Best Wines for Christmas

Posted on December 23, 2011 by josheblogs

“What are the best wines for celebrating Christmas this Year?” asks the Australian magazine ‘Hospitality’. It homes in on Riesling and Chateau Select’s Bill Warry agrees. “It is one of the most versatile grape varietals around,” he says. Dry, aromatic – and bursting with flavour.  A great wine to have with your Christmas Turkey and a real must to have with a roast loin of pork.

Another similar grape varietal that might leave you pleasantly surprised is Sylvaner. The Vino Diversity web site describes it as “One of those unfashionable varieties that can be worth seeking out.

Bill suggests a Riesling Kabinett 2009 and he also favours a light fruity Silvaner.
 
Almost any good wine, white or red, can go well with turkey itself, but it’s the things that come with it like stuffing and cranberry sauce, that make it important to choose a full, fruity wine that doesn’t get lost in all those flavours.

From his reds Bill picked a Magnum sized “Laughing Magpie Shiraz/Viognier 2002”, one of those cult wines from Down Under. Like a good Burgundy this has been created with the intention of laying down. It is good to drink till 2018. Wine Advocate magazine describes it as “the La Mouline of McLaren Vale. An exotic, heady, flamboyantly styled red, it boasts an inky/purple colour as well as a gorgeous nose of lychee nuts, acacia flowers, blackberries and creme de cassis. This makes for a classy Christmas Present and what a wine to have at your Christmas table!

Another great wine to go with your Christmas dinner from the d’Arenberg classics would be the d’Arenberg Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon,  with its fabulous flavours of cassis and blackcurrent and lovely aromas of Asian spices.

Bill has put together a great HALF PRICE offer of 6 Riesling and 6 Coppermine Rd. Have a look at www.chateauselect.co.uk . Or if you’re looking for a quality wine on a budget you might go for Australia’s Broken Shackle Red.
Pinot Noir, Rioja, Bordeaux type Cabernet Merlot blends also make good accompaniments to Turkey with all its trimmings.

Christmas is the time one thinks of dessert wines. Port is always s a popular one here. The Portuguese producer Martha’s presents his Tawny in some lovely decanter bottles. Smaller than the big names such as Taylors and Crofts, Martha’s frequently comes up trumps with gold and silver medals.

Another gem of a dessert wine comes from California: Essencia d’Orange. Just the thing to go with those After Eights. It’s such a wonderful wine to have with chocolate or chocolate desserts of any kind.

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Online video marketing

Posted on November 22, 2011 by josheblogs

Here’s a littl article cobbled together from chatting and corresponding with the ’Online Video Marketing Guru’ Steve Harris from SteveHarrisMedia.com – I thought it was quite useful to pass this on!

Be at the cutting edge of marketing

If Online Video Marketing is mentioned to a business person, they’ll know exactly what you mean but look at you as though you’ve come from another planet. And why, I hear you ask..? It’s because Online Video Marketing is a Marketing Tool that’s So New and So POWERFUL that few business people have simply not come to terms with “The Video Thing” as many prefer to call it…

Firstly they fear the expense and when they find that in the main there is no real monetary expense they treat Online Video Marketing as a play thing that no ones going to bother getting involved with. Well at this point if you are the reader and can relate to this think again..! Businesses are now active with Online Video Marketing and becoming more so at a faster than you can imagine… In fact we are heading for a Video Tsunami of Corporate Online Video content coming at us, in fact it’s been mentioned that by 2013, 90% of all Online communication will consist of Online Video Content.

 If a website hasn’t got an Online Video Presentation embedded in to their website 1st Page, then it will be perceived that the company will not allow you to know, like and trust them… end result is the prospect will find another Online option that allows the prospect to Know, Like and Trust the Company, that the prospect chooses to do business with, it’s that simple. Of course the SEO options available for Online Video Content right now are simple and its land grab time in all business sectors, its an easy process mainly because most businesses have not briefed their marketing departments to take action and start posting their library of video content. Another reason for this is that no one knows anything about Online Video Marketing and no one dare go in front of the camera. All these areas fall in to the expertise of Steve Harris and his team, right now Steve is in high demand particularly in the US where he has three presentations early in the New Year… Texas, Boston and Kissimmee, Florida his time is time is highly sort and in strong demand.

Steve’s techniques are simplistic and with his video presentation coaching and mentoring skills it normally takes just a few months with practice to master the presentation repertoire required to communicate effective online video marketing and moreover deliver a video presentation that results in take action responses from the audience. Wake Up Calls, Voice Tones, Body Language, Memory Hooks, Word Hangers and Take Action techniques are just a few areas covered in his intense Video Coaching course. Steve runs Internationally Acclaimed One day Workshops that cover the basis of these disciplines. He also details the processes required to attain high positions in the Google and YouTube search engines which are of utmost importance in winning high ranking positions and so therefore creating a direct response.

