kylemittskus wrote:I may be wrong but that was only mentioned during either the EHP or Toothy offering. Otherwise, between MM and PetiteSirah/Loweeel, none of us would ever have a chance.

Mill deserves a (first) place on the list too.

edthebedhead wrote:Mill deserves a (first) place on the list too.

Mill has not signed up to be among the few, the proud, the labrats.

Ok, after little deliberation, the consensus is that the Roussane accompanied the pork roast much better than the Scott Harvey Inzinerator.
We're not knocking the S.H.I. I just received a case last week(for tim in austin)and we are thirsty S.H. fans.

The Wellington seemed to really expand the flavors of the herb rub and the apple/cranberry stuffing. IMHO

I want to thank those of you who helped me out this afternoon. Bon Appetite'

boaz38 wrote:Ok, after little deliberation, the consensus is that the Roussane accompanied the pork roast much better than the Scott Harvey Inzinerator.
We're not knocking the S.H.I. I just received a case last week(for tim in austin)and we are thirsty S.H. fans.

The Wellington seemed to really expand the flavors of the herb rub and the apple/cranberry stuffing. IMHO

I want to thank those of you who helped me out this afternoon. Bon Appetite'

+1 for Peter's Rhone varietals! Speaking of which, I think we should be seeing either Sake or whites soon. No?

darlenee1 wrote:WHERE ARE THE RATS! C'mon guys, the deal is you get a free bottle, open it that night, and drink and share notes. Not at your convenience. It's not a gift for you, but for the forum in the form of your tasting notes.

I have to agree. I'm on the fence on this one. Corison is compelling, but at $22 for a second label, I was hoping for some rat reports to help me make a decision. I'm really hoping they chime in tonight.

kylemittskus wrote:+1 for Peter's Rhone varietals! Speaking of which, I think we should be seeing either Sake or whites soon. No?

I second that notion!

QuartzDragon wrote:I have to agree. I'm on the fence on this one. Corison is compelling, but at $22 for a second label, I was hoping for some rat reports to help me make a decision. I'm really hoping they chime in tonight.

Welcome! Although it sounds like you are not new.

kylemittskus wrote:+1 for Peter's Rhone varietals! Speaking of which, I think we should be seeing either Sake or whites soon. No?

Personally, I think we are due for some Wellington. Something like a Wellington Reserve Redux!

mgdsh wrote:Re: All this rat disappointment... I thought I read in a previous thread that the first sucker has a very good shot of getting the lab rat.

How does one go about the labratting? Do we need to email labrat@woot.com for each order, or do we email it once and then we're "on the list" for all future purchases?

Sorry for the delay everyone. Life got in the way of me being abje to do my rat duties last night. But I will try to make up for it with gusto, please pardon the unrefined pallets of the missus and I. Just got home from work 20 minutes ago, opened the Merlot as soon as I had my shoes off. Poured two glasses. Wife thinks hers smells sweet, can't seem to identify specifically of what. I'm getting some tobacoo and cherries on my nose. First sip, verrrry smooth. Does not seem to be needing time to open. Still getting a hint of cherries in the flavor. Very impressed so far. Best kudos I can give to the fence sitters is that my wife, who was initially mad at me for ordering when we're supposed to be watching the budget, is really looking foward to the full order arriving.

Starting on dinner, got some steaks seasoning and potatoes roasting. Looking foward to seeing how this opens up throughout the night. Will be back after dinner with further thoughts.

Geez, labrats. Really depended on you because there aren't even a few tasting notes to compare on these. I'm disappointed, but maybe it's for the better. I would really really loved to have used my wootbirthday on this one even though I absolutely should not be spending the money. Bah.

edit: I was typing and missed the post before. whew!

kylemittskus wrote:Mill has not signed up to be among the few, the proud, the labrats.

And how do you know who is on that list?

polarbear22 wrote:CT wooter available for wootleg. I have Kronos for LoonBoarder, so we will be working out a CT to NH transfer.
PM me if interested.

Meh. I decided to buy Killzone 2 instead. I have a bunch of wine here that needs drinkin' anyway. Thanks for the offer!

Someone should bring a sushi battle to NH. I dunno who, and I don't know what a sushi battle is, but I like sushi and I figure in one way or another I will get to have some. If sushi is made, fine. If sushi is bought, fine (as long as it is from Moritomo's in Concord). If I am totally missing the point, feel free to educate me.

kylemittskus wrote:I may be wrong but that was only mentioned during either the EHP or Toothy offering. Otherwise, between MM and PetiteSirah/Loweeel, none of us would ever have a chance.

Ah, I see.

