What To Drink Now: Affordable Wine for the New Year | SideDish

What To Drink Now: Affordable Wine for the New Year

As the new year starts we throw around resolutions to save more money, get into better shape, eat healthier and, in my case, drink wine that is both affordable and delicious.? If you are looking for a few options to start your year off with great taste, and without spending too much, consider one of these options?.you?ll find that saving a few $$$$ never tasted so good.? A few selections were sent for editorial consideration.

Pali Wine Company recently launched a new program to bring region specific wines to the forefront at an affordable price.? Their Pali Charm Acres Chardonnay from Sonoma is barrel aged for , but does not go through malolactic fermentation, creating texture without an abundance of butter or cream, and filled with with juicy lemon, ripe melon, apricot and tropical notes.? Not overly complicated, but a great everyday wine to enjoy with friends or over dinner.

The goal of Educated Guess Chardonnay is to give both the oak loving Chardonnay drinker and the steely, mineral rich Chardonnay drinker a compromise, with half of the wine barrel fermented undergoing malolactic fermentation, the other half going through stainless steel fermentation creating a Napa Valley Chardonnay that marries both the white flower, tropical fruit and mineral notes with spice, toasted almond and just a hint of vanilla.

Founded in 1972 Markham Vineyards is one of the oldest, continuously operating wineries in Napa Valley. With over 350 acres of vines throughout the valley, Markham wines show a strong sense of place in every glass.? Their Markham Chardonnay, from grapes grown predominantly in Oak Knoll and Trubody (near Yountville) display stone fruit and citrus characteristics, that are highlighted by the barrel fermentation and 8 month oak aging of the wine. Chardonnay with true California style for under $15 a bottle.

If you are looking for a solid white under $10, try Camelot Chardonnay.? Like all the wines in their portfolio, this is easy drinking, fresh and uncomplicated, just what is often needed at the end of a long, tedious day.? Made from grapes grown in the Central Coast and Sacramento Delta of California, stainless steel fermented and aged just slightly on the lees (yeasts) for a fruit forward wine filled with green apple and white peach.

Albarino blossomed as the new darling of Spain a few years ago, with white wine drinkers leaning towards more mineral rich, earthy white wines filled with balanced fruit and acidity.? Though wine trends are taking us to other parts of the world these days, I still love a good Albarino.? Martin Codax Albarino from the Rias Baixas region of northwest Spain with a cool, maritime climate producing fragrant, briny, luscious white wines.? A nice, distinguishing characteristic of this Albarino verses some others I have had is how well rounded the palate is, helped by the wine undergoing partial malolactic fermentation and aging for four months on the lees, giving structure, body and texture to the crisp, citrus filled wine.

Estancia from the Central Coast of California consistently produces a good everyday Chardonnay with a very food friendly flavor profile.? Winemaker Scott Kelley understands how to balance flavors in wine to highlight food pairings instead of compete with them, and takes this philosophy to heart in his wine making process.? This Chardonnay compliments recipes like Citrus Marinated Salmon and Halibut Brandade, with lush flavors of lemon, ripe pear and green apple with a touch of wild honey on the end.

I am a fan of the lively and citrus filled Vermentino from Duchman Family Winery, one of the best wines from Texas I have tried.? I recently had a bottle of their 2010 Duchman Dolcetto? am happy to see this Texas winery shines as much with Italian reds as they do with Italian white varieties.? Smooth and nicely balanced with layers of ripe red fruit and a long finish.

Hope Family Winery, the folks behind the gorgeous Treana, red and white Rhone style blends, and stellar Austin Hope Syrah, knock it out of the money saving park year after year with their Liberty School wines.? Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles blends both ripe fruit characteristics with layers of cedar and toasted spice, creating a nicely balanced wine that is as interesting as it is affordable, with personality and approachability.

Tin Roof Cellars prides themselves on their casual, uncomplicated approach to both wine making and living in general.? Almost a life is short philosophy that comes out in their down to earth wines.? The Tin Roof Red Blend brings Zinfandel, Merlot and Petit Sirah together in a harmonious mix for a big, juicy wine with spice and pepper notes, ideally paired with a bone-in grilled Texas rib-eye or smoky barbecue.