Contact Steve at info@steveharris.tv or see his video here.

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Bishops Leap Sauvignon Blanc Offer

Posted on November 1, 2011 by josheblogs

Before we get started, please also see our other recent wine post on Riesling wines and the varietal information on Riesling wines too.

Sauvignon Blanc Lovers should take note of Bill Warry’s November Special Offer on Bishops Leap Sauvignon Blanc.  A massive 15% off a case of a dozen represents a handsome £14 saving and the Wine delivery is free anywhere on the UK mainland – Even better!

A word about Bishops Leap. It is a very popular Marlborough wine from the St Clair Winery. Has delightful aromas of gooseberry and passion fruit. Hints of honeysuckle. Lovely to drink on its own and a great accompaniment to sea food.

All in all, this is a wine special offer that ticks lots of boxes. Sauvignon Blanc is a popular grape varietal. Of Sauvignon Blancs, Bishops Leap is high on the list of popularity. It is a Marlborough wine, which again strikes a cord in the popularity stakes. New Zealand’s Marlborough Wine-growing area has exceptional terroir and climate for producing some of the best wines of its types.

St Clair, the winery that produces Bishops Leap has an incredible reputation producing a whole range of wines, particularly of Sauvignon Blanc, but also of its famous Marlborough Pinot Noir. Their core-brand Premium range is produced in small parcels of land, named with numbered pioneered blocks. They carry a premium price, but have acquired quite a cult following. 

However, it is the Bishops Leap Sauvignon Blanc, introduced in 2009, that became an immediate hit with Marlborough Wine lovers. Here we have an affordable price from a top winery!  Bill’s special offer makes it even more affordable. To get to the offer click here.

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Her favourite flowers…

Posted on September 30, 2011 by josheblogs

When choosing flowers for your partner, girlfriend or wife, or simply as a thank you for someone you know, it’s the thought that counts. 

Speaking to someone recently about presents and he said that his girlfriend had a certain ‘level of expectation’ about gifts she received.  I made the point that it is the gesture that should matter and not the value, but I have a feeling that this fell on deaf ears.  However, the same really does apply for flowers.  Cheap flowers don’t have to be cheap looking – and it is important to remember that this is a gift to show that you are thinking of the person, not as an extravagant gesture. Too much of a good thing can, after all become a little meaningless.

Click here to see bunches of carnations

Carnations, are a very popular type of flower - click the image for some example bunches!

So, if you are looking for flowers to send, what type do you go for?  Well, Carnations and Chrysanthemums are both very popular.  They are inexpensive, but last a long time and also look very pretty.

Coming in multiple colours and petal formations, carnations are generally available as spray carnations, which have multiple smaller flowers, or as standard, with larger blooms.

Chrysanthemums again come in many varieties and have dramatically different forms and colours, making both of these flowers exceptionally versatile.

One last thing to say here.  Try to find out what the person likes before you send them flowers. If they prefer a certain flower type, then that is what you should send!

See our other recent article on making cut flowers last longer. See you again soon!

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Serviced offices in London, UK

Posted on September 15, 2011 by josheblogs

On the date of writing I have just read in one of the more informative newspapers that quite a few of our larger towns and cities are suffering from shop closures – up to a maximum of 27.5% in one northern town. Happily that sort of downturn is only apparent in one minor London Borough, whilst the general demand for serviced offices in London  is even greater than a year ago.   

 We are all aware that the Internet has had an incredible effect on the well-being of retail shops over the last few years, and this is something which will certainly escalate as time goes on.

More and more purchases are being made online because the customer doesn’t have the time, or possibly the patience to physically shop for the goods which he/she wishes to buy, and as aforesaid, this situation is not going away, but it is still a trend which has contributed to the demise of the retail sector in some areas.

 London is fortunate in this because the indigenous population is so vast, and topped up with a huge influx of (mainly) wealthy visitors it is shielded from the worst of and financial downturns which may be affecting the rest of the country.

 And so it follows that serviced offices in Mayfair are, as we have stated above, in more demand than ever. Probably the prestige associated with leasing a serviced office in a place like Mayfair makes a difference to the marketability, but we can say for certain that none of the London Boroughs have suffered in terms of a lack of clients seeking office space, indeed, serviced offices in Bond Street are as hard to come by now as they ever were.

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Top tips for hanging baskets

Posted on August 16, 2011 by josheblogs

If you want to brighten your garden up quickly, but hate all that weeding and bending, needed when you have flower beds, then perhaps hanging baskets are for you!

Hanging baskets need not be expensive

If you purchase a hanging basked from a nursery, you will often find that the price of the basket is artificially inflated, as if you add up the price of the flowers, the bare basket, moss and compost, you will on many occasions be able to buy the components more cheaply.  Buying cheap flowers from garden centres for your hanging baskets will become easier over time, as you discover where the best value is to be found and which nurseries or shops have the best plants for the job. So, if you are going to make the display yourself, then here are some tips for you.