Well provided its an offering I recognize, I'll be happy to give them a run for their money

edthebedhead wrote:
And how do you know who is on that list?

It's been brought up before. Mill's identity is a matter of some discussion, since they have never posted in the forums but are very quick to order every offer that is posted on Wine.Woot.

Some folks wanted them to be labratted, so they would have to post and some of our curiosity might be satisfied. But Winedavid has said they have never signed up for the program.

Just wrapped up dinner. Already smooth merlot opened up even more. My wife who is now tasting fruit, but can't put her finger on any specific fruit. My initial impression of a hint of cherry has been amplified, definetly getting lots of cherry towards the bottom of the second glass. Third glass has been poured. Going to relax and watch some TV and see how it fares as the night progresses.

amilham wrote:How does one go about the labratting? Do we need to email labrat@woot.com for each order, or do we email it once and then we're "on the list" for all future purchases?

Info is here. Sign up once for life.

ArcheDiver wrote:Just wrapped up dinner.

Gotcha packed. Will keep an eye out for updates.

Last note before bed. We finished the last of the merlot in the living room watching a movie. Finished quite smooth, but suprisingly for me the hint of cherry actually seemed to fade with the last glass. Overall both the wife and I really like this. If budget wasn't so tight right now I would definetly up my order. Going to Napa with the Inlaws in April, definetly planning a stop at Corison now. Hope my reports helped some fence sitters. Enjoy. Have to call it a night, tomorrow is a dive day.

mgdsh wrote:Ah, I see.

Well provided its an offering I recognize, I'll be happy to give them a run for their money

If you take the time to recognize, you've already lost the race.

-- T

Thank you all for the Corison raves. While I have never posted before, I have been reading the forum religiously to learn what I can. In for two for the first time on woot.

Off topic question for the experts: I will be visiting Santa Barbara (from CT) and look forwarding to visiting a number of wineries. I am a fan of red wine, especially Pinot, Cab, Malbec. Any places I have to visit? Or is there a certain region I have to hit (Los Olivos, Foxen Canyon, etc.)? Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

UMA2006 wrote:Thank you all for the Corison raves. While I have never posted before, I have been reading the forum religiously to learn what I can. In for two for the first time on woot.

Off topic question for the experts: I will be visiting Santa Barbara (from CT) and look forwarding to visiting a number of wineries. I am a fan of red wine, especially Pinot, Cab, Malbec. Any places I have to visit? Or is there a certain region I have to hit (Los Olivos, Foxen Canyon, etc.)? Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

Melville & Gainey

koneco wrote:Someone should bring a sushi battle to NH. I dunno who, and I don't know what a sushi battle is, but I like sushi and I figure in one way or another I will get to have some. If sushi is made, fine. If sushi is bought, fine (as long as it is from Moritomo's in Concord). If I am totally missing the point, feel free to educate me.

Seafood is lost on me, so I tend to stick to spring rolls and such similar things. A few years ago I hosted a "burger swap" inspired by Christmas time cookie swaps. About 6-8 people making radically different sliders for a full evening of awesome meat.

I tend to treat any sort of pot luck as a competition, anyway. I figure first one to an empty serving dish wins.

Was there suppose to be 2 rats? I only saw one report so far.

I agree with previous sentiments re: rats and duties.

Detailed and honest opinion appreciated.

Unfavorable reports IS appreciated.

No report is not appreciated.

Rats not able to fulfill duties should be killed off the list.

toottoot wrote:Was there suppose to be 2 rats? I only saw one report so far.

I agree with previous sentiments re: rats and duties.

Detailed and honest opinion appreciated.

Unfavorable reports IS appreciated.

No report is not appreciated.

Rats not able to fulfill duties should be killed off the list.

Indeed. Although given the number of Corison Cab offerings thus far (3, including the Kronos), my expectations for the Cab rat were even higher. I was hoping for a compare & contrast from the Corison Cabs.

Ah well

zTimothyBz wrote:If you take the time to recognize, you've already lost the race.

-- T

That process worked out well this week We'll see what happens.

UMA2006 wrote:Thank you all for the Corison raves.

Off topic question for the experts: I will be visiting Santa Barbara (from CT) and look forwarding to visiting a number of wineries. I am a fan of red wine, especially Pinot, Cab, Malbec. Any places I have to visit? Or is there a certain region I have to hit (Los Olivos, Foxen Canyon, etc.)? Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

I started a thread on this a while back: http://wine.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PostID=1876053

Life got in the way so I never posted notes on my trip. Sorry! I'll update now.

is noon too early to ask for a hint?

UMA2006 wrote:Thank you all for the Corison raves. While I have never posted before, I have been reading the forum religiously to learn what I can. In for two for the first time on woot.