The thought of spending less than $20 or $30 or more on a bottle of great Bordeaux might be somewhat hard to believe, however there are incredible options available if you know how to do a little shopping.? By identifying the area of Bordeaux you love, like if you are Margaux or St. Emilion fan, you can narrow down the region you are partial to and then search for wineries in the area that will have a similar style to the high dollar producers, without the high price tag.? Wines of Bordeaux have a characteristic unlike any other in the world, and though others outside of the region may try to imitate, they can not match those those from within Bordeaux, growing their grapes in the limestone and clay filled soils of the area.

Chateau Vieux Manoir dates back to the 11th Century when the Manor was used as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Epernon.? Located in the center of Bordeaux with limestone and gravel filled soils the winery produces their Bordeaux Rouge blend of predominantly Merlot with 12% Cabernet Franc and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon.? Ripe black cherry and plum aromas blend with earthy, tobacco characteristics in this balanced, nicely structured wine costing about $10 a bottle.

6th generation winemaker Jean Darriet purchased the the La Maroutine estate in the southern part of the Cadillac 1942,? a premier Cotes de Bordeaux appellation.? Today the 8th generation of the Darriet winemakers produces wines for Chateau La Maroutine.? The Bordeaux Rouge blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon for a jammy, juicy wine with subtle tannins, earthiness and a touch of toasted oak on the finish, impressive for a $9 bottle of wine.

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Source: http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2013/01/02/what-to-drink-now-affordable-wine-for-the-new-year/

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Exploring the Various Phases of Web Application Development

Believe it or not! Over past 12 years Internet usage has increased by over 500%. With Internet technology booming at such a rapid rate, web trade and online promotion are also evolving at an exceptional rate.

Entrepreneurs and marketers are investing in innovative and new age web application development techniques that can facilitate online business processes and promotions. And surprisingly, it has also provided business owners with an effective mode of communicating with their prospective customers. Business-centric web applications facilitate the completion of various non-viable tasks almost immediately, making it easier for businesses to outreach the masses.

Web Application and the World Wide Web:

Web apps are used as business tools and techniques that are launched on the World Wide Web by businesses, who wish to extend their data services to both online and offline customers. These applications constitute the ?Gen-X? of Internet evolution. These days, several business firms are seeking aid of web application development processes to target potential customers and buyers in a more effective manner. The primary aim of these business-centric apps is to promote products and services and expand the customer base with the help of targeted marketing. Thus, these web applications act as the primary interface between businesses and their customers that allow them to expand their service offerings and target potential audience to improve their bottom line.

The Web Application Development Process:

Web application development is a full cycle process that involves multiple stages, each of which plays a significant result in delivering a qualitative output. Being a multi-level process, development is intricate yet easy to perceive. Normally, before a web app in launched, it has to go through 4 major stages of development. Let?s take a deeper look at the major phases involved in the development process:

Verification: This is the foremost stage in the development process. In this stage, the direction and purpose of the web app is verified. This phase demands the management team to come together and jot down the goals and purpose of the web application. It includes numerous sub-stages such as scheduling, judging limitation and installing updates. At the end of this phase, there is a clear overview about the main purpose of the application.

Devising: This stage involves devising plans about the various instances involved in development. Which scripting language is to be used or which features need to be incorporated in the website is decided during this phase.

Judging: This stage involves job allocation and judgment regarding the functional scheme of the web app. This is the concluding stage that ensures that the application is developed in flow. All significant decisions are made at this stage.

Development: This is the phase wherein coders and programmers play a pivotal role. This stage calls for the developers to pull their socks and develop data variables, entities and various code snippets required to get the application running. Post completion of the development activities, the team of programmer?s hands over a completion document to the management team for review.

Stability: As the name suggests, this stage tests the stability of the application built during the development stage. At this stage, the functionality of the app is thoroughly tested and verified. It includes removal of any errors that may occur and updating the application thereon.

Web application development is an intricate process. With so many stages involved, it requires a professional firm to bring about the desired results. If you are also planning to develop a web app for your online business, you can hire the services of a professional web development firm or you can outsource your app development project.

