Force grabs top spot and closes in on record (PA SportsTicker)

John Force moved within one of NHRA Pro Stock great Warren Johnsons No. 1 qualifying record by racing to his third consecutive top-spot Saturday at the NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway.

Source: http://www.nascarracinglive.com/nascar/force-grabs-top-spot-and-closes-in-on-record-pa-sportsticker.html

Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya

2012 Volvo S60 and XC60 R-Design Official Photos and Info ? Auto Shows

These sportier Volvos each have 325 reasons to go rather than stop. For Swedish performance aficionados who remember the Volvo R sedans and wagons from the ?90s and early 2000s, Volvo?s recent R-Design packages left much to be desired. Rather than increase power, those add-ons were being limited to stiffer suspension bits, flashy wheels, and [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/5lhbsJ69kQk/

Nanni Galli Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner

Neal moves ahead in practice two

Matt Neal was fastest in the second British Touring Car free practice session at Thruxton this afternoon. Neal's Honda Racing Civic set a best of 1m18.154s in the second part of the session, which had been red-flagged when Frank Wrathall's Dynojet Toyota Avensis pulled off. Tom Chilton's Arena Motorsport Ford Focus, which topped this morning's slightly slower session, was second.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/other-news/touring-cars/btcc/neal-moves-ahead-in-practice-two/

Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears

BURGESS RETAINS TOP QUALIFYING POSTION; DEFEATED IN FIRST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS

NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Qualifying Results BAYTOWN, Texas Sat, 30 Apr 2011 Roger Burgess retained the No. 1 qualifying position at the end of qualifying on Saturday for the second...

Source: http://www.motorsportsjournal.com/archives/2011/04/burgess_retains_top_quali.php

Bruce Johnstone Alan Jones Tom Jones Juan Jover Oswald Karch

This Weekend: Barbaresco Tasting at Vintages in Belmont and Concord, MA

Vintages - Adventures in Wine is having a free tasting of Cantina del Pino Barbaresco Friday March 11th from 4-7 pm at their Belmont, MA location -and- Saturday March 12th from 1-5 pm at their Concord, MA location.

The tasting will feature the 2006 Cantina del Pino Albesani, Ovello, and their regular Barbaresco at special pricing. There will also be some Grand Cru Chablis at the tasting as well.

Owner Eric Broege's passion for Piedmont borders on an obsession and his knowledge of the region is invaluable for those trying to find their way to value. Highly recommended.

Check 'em out:
Vintages- Adventures in Wine
Locations in West Concord and Belmont, MA
On Twitter: @VINTAGESvino

Further Reading: A Passageway to Italian Wine through Barbaresco

PS: Don't forget to support direct shipment of wine to Massachusetts by sending an E-mail to your state representative encouraging them to Free the Grapes!


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/xUytgs_R5iw/this-weekend-barbaresco-tasting-at.html

Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen

Tasting Report: 2008 Denner The Dirt Worshipper

Buy 6 or more bottles of small batch bourbon and get 50% off shipping with code "drink13"


The most notable "buy" indicators coming out of Wine Spectator the past six months have been for big Rhône-styled reds from Paso Robles, California.

The 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles was named the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year for 2010. With a $67 release point and a 98 point rating it would seem to be one to seek out. But it was sold almost entirely via mailing list and combined with a 100 point score from Robert Parker (calling it "utter perfection") it was never really in play unless you were on the mailing list. It sells north of $300 at auction these days.

But just behind this wine were a fleet of 95+ pointers from other winemakers in Paso Robles. Some of the names were vaguely familiar - Booker, Jaffurs, Justin. Others I'd never heard of like Herman Story, Epoch, and Torrin. I always enjoy Spectator's pieces featuring up and coming producers. Like this article by MaryAnn Worobiec highlighting seven up and coming Paso Robles producers (subscription required).

Articles like this have provided me with a way of becoming familiar with winemakers when they're small enough to handle customer interactions themselves, their mailing lists are open, and best of all their prices are relatively low. None of these high scoring wines carry a release price more than $100 and many sell for $50 or less. Compare this with Napa and Paso Robles is a value play.

Back in 2007 a similar article about 12 Hot New California Pinot Noir Producers turned me on to Clary Ranch, Zepaltas, and Black Kite. As I look back at that list now - guess which name is there? Rhys! It was right there in front of me for 4 years and I didn't make the connection until just now.  Amazing.

When the 2008 vintage of Paso Robles wines came to market two caught my eye for their quality to price ratio: The 2008 Herman Story Nuts & Bolts (95WS/$36) and the 2008 Denner The Dirt Worshipper (97WS/$45).

My efforts to find some of the Herman Story weren't fruitful (though reading their website is time well spent). I was able to obtain a half-case of the Denner directly from the winery.

The Spectator article identifies Denner as the epicenter of the west Paso wine scene. They produce grapes purchased by other producers like Epoch and Torrin and they also produce wines with their own label. Rob and Marilyn Denner own over 100 acres in Paso Robles and 25-year-old (!) Anthony Yount is their winemaker.

I cracked open one of the The Dirt Worshippers last night. It was a winner. 

What they said:

The Dirt Worshipper is a wine whose sole focus is the expression of cool climate terroir through a Syrah medium. This wine is a blend of 42% Syrah from the frigid, coastal Bassetti Vineyard near Cambria, 53% Denner Estate Syrah from the coolest, latest ripening blocks, and 5% Denner Estate Viognier to perfume this beastly hedonistic wine. Please enjoy! (from the back label)

This hedonistic beauty has upfront aromas of sarsaparilla, vanilla bean and black raspberries. Undertones of eucalyptus and white pepper come through on second emanation. Coffee crusted steak, huckleberry compote and dried Provencial herbs pioneer a precise finish with chalky tannins and great length. 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier. (from winery website) 

What I thought:

2008 Denner The Dirt Worshipper
95% Syrah 5% Viognier
15.6% alcohol
810 cases produced

A massive wine with a silty, muddy appearance. Aromatically complex with dried blueberries, bacon cooking on a Saturday morning, and white pepper. Stunning depth and density. High alcohol and I had some concerns about it being overripe. But it keeps thing under control and I enjoyed it.

Hard to stop drinking. Quite nice. 

93/100 WWP: Outstanding 

Outlook:

Based on this experience I'm looking forward to trying more wines from Paso Robles. The 2008 Dirt Worshipper is selling for north of $100 at auction now but the 2009s are coming to market at attainable price points. I'd recommend checking a couple of them out if the style sounds at all appealing to you.

Question of the Day: What do you think of big Paso Robles reds? Is this the next big category in California wine?


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/dWUZs6A9maY/tasting-report-2008-denner-dirt.html

Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett Jo Gartner Tony Gaze

Developer: I?ve Walked Away From Projects Because of Parking Minimums

Parking minimums forced Alan Bell to put a parking lot directly next to the playground in this East New York building. It sits almost completely unused. Housing is harder to build, more expensive, and often lower-quality as a result of the city’s parking regulations, according to one New York City developer. Alan Bell was a high-ranking housing [...]

Source: http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/04/28/developer-ive-walked-away-from-projects-because-of-parking-minimums/

Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig