bunnymasseuse wrote:.....this person also enjoys a dark Guinness like myself from time to time......

I don't know what I was thinking when I first saw this.... it's totally innocent.... no way anyone could misinterpret it....

Corrado wrote:I might have to save that quoted line to demonstrate to my coworkers why the word "myself" is not simply a formalized version of the word, "me."

No one ever said I was the best grammatically versed person on the internetz

But I do have an addiction for that Irish indulgence (that is being irish and all)!

Corrado wrote:I might have to save that quoted line to demonstrate to my coworkers why the word "myself" is not simply a formalized version of the word, "me."

"like I do from time to time" would have been much better.

Anyone notice while watching the Celtics celebration how so many players referred to themselves as "myself"? I recently found out that some sports agent years ago started that whole practice, because his clients couldn't figure out when to say "me" and when to say "I". Rather than have them say the wrong one and sound poorly educated, he convinced them to say "myself" all the time because it sounds stilted but not so obviously wrong.

bunnymasseuse wrote:Brut Report INC, take cover folks!!

Packed Thanks for the report!

bunnymasseuse wrote:No one ever said I was the best grammatically versed person on the internetz

But I do have an addiction for that Irish indulgence (that is being irish and all)!

A pint or twelve of Guiness can cause many ungrammatical utterances! As a lad with ancestors from County Mayo, I've quaffed more than a few and can testify to its greatness.

Corrado wrote:Ice (wine)?

Ice would be nice! I had some of the Standing Stone that was offered a few months back, courtesy of otolith the great, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. I'd have to be in.

coynedj wrote:A pint or twelve of Guiness can cause many ungrammatical utterances! As a lad with ancestors from County Mayo, I've quaffed more than a few and can testify to its greatness.

Mine hail from County Wexford, which I have yet been able to visit. It normally takes a decent amount of The Dark Side to really do in my grammar, I have to admit I am no english major, but most of what I type is phrased as it would be flowing freely in verbal in-person correspondance. I don't attempt to talk like I have had no education, it just comes out that way anyway!

(now that I think about it, there's quite a bit of "himself" and "herself" items that are positioned to be of irish origin and must be related to their own form of grammar??)

Mumm Napa Cuvee M
The perpetrators (tasters) for the evening: CJ, Pat (the wootlegger), Bill (Pat’s husband), Robyn and Lisa ( both friends of CJ’s).
The victim: Mumm Napa Cuvee M
The accomplices: brownies, pound cake, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and an assortment of Nancy’s Spirals appetizers that I found in the freezer case at the local club store. (Note: the accomplices were selected prior to knowing the victim’s identity. The perpetrators had to be prepared for all comers.)

Since I already know what my reaction will be (and this is a real favorite of mine), I sat back and recorded notes while everyone else tasted. What you are about to read is real. It took place in Pat’s dining room – an undisclosed location in north-central Virginia. The time: 8:20pm.

The victim was uncorked and small samples were poured into aperitif glasses. (With 5 perpetrators, you have to use small glasses.)
(P) Is there citrus in here?
(R) mmmm…
(L) That’s quite lovely. Smells bready at first, then grapefruity.
(R) Fruitier than I’m used to. Most champagnes just fizz and dry out your mouth. This has really nice fruitiness.
(CJ) I think I’m getting vanilla on the nose. But the taste is citrus…more lemony than other fruit.

The perpetrators loaded up dessert plates with an assortment of goodies, so as to fully experiment.
(P) Good with chocolate. (L) More citrusy with the chocolate. But not in a bad way.
(P) Amazing how the taste of the wine changes with the food!
(R) Really good, more punch with the blackberry. Chocolate mutes it (cirtrus), berry enhances it.
(L) I don’t know. With the fruit, the citrus is more pronounced. Need to pair with a fruit that’s not as acidic as the strawberry.
(CJ) *wrinkled nose* Strawberry makes it too sour. Almost like grapefruit. And I’m not a grapefruit fan. {Agreement around the table. Switch to savory snacks.}
(R) Not as good with the savory snacks. It doesn’t go too well with the ham & turkey spiral.
(L) Yeah, I had the salami & cheese spiral, and it’s not a good match.
(R) But it’s pretty good with the Veggie-Cheese ones.
(P) Hard to get the right “food- food” with this. Not dessert food, but “food-food”.

{More discussion about food pairing commences.}
(P) Black Forest cake!!! Oooh, and with the cherries it would be great! {Chorus of Oooohs around the table.}
(CJ) May I have some more?
(B) No!!! {Laughter}
(R & L) Pass it down…we need some more.
(B) Will McG has a dead palate. But it still tastes good.

Time of death: 9:00 pm.
Cause of death: Consumption
Final verdict: Five strong recommendations. Recommend pairing with chocolate and non-acidic fruits. Be careful what you pair it with. This wine could bite back! But absolutely a great, stand-alone, sip on its own wine!