Author's Bio:?

Steve Graham is a Sr. Content Writer in Xicom technologies. Xicom is a leading Website Development Company and Mobile Apps Development company which provides different array of genuine software solutions like Custom Software Development,Web application development services to its clients globally.

Source: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/exploring-the-various-phases-of-web-application-development

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Samoa Will Celebrate The New Year Last - Business Insider

While parts of the world have already begun to ring in the new year, others will have to wait. But who has to wait the longest?

The consensus is that?American Samoa, Midway Islands/U.S.A. and Niue?will be the last places to welcome 2013 based on the currently established time zones. Howland and Baker Islands are technically have the latest times on earth, but are both uninhabited.

American Samoa and the the independent nation of Samoa lie approximately 80 kilometers away from each other, but will celebrate the new year 23 hours apart. Samoa shifted time zones a year ago Saturday, mostly for economic reasons.

Date line politics can actually be quite controversial, especially when the New Years Eve starts to get closer ? mostly regarding which nation can claims it gets to celebrate first. Many debate whether uninhabited islands count, or whether or not locations within the same time zone but slightly more eastern than the others actually can claim they celebrate the holiday first.

The date-line dispute between?Kiribati, the?Chatham Islands of New Zealand, and a handful of other island nations was especially heated when each side claimed that it would be the first to celebrate the new millennium.?Kiribati actually spreads over 2,000 miles, straddling both sides of the time zone. In order to simplify governmental affairs, islands on both sides of the line use time zones on the same side of the date line in a 1995 realignment. However, many countries and organizations do not recognize Kiribati's 'bending' of the dateline for geographical reasons. See the map below to check out why:

View New Years 2013 in a larger map

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/samoa-will-celebrate-the-new-year-last-2012-12

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Cantor says he doesn't back Senate-passed "fiscal cliff" bill

During an oddly jokey statement at the White House as the fiscal deadline bore down Monday afternoon, President Obama said, "I'm going to be president for the next four years. I?hope." He was warning Republicans that, yes, they'd have to deal with him for a while. But it was, to be sure, a strange moment. Could he actually have been joking about assassination? About impeachment? The?apocalypse? Or has everyone just had enough of these negotiations??

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cantor-says-doesnt-back-senate-passed-fiscal-cliff-202358190--sector.html

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Hot Destinations 2013: Finding the Locals' Istanbul - Peter Greenberg

Culinary, Cultural Immersion, Culture, Destinations, Europe, Luxury Travel, Middle East, Shopping, Travel News ? on December 31, 2012 8:31 am

We can do better than the old cliche of Istanbul as ?East meets West.? Instead, Courtney Crockett seeks out the vibrant local experience?the real hamam culture, T?rk kahvehane and the hidden corners of the Grand Bazaar.

If you follow the Istanbul of some tour guides, you?re sure to have the so-persistent photo op wearing a Sultan costume. But if you want to get to the heart of the vibrant city, break the surface of the local side. You won?t be disappointed.

Eat + Drink

Coffee is the best starting point. The good stuff will be found in a ?T?rk kahvehane,? or coffeehouse. Turkish coffee is unique because it?s made using a time-honored method, where the coffee and water is heated together, unfiltered in a special copper pot called a ?cezve.? The process produces a kick about double that of your average espresso.

According to local advice, kahve is usually ordered with a little sugar already mixed in. It can be a bit bitter without it. To order this ?just right? amount of sweetness?, you must ask for ?az sekerli.?

An explosion of chain coffee shops has flooded Istanbul in recent years, from Starbucks to the Turkish version, Kahve D?nyasl. Lately, young people in particular? 50 percent of the city?s population?seem to be embracing the old style shops, aligning with rest of the vintage crazed western world.

First time or fifth time, you?re probably going to end up at the Grand Bazaar. In one of the most bustling ?shop ops? on earth, with over 4500 retailers, not many people think to sit. The results are better than any evil eye bracelet you could ever buy. I loved Fes Caf?. Order the ?Damla Sakizh.? It?s a piney flavored infusion, almost like gin without the alcohol? a traditional Turkish spin.

A few other coffee spots include Kahvecci Ethem Tez?akar (a tiny spot with a max seating of 4), T?rk kahvehanes (ocean views and good food), Kronotrop Coffee Roastery + Brewery (good for pick up), Caf? di Dolce and Pierre Lotti.

I cannot exclude Turkey?s other pride and joy? tea. If you?re a tea aficionado and frequent loose leaf boutiques with flavors most people have never heard of, you?ll likely want to spend a whole afternoon and a lot of Liras at Agakapisi. You can order in a seat with a great view, from a menu with +40 tea flavors. If you?d rather skip the fancy hibiscus infusion, tuck into the secret gated courtyard of Tunnel Square. Any caf? will do, but I liked K.V., for it?s square open window to the kitchen below your feet.

You can only drink your way to satisfaction for so long; prepare for a food coma. Istanbul has some of the most delicious eats, combining local spices, age old recipes and the fresh flavors of the Mediterranean. Food for thought; try a neighborhood ?meyhene,? a sort of Turkish tavern. Check out Yakup 2. Skip the traditional main course and ask your server for a combination of hot and cold ?mezzes.? Mezzes are small plates, like tapas and are by far the best way to taste a wide range of plates, from white cheese borek to eggplant salad.

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It?s common in Istanbul to trust the waiters recommendation instead of ordering off the menu, so you won?t get a funny look if you request this. Also, order a glass of ?raki,? the national drink. It?s an anise-flavored spirit that turns cloudy when mixed with water. Watch out, it goes down pretty easy but creeps up like tequila?so I?ve heard.

Full as you may be, remember what is truly important at the end of the day?baklava. Although you really can?t go wrong with baklava in Istanbul, some are still better than others. Karakoy G?ll?glu favtory happens to be the largest baklava-producing site in the world. It?s quite a dangerous stop, and if you plan on visiting I highly recommend wearing elastic waist pants. I?m usually very partial to pistachio, but their walnut baklava made me seriously question my loyalty.

While you?re in the area, just down the street is Koska, boasting to die for chocolate-walnut baklava that I can?t even talk about. The employees suggested eating baklava upside down, so the flakey crust dissolves on your tongue and you can take in the real texture. While my unsophisticated taste buds were not phased by this recommendation, it made binging on thousands of buttery calories feel slightly scientific.

more>>

Source: http://www.petergreenberg.com/2012/12/31/hot-destinations-2013-finding-the-locals-istanbul/

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Facebook security glitch exposes users' New Year's Eve messages

8 hrs.

Rosa Golijan , NBC News

Whew! Facebook saved countless users from?New Year's Eve humiliation ... after initially exposing their private messages.

Facebook's Midnight Delivery app allows users to schedule private messages to wish friends a happy new year exactly when the clock strikes twelve. This is fantastic for those who intend on having a glass of Champagne or five as 2013 approaches, as it will let them schedule a polite message along the lines of?"Happy New Year, my beloved friends!" instead of drunk texting everyone ?something like?"I'm sooooo wasted right nowljskf and happy NEW YeAr! 2013 FTW! YOLO!" when the ball in Times Square drops.

Now great as Facebook's little app sounds, there was?just one problem: A security glitch temporarily exposed users' scheduled?messages to the general public.

The Next Web's?Robin Wauters reports that?when a user scheduled a Midnight Deliveries?message, he or she was presented with a confirmation page. Unfortunately, that confirmation page could be viewed by anyone who happens to guess its URL. "You couldn?t see who sent the messages," Wauters explains, "but you could see all the intended recipients, and the message itself, if you tweaked the URL the right way."

Those toying around with URLs could also see images which were attached to those scheduled massages. And to add insult to injury, they could also delete the correspondences.

"We are working on a fix for this issue now," a Facebook spokesperson told NBC News via email. "[A]nd in the interim we have disabled this app on the Facebook Stories site to ensure that no messages can be accessed."

Perhaps the more prudent approach, for the time being, is to just plain type out a "Happy New Year!!!!1!!!" text message and send it to everyone in your contacts at midnight.

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/facebook-security-glitch-exposes-users-new-years-eve-messages-1C7755878

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Losing "Protection" in Florida's Environmental Agency | FlaglerLive ...

FlaglerLive | December 31, 2012

In the balance. (curatrok77)

By Paula Dockery

Some of the state?s strongest protectors of our natural resources were recently expelled from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Fifty-eight of the most knowledgeable and long-serving employees were let go in order to fulfill the governor?s promise/threat of less regulation.

While I believe that the executive branch of government has the responsibility of managing state agencies, it?s vital that within their discretion lies the moral imperative to abide by the mission of the department and the laws that govern them.

While administrations come and go, longtime department employees possess the commitment, institutional knowledge and continuity to adhere to that mission. They also should be free to perform their duties without fear of political reprisals and without overt political favoritism.

When political novice Rick Scott became Florida?s governor, he appointed Herschel Vinyard, a shipyard executive, to be secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. Many of us who have been involved with environmental and water resource issues were very concerned about what message that sent and worried about the possible lack of commitment to protection.

Trying to keep an open mind and respect the governor?s right to name his secretaries, I reluctantly voted to confirm Mr. Vinyard after meeting with him and asking numerous questions about his philosophy and intentions. Once confirmed, he validated my fears through his actions relating to water management districts, funding and selling state-owned lands.

Stories leaked out about water management district employees being purged because they were perceived to be too tough on politically influential developers and engineers. Then came the story of a Department of Environmental Protection employee let go for doing what the law required, despite higher-ups wanting her to turn her head on a questionable permitting issue.

Now a major cleaning out of veteran employees puts the state?s environment in further and potentially irreversible peril. Poor planning decisions lead to long-term and costly damage.

This has come about on top of the dissolution ? during the governor?s first year in office ? of the Department of Community Affairs and the demise of Florida?s Growth Management laws that protected our resources while limiting costly sprawl.

Florida, more than most states, relies on its natural beauty to keep our economy humming. While 18 million residents populate our state, more than 80 million visitors a year flock to our beaches, rivers, lakes and parks, keeping tourism as a cog in our economic engine. Additionally, ecotourism filled the void when visitors couldn?t afford the more costly tourist venues, keeping many Floridians employed.

Florida?s economy depends heavily on its environment, which brings tourists and new residents here and provides the quality of life that businesses indicate is a leading factor in their relocation decisions. According to Tim Center, executive director of Sustainable Florida, ?we look forward to policies and practices that serve the long-term needs of Florida that will continue to attract millions of visitors, millions of dollars in investments and help businesses and residents prosper.?

It is sheer folly to think that protecting the environment is somehow responsible for killing jobs or hurting business when, in fact, it does the opposite.

Eric Eikenberg, CEO of the Everglades Foundation, believes the restoration of the Everglades is a key driver of Florida?s economic future. He stated, ?Nearly one in three Floridians depend on the Everglades ecosystem for their drinking water. Without that supply of water, Florida?s economic growth will be jeopardized.?

After decades of good environmental stewardship under governors of both parties ? Graham, Chiles, Martinez, Bush, Crist ? many of our successes are being dismantled in a mere two years.

A plea to the governor and the Department of Environmental Protection secretary: Please put the ?protection? back in the Department of Environmental Protection.

This can be achieved by taking the following steps:

? Rehire and keep the most knowledgeable and experienced employees who have dedicated their professional lives to the protection of Florida?s natural resources.

? Reverse shortsighted decisions and impulsive actions that will have long-term and costly consequences.

? Resist the urge to expedite developments of the politically connected at the expense of Floridians? quality of life.

? Adequately fund water resource development to ensure a safe and plentiful water supply and avoid a return to the water wars of the past.

? Restore polluted water bodies and prevent further water quality degradation; it is much more costly to clean up a polluted water body than to keep it clean and healthy.

Paula Dockery was term-limited as a Republican state senator from Lakeland after 16 years in the Florida Legislature. She can be reached by email here.

Please support FlaglerLive. Go to our Contributions/Donations Page.

Source: http://flaglerlive.com/48660/florida-dep-pd/

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