrise to sunset sunlight- hours, red mineral-rich volcanic soil, adequate rainfall – even a spectacular mountaintop westward view – all are eerily similar. And not to be overlooked or avoided: rocks, rocks, rocks, and more rocks. The main difference is that it is above Napa Valley rather than Sonoma.

The new Stagecoach Zinfandel vines began producing their first grapes in 2002 and in 2004. The crop was of such quality as to merit a new Biale vineyard designation. “The 2004 Stagecoach was different than any other Zinfandel we had in our repertoire,” says Dave Pramuk, co-founder and marketing strategist for Biale. “Ideally, we have a series of Zinfandels that are very different from one another. Stagecoach had a black plum / Bing cherry flavor profile, with an underlying power and a sleek structure that was very different from what we expected,” says Pramuk.

In 2007, a widely recognized great Napa Valley vintage, Stagecoach Zinfandel began to reveal its potential, producing not just a delicious Zinfandel, but also a serious red wine. It evoked a vivid expression of its site: harmonious, seamless, mineral-laced, and complex.

In 2008, spikes of summer heat wreaked havoc among California’s vineyards, but weather moderated in the fall. Steve Hall, Biale’s new winemaker, approached Stagecoach with a new take on the vineyard’s ripening pattern according to its soils profile. The selective picking regimen produced a Zinfandel of brightness, purity, uniform ripeness, and textural loveliness.

In 2009, with its ideal season and moderation, Stagecoach reached another level in its development, producing an uncommon Zinfandel that combines finesse, power, and identity in the same package. For Biale, the ideal wine is the ultimate expression of where it’s from.

Mountain-raised, and making the torturous struggle to slowly ripen grapes, the vines at Stagecoach are producing Zinfandels that would make the Zinfandel forefathers proud, and delight the avid fans of this legacy to America’s viticultural origins.

DANIEL | 60 East 65th Street | New York, NY 10065
Tel 212.288.0033 | Fax 212.396.9014
www.danielnyc.com

Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure Disclosure

Example

3 nights in Deluxe, Marriott Hotel, Marble Arch, UK

Check in: Jan 17, 2012 3:00 PM Check out: Jan 20, 2012 12:00 PM Board type: Room only Max occupancy: 3

Time left:

5d 14h 28m 23s (Jan 17, 2012 4:55 AM)

Quantity:

1

Rack rate:

£621.00 GBP

Current bid:

£96.00 GBP (approx $147.10)

Must be paid by:

Jan 17, 2012 8:55 AM

Only Bidding is a company with a new concept based on the fact that unoccupied hotel rooms are lost revenue.

Only Bidding empowers the consumer to pay a price that they are happy to pay for hotel accommodation and a price that hotel suppliers are willing to accept for that room- balancing supply and demand: a Win- Win situation for all!
For the customer, it’s simply grabbing a bargain hotel stay for a price that may otherwise be out of budget. Customers can find great deals during low seasons/quiet periods and last minute as hotels will be willing to reduce the room rate. Hotel rooms are an inventory that expires each night, so hotels often will accept rates that are cheaper than other available rates.

For the hotel, the advantages of joining Only Bidding are clear- they get to fill otherwise unoccupied rooms with guests. A hotel will be paying indirect costs for the running of the hotel regardless of whether the hotel has one room occupied or a hundred. The hotel would increase occupancy and therefore increase revenue. Additionally, there is a greater chance of the hotel’s restaurants, bars, spa facilities having an increase in turnover as there are more guests.

Is Only Bidding any different to Ebay or Groupon?
It is different from eBay as Only Bidding sells hotel accommodation with specified dates and not vouchers. This guarantees availability thus being advantageous over vouchers which can leave customers disappointed if they can’t book their chosen dates.
Is Only Bidding any different to Priceline?

Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure. This is strictly editorial and not an endorsement.

Only Bidding is different to Priceline because with Only Bidding you will know the name of the hotel that you are bidding on- so no apprehensive guessing needed! Additionally, Priceline allows a customer to name a price once every 24 hours. With Only Bidding, if the customers bid is unsuccessful then they can always place another bid.
How to get a bargain hotel room!
Step 1- Search auctions & find a hotel you want to stay at.
Step 2- Bid on the hotel auction until you’re the highest bidder
Step 3- Get your suitcases packed & enjoy!
So, if you are a hotel and want to achieve full occupancy then join Only Bidding! And if you want to make bargain hotel reservations then place your bid at Only Bidding.
Only Bidding
http://www.onlybidding.com
Twitter- @OnlyBidding

Travel back to a time of aromatic mint tea served in cool courtyards and sun-drenched bazaars overflowing with handmade jewelry and colorful tagines on Abercrombie & Kent’s Morocco: Imperial Cities, a nine-day small group escorted journey from just $2,380. With a history stretching back almost 10,000 years, Morocco was crisscrossed by Roman legions, Berber caravans and Muslim scholars.  The country’s imperial cities: Rabat, Fez, Meknes and Marrakech, each served as the capital under different ruling dynasties. Together they present a vibrant mix of centuries-old traditions with 21^st-century comforts always within reach.

Morocco: Imperial Cities is a new Abercrombie & Kent itinerary for 2012 which explores the country’s diverse cultures and historic influences with the same standard of service, but fewer inclusions, than other A&K journeys.  In Rabat, visit Oudaya Kasbah, built on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean; the design of the gate is considered one of the most beautiful in the Moorish world. Once inside, explore a delightful Andalusia-style garden, complete with a fountain and sweet-scented orange trees. Step back into the Middle Ages in Fez el-Bali (“Old Fez”), one of the most ancient and untouched city neighborhoods in the world.  The city of Meknes was built in the seventeenth century by powerful sultan Moulay Ismail to rival the court of French contemporary Louis XIV. Immerse yourself in the diversity of Morocco’s present-day culture as you stroll through the souks of Marrakech’s famous medina and renowned Djemaa el-Fna Square, home to travelling musicians and hypnotic snake charmers. Visit the 12^th-century Menara Garden and Jardin Majorelle, designed in 1924 by French artist Jacques Majorelle and restored by designer Yves Saint Laurent.

Guaranteed departures of Morocco: Imperial Cities ($2,380 per person, double occupancy) are led by an experienced Abercrombie & Kent Tour Director with expert local guides. Choice of departure dates:Jun 20-28, Jul 4-12, Aug 22-30, 2012.

- 1 night in Casablanca at Le Royal Mansour Méridien

- 2 nights in Fez at Sofitel Fes Palais Jamai

- 3 nights in Marrakech at Sofitel Marrakech Lounge & Spa

- Low single supplement: $890

Local Connections, Global Reach

Abercrombie & Kent relies on deep roots and long-established relationships in Morocco to offer a degree of access and insight that no other company can match. An office in Marrakech provides travellers with seamless service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the convenience, service and security of a U.S.-based company for a worry-free travel experience.

Call 800.554.7094 to speak with a destination specialist or go to www.abercrombiekent.com for more details.

Experience Morocco on World of A&K  ON ThisYoutube Video

Copyright 2012 By Punchin International. All Rights Reserved.

Disclosure

Download photos at: http://portfolio.abercrombiekent.com/res/sites/Morocco