Quotes of the evening: (R): Don’t need to have anything with it. I enjoy it right out of the bottle. (which is exactly how CJ enjoys it, too.) (L): Had a long day, and this is sitting in the fridge… it would not be a bad night.

Our sincerest thanks to WD for the opportunity and the Golden Ticket! Thanks also to Mumm Napa for producing an excellent bottle of wine. This will continue to be a favorite of mine for a long, long time!

bunnymasseuse wrote:Mine hail from County Wexford, which I have yet been able to visit. It normally takes a decent amount of The Dark Side to really do in my grammar, I have to admit I am no english major, but most of what I type is phrased as it would be flowing freely in verbal in-person correspondance. I don't attempt to talk like I have had no education, it just comes out that way anyway!

I've been to Wexford! Mostly just a stop on the way from Dublin to Waterford and on to Cork (where the other side of the family is from), but I recall the Guiness being very tasty there.

Of course, it's tasty everywhere in Ireland.

cjsiege wrote: Mumm Napa Cuvee M

Packed! At that, my dear friends, concludes the rattery for this offering, just in time for last minute hold-outs to snap up the remaining bottles and a new offering to come to the altar!

Corrado wrote:Got a link for that? I would love to circulate that around the office with the hopes that those who think they're sounding more 'professional' are really just falling into an ebonics trap set college graduates who couldn't pass an elementary school grammar test (and regularly sign contracts for more money that the gross annual revenue of our entire company).

No link - I got it from a Modern Scholar CD course (I do them in the car, as I frequently put in a 220-mile drive for work) called "A Way with Words: Writing, Rhetoric, and the Art of Persuasion", by Michael Drout.

A question arose when we were labratting. When pouring a sparkling wine, should you allow it to fizz up (or "form a head" in beer-speak)? Or should you slant-pour it to minimize fizzing? Is there a difference?

Thanks, Liz!

coynedj wrote:Ice would be nice! I had some of the Standing Stone that was offered a few months back, courtesy of otolith the great, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. I'd have to be in.

I like sweet wines, but for some reason, the Ice Wines aren't for me. Maybe too sweet?

Mumm Independence Day - 3 Pack Sampler
Current numbers (updated each minute):

First sucker: mill
Speed to first woot: 0m 6.017s

Last wooter to woot: ptoledo



I finally caved...and Texas just got a little brighter.

kkv123 wrote:The fact that some people reserve bubbly only for special occasions is so difficult for me to comprehend. Although I enjoy both whites and reds alike, sparkling wine is my beverage of preference. Always!

All effervescence is terrific by the very fact of its existence, but amongst this treasure trove of goodness my palate has learned distinctions and craves accordingly. Some days I prefer the subtle "mousse" of a French champagne. Other days, I'm in the mood for a more robust 'Coca-Cola' bubble of a California sparkling wine. Big and yeasty to lightly tropical - consumed alone or with food - all have a time and place at my house.

Through all this trial and error tasting, one truth reigns supreme: bubbly from a magnum tastes better than bubbly from a bottle.

so it seems there are quite a few who do enjoy bubbly any day. I guess I need to work some more into my regular mix. I am mostly reds, but am getting better with the whites; bubbles may just be next.

One question on the last line above: are you saying you prefers to drink straight from the bottle and the bigger the better? I know some others like this, so perhaps it is another habit I must consider.

Corrado wrote:Last thought for the next offering. Maybe it's something different like an Aromatherapy collection.

Tiger balm!

for serious though, ice wine sounds like a good guess, but too easy?

Corrado wrote:Last thought for the next offering. Maybe it's something different like an Aromatherapy collection.

Greg Norman Shiraz...

CpprCr8 wrote:A question arose when we were labratting. When pouring a sparkling wine, should you allow it to fizz up (or "form a head" in beer-speak)? Or should you slant-pour it to minimize fizzing? Is there a difference?

Thanks, Liz!

The proper way to pour is with the flute upright (preferably on a table or bar or whatever) and pour slowly about 1/2 full, or until the bubbles nearly reach the top of the flute. Pause, admire the mousse - ok, wait for the bubbles to subside a bit - then fill to near the top or a little more than 3/4 full.

Make sure you have a clean flute, wiped with a lint free cloth. Lint and soap residue kill bubbles, it goes without saying that is very bad. Also, invest in a good "Super Seal" stopper ($7?) to put on the balance of the bottle until you are ready to finish it.

Thanks for a great week!!! I hope to be back again, you guys rock!
~Liz

bubblykindagal wrote:The proper way to pour is with the flute upright (preferably on a table or bar or whatever) and pour slowly about 1/2 full, or until the bubbles nearly reach the top of the flute. Pause, admire the mousse - ok, wait for the bubbles to subside a bit - then fill to near the top or a little more than 3/4 full.