Off topic question for the experts: I will be visiting Santa Barbara (from CT) and look forwarding to visiting a number of wineries. I am a fan of red wine, especially Pinot, Cab, Malbec. Any places I have to visit? Or is there a certain region I have to hit (Los Olivos, Foxen Canyon, etc.)? Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

I took a 4 day trip to the Santa Barbara region a few weeks ago. Link to the thread is here: http://wine.woot.com/Forums/ViewPost.aspx?PostID=2942549&PageIndex=1&ReplyCount=12

jwhite6114 wrote:is noon too early to ask for a hint?

No. No it is not. CLUE???

kylemittskus wrote:The one that still bothers me is the rat from the Kronos. I don't think he/she even opened the bottle. There was one post. It was maybe 4 sentences and said nothing more than "Mmmm."

A rat that doesn't rat is a stinkin' rat!

Please understand that not getting a labrat report on the Corison offer doesn't affect me because I know that Corison is a great product and I've max'd the offer. I can't wait for it to arrive.

For those that may still be on the fence, go to page 1 of the comments for this offer and look at the stats. See who's buying and how much.

Obviously, some people don't understand their duties to all those that woot or want to woot. Bottom line, if you can't labrat, take your name off the list or state so when you purchase.

Any labrat that doesn't report during the offer should have their ID posted on a "Labrat No-Show List of Shame".

Finally, thanks to everyone at Corison for bringing your various product lines to WW. Your hard work and effort to craft a great product is really noted during the final phase of producing wine - drinking it. Those that didn't purchase will be losing out on a great opportunity. It's gonna be a good summer by the boat regardless of the fishing or weather.

jwhite6114 wrote:is noon too early to ask for a hint?

Noon PT, no. Noon ET, maybe. Depends on how late WD sleeps in (or WF and/or daughters let him).

And after 10:30 am PT, so WD ....

boatman72 wrote:A rat that doesn't rat is a stinkin' rat!

Please understand that not getting a labrat report on the Corison offer doesn't affect me because I know that Corison is a great product and I've max'd the offer. I can't wait for it to arrive.

For those that may still be on the fence, go to page 1 of the comments for this offer and look at the stats. See who's buying and how much.

Obviously, some people don't understand their duties to all those that woot or want to woot. Bottom line, if you can't labrat, take your name off the list or state so when you purchase.

Any labrat that doesn't report during the offer should have their ID posted on a "Labrat No-Show List of Shame".

Finally, thanks to everyone at Corison for bringing your various product lines to WW. Your hard work and effort to craft a great product is really noted during the final phase of producing wine - drinking it. Those that didn't purchase will be losing out on a great opportunity. It's gonna be a good summer by the boat regardless of the fishing or weather.

While I understand your frustration, perhaps this could have been avoided if WD had sent out more then just two bottles. Branding people with a scarlett letter seems kind of harsh.
The labrat program, while nice for us consumers, really benefits WD the most. If the rats rave about a wine (which is almost always the case), then sales should also see a spike. It is obvious that some kinks still need to be worked out, but to rant on and on about the downfalls of the system seems to me to be counter-productive.
If you have an idea on how to build a better mousetrap, then speak up, otherwise, wallow with the rest of us in silence.
Just my two cents.

Maybe Ratting should involve submitting credit information and a confirming a contract that if you don't perform your duties you will be charged full market or winery price for the wine they send you. There should be a penalty those that are just trying to get a free bottle.

schuey wrote:While I understand your frustration, perhaps this could have been avoided if WD had sent out more then just two bottles. Branding people with a scarlett letter seems kind of harsh.
The labrat program, while nice for us consumers, really benefits WD the most. If the rats rave about a wine (which is almost always the case), then sales should also see a spike. It is obvious that some kinks still need to be worked out, but to rant on and on about the downfalls of the system seems to me to be counter-productive.
If you have an idea on how to build a better mousetrap, then speak up, otherwise, wallow with the rest of us in silence.
Just my two cents.

The thing is, those rat bottles aren't cheap or easy to setup. Each one is overnighted and is basically given out for free. It is the rat's duty to report in on the bottle they've received on a timely manner.

Another suggestion could be to list yourself as available for rattage via a post (or some other means) upon purchase.

FWIW, I don't see 'ranting on the downfalls' of a system to be a bad thing. The only way you can improve something is by identifying the weaknesses.

mgdsh wrote:The thing is, those rat bottles aren't cheap or easy to setup. Each one is overnighted and is basically given out for free. It is the rat's duty to report in on the bottle they've received on a timely manner.