Make sure you have a clean flute, wiped with a lint free cloth. Lint and soap residue kill bubbles, it goes without saying that is very bad. Also, invest in a good "Super Seal" stopper ($7?) to put on the balance of the bottle until you are ready to finish it.

Thanks for a great week!!! I hope to be back again, you guys rock!
~Liz

Thank YOU, Liz! Wish you could come back and play more often!

Order 17th ~ Arrive 19... amazing! must leave work now to get a 'test bottle' chilled; cannot have company being the testers!

eileenfh wrote:Order 17th ~ Arrive 19... amazing! must leave work now to get a 'test bottle' chilled; cannot have company being the testers!

So that's what they call it these days. *smak forehead* Here I've been calling it "early weekend" for lo these many years! Have a great time with your guests!

We have a late-entry labrat:

sikorski wrote:I'm going to cut to the chase. Today was hot in San Jose, not Austin hot (or humid) but still, 93-95 degrees.

So, after a 45 minute bike ride home, boatloads of water (really? boadloads? ok), a little dinner and some "to-do" list items it was nice to settle down to a little CA bubbly.

I don't have the energy to try and match foods right now so sorry about that.

The initial flavors I noticed were apricot/hint of lemon with a very light peach aftertaste. It is creamy but I'm not getting vanilla. It is most definitely a Sec though, so my mouth gummed up like I was drinking a soda (just something that happens when I drink anything sweet so, not a ding). I think the sweetness of M Blue makes it a perfect sparkling wine for brunch. That said I much prefer a drier, yellow cake type bubbly. But many thanks to Woot! for letting me be a Labrat!

Better late than never! Thanks for the report, you've been packed.

Do you think there's any hope of getting this in New York by next Saturday? I usually get mine delivered in Texas, but gifted this to a friend in NYC who's celebrating a birthday next weekend.

Worse case scenario, she'll happily drink it belated, but I've got my fingers crossed that it will arrive in time.

crisangel wrote:Do you think there's any hope of getting this in New York by next Saturday? I usually get mine delivered in Texas, but gifted this to a friend in NYC who's celebrating a birthday next weekend.

Worse case scenario, she'll happily drink it belated, but I've got my fingers crossed that it will arrive in time.

If they handle summer shipping the same as last year, then it may not arrive in time. Last summer, they would take the EC shipments, load them onto refrigerated trucks, and drive them to the EC. Then release the boxes into the UPS chain. Bad news is that added up to a week to the delivery schedule. Good news is that I never suffered a cooked bottle.

Extra good news - she will love it, no matter WHEN it arrives!

Edited: Nevermind! UPS guy just delivered mine! Hooray!

My tracking shows billing information received on 6/18, but it doesn't indicate that it has shipped yet. What gives? Is anyone else experiencing a delay?

mplarkin wrote:My tracking shows billing information received on 6/18, but it doesn't indicate that it has shipped yet. What gives? Is anyone else experiencing a delay?

Same with me. They promised before July 4th, so I will be patient. Woot doesn't disappoint.

CpprCr8 wrote:If they handle summer shipping the same as last year, then it may not arrive in time. Last summer, they would take the EC shipments, load them onto refrigerated trucks, and drive them to the EC. Then release the boxes into the UPS chain. Bad news is that added up to a week to the delivery schedule. Good news is that I never suffered a cooked bottle.

Extra good news - she will love it, no matter WHEN it arrives!

Thanks for the quick response CpprCr8! As I'm going up to surprise her this weekend though, I'm still going to cross my fingers... even though I still don't have a status change on my order page...

mplarkin wrote:My tracking shows billing information received on 6/18, but it doesn't indicate that it has shipped yet. What gives? Is anyone else experiencing a delay?

You must be an "east of the Mississippi" person. You won't see a change in status until the reefer truck drops them off at the EC UPS depot(s). That's 'cause UPS doesn't have them yet.

I'm just barely east of the mississippi (chicago) and only the billing info has been received by UPS. I was hoping to bring this Friday to a dinner....anyone in Illinois get their order yet????

jcregan wrote:I'm just barely east of the mississippi (chicago) and only the billing info has been received by UPS. I was hoping to bring this Friday to a dinner....anyone in Illinois get their order yet????

Tracking just got updated, Should be in my hands by friday.

(Chicago)

Received my 2 pack yesterday here in Houston. UPS left them on the porch so hopefully they didnt get too hot. A question on storage...If the apartment I live in has window A/C units, and the temperature fluctuates wildly when we arent here, would it be better to store the bottles on the side in a wine cooler as opposed to having them standing up in a closet? Im guessing the wine cooler but thought Id ask. Thanks.

Brendan

Yippeee! Mine arrived safely at the wootlegger's place yesterday! Time to drive on over and get me some sparklies for the weekend!