Another suggestion could be to list yourself as available for rattage via a post (or some other means) upon purchase.

FWIW, I don't see 'ranting on the downfalls' of a system to be a bad thing. The only way you can improve something is by identifying the weaknesses.

Meh. We've seen over 90% of rats report in. While 100% is ideal, I don't think 90% should be considered failure or even indicative of a need to change the system. Simplicity works best, and I haven't seen a single suggestion for improvement that doesn't add complexity (or at least more work for someone). If any of these suggestions improve reporing by even 50% we're really not going to see much difference from today (91.6% to 95.8% really ain't all that significant to me).

Yeah, it inhales sharply and creates suction when they don't report, but it ain't that big of a deal, really.

What might change my mind on this is if sales change dramatically after rats report, but based on the limited view we get from Woot stats, I am not sure this is the case.

ShiftyDevil wrote:Maybe Ratting should involve submitting credit information and a confirming a contract that if you don't perform your duties you will be charged full market or winery price for the wine they send you. There should be a penalty those that are just trying to get a free bottle.

I don't think a lot are trying to get a free bottle.

I think what happens sometimes is that life gets in the way. People sign up for the labrat program, with the intention of following through. But they may not be home when the bottle arrives, or it may go to their wootlegger, who fails to notify them (which has happened at least once, to my failing memory).

WD has tried to allieviate this by sending emails out to the labrats. And while this helps to let us know a bottle is on the way, it also means that we need to: A) make sure that WD's email address is identified as on our "safe list"; B) we check our SPAM folder just in case; and C) check our emails the following days after we purchase.

Just knowing you have a bottle on the way to labrat helps to make sure we get it in time to labrat.

If you know you can't labrat that offer, an alternative is to wait until after the 10 am CT deadline before ordering. However, sometimes that isn't always safe, since some orders will sell out fast. Jwhite (with his awesome spreadsheet) can let us know how often a sellout has occurred before the labrat deadline. Not often, but maybe once or twice?

If you know you will not be able to labrat, and don't want to chance waiting to order until after the 10 am CT deadline, many people have ordered, and then posted in the main wine thread that they are unable to labrat. Along with the many other pleading with WD to labrat.

I, and possibly others, have mentioned to WD that maybe adding an option on the order screen to either verify you can labrat that week, or to opt-out that week for labrat duties might help.

jwhite6114 wrote:Meh. We've seen over 90% of rats report in. While 100% is ideal, I don't think 90% should be considered failure or even indicative of a need to change the system. Simplicity works best, and I haven't seen a single suggestion for improvement that doesn't add complexity (or at least more work for someone). If any of these suggestions improve reporing by even 50% we're really not going to see much difference from today (91.6% to 95.8% really ain't all that significant to me).

Yeah, it inhales sharply and creates suction when they don't report, but it ain't that big of a deal, really.

What might change my mind on this is if sales change dramatically after rats report, but based on the limited view we get from Woot stats, I am not sure this is the case.

J-Dub, any chance of you looking in your awesome spreadsheet to see how many sellouts have come before the 10am CT labrat deadline?

I'm thinking only one or two at the most, and possibly none.


If none, then maybe it would let more people (signed up for labrat duties) wait until after the labrat deadline before ordering.

MarkDaSpark wrote:J-Dub, any chance of you looking in your awesome spreadsheet to see how many sellouts have come before the 10am CT labrat deadline?

I'm thinking only one or two at the most, and possibly none.


If none, then maybe it would let more people (signed up for labrat duties) wait until after the labrat deadline before ordering.

Non-woot-off offers that sold out before the 10:00AM Labrat cutoff:
- 12/7/2008 Monkey Prize Wine Gift Bundle - Gift Week (no labratting for this one)

Non-woot-off offers that sold out on the first day (this risky to not order early):
- 12/18/2008 Iron Horse Sparkling Two Pack with Four Wine Flutes
- 12/3/2008 Sake One Sampler of Six with Gift Box- Gift Week (no labratting for this one)
- 10/9/2008 Esoterica Port Medley - Six Pack (this one just barely went past the 10:00AM deadline)
- 9/22/2008 2004 Titus Napa Valley Lot 1
- 5/19/2008 Ty Caton Three-Pack Sampler (replaced with [very] slightly different offer)
- 1/15/2007 Castle Vineyards Red Quartet (replaced with [very] slightly different offer)
- 1/17/2007 Castle Vineyards Red Quartet Update - NEW VINTAGE
- 12/4/2006 Monkey Prize, a Woot Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Half-Case)



So, to Sparky's point, ordering before 10:00 A.M is not necessary to avoid missing out on an offer.