  1. Get the compost right – there are special proprietary composts that have good nutrients in them, and are better suited to hanging baskets. If you use peat, then mix it with some garden soil to give it a little weight, and you will need to feed the plants
  2. Make sure you choose the right flowers for the job. Look at what baskets usually have – my favourites are busy lizzies, petunias, trailing lobelia and perhaps a geranium for some height at the centre.  These flowers give the best mix of colour for a good price.
  3. When you make your basket, it is usual to line the basket wire with moss. Don’t make the mistake of putting the compost up against this, as although it will not fall out if you line it well, the moss will tend to act as a wick for the water and your baskets dry out more quickly.  So line it with some plastic (I use the plastic that the compost came in!). Don’t forget to puncture the plastic in places around the bottom of the basket, or you could find your plants sit in water and the roots rot.
  4. Put the trailing plants around the edge and the taller around the middle.
  5. Plant them early – the earlier in the season you plant, the fuller the basket will be for less money as the season progresses
  6. Dead head the flowers – don’t allow the flower to set seed, as you will find the plants become straggly, or produce less flowers more quickly if they produce seed.
  7. Keep them well watered – don’t allow the basket to dry out totally- compost that dries becomes less easy to water, as the water tends to drip off the side.  Also plants will tend to run to seed, or drop their leaves of put under stress, and lack of water is stress. 

I hope you found this useful  If you did, please comment, tweet us and like us on Facebook.

Back soon!

Jo

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Riesling wines

Posted on July 27, 2011 by josheblogs

Riesling winesEditor’s note, before we get started:
Thank you for this article goes to Bill Warry of Chateau Select.  Rather than just articles on flowers and chocolates (both passions of mine :-) ) I thought it would be great to expand this section with guest bloggers.  Bill has kindly supplied the following original article on Riesling for us, and will be a regular on this blog, I believe (and hope). Please thank Bill by visiting his website, which includes selected wines and even a wine club.

What’s happened with Riesling?

Riesling winesRiesling is generally reckoned to be one of the top three white grape varietals along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

It is more versatile than either of the other two, both in terms of producing dry, medium or sweet wine and in terms of food pairing.

So why is Riesling lagging behind the other two in popularity?

The decline can probably partly be attributed to the popularity of the Niersteiners and Liebfraumilchs some 20 years ago. German wine came to be associated in people’s minds with “cheap” rather than “quality”.

Price also probably has something to do with it. The fact is that Rieslings, German Rieslings in particular, are quality wines and this is reflected in their cost.

Riesling usually produces an intensely aromatic wine that is wonderful to drink on its own. It also goes well with a wide gamut of food. It tend to have hints of apple that make it suitable for drinking with roast pork, but can be recommended with veal, poultry, grilled fish and spicy food.

A search on Google on “Riesling revival” will bring up a whole host of articles on the coming back to fashion of  Riesling. Sensing this change of mood in the buying public, one German grower has labelled his Riesling “Renaissance”. It is included in a mixed case offer currently being made by Chateau Select. It allows you to try out four different Rieslings.

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Where to buy indoor plants

Posted on July 18, 2011 by josheblogs

Indoor plants come in two main types; those that are grown for their foliage and those grown for their flowers.  Now, where you buy the plants from does depend a little upon the type.  If you are going for a foliage plant, then it is less likely that in many supermarkets you will find a large enough variety.  There tend to be better choices within garden centres and nurseries, and places such as large DIY / home store type shops which will have a large selection of indoor and outdoor plants.

Indoor plants for different reasons

If you are looking for a house plant as a gift, then it is more likely that you will purchase a flowering variety (see our advice on preserving cut flowers, as some items in there also apply to pot plants). A great variety of places sell these, so your local supermarkets are a good place to start.  Some florists also sell pot plants, and garden centres will do so too.

If you are purchasing an indoor plant for your own use, then consider looking at both nurseries / garden centres, large DIY stores and also some larger supermarkets.  Make sure that you do your research about the life of the plant.  Some pot plants can grow enormous (i.e. rubber plants) although you can prune them back. You can also choose these plants to suit your home or growing conditions.  For instance, if you have a particularly drafty spot or one right in full sunlight, these factors both affect the choice of plants.  Spider plants, for example, like rooms that are bright, but do not tend to do well in direct sunlight.

Visit us again soon, for more topics on plants and cut flowers.

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Make cut flowers last longer

Posted on July 8, 2011 by josheblogs

Here is another quick note on making cut flowers last longer in vases and arrangements.  This is something that is very often asked, and very easily achieved.  See our recent article on preserving cut flowers which has a number other tips, but today we are going to concentrate on just one aspect, and that is  keeping the water nice and fresh.

Flowers delivered same day...Water is the life-blood of the cut flower, as without it the flower will soon wilt and die.  It has largely finished the need for stem growth, but needs water to keep rigid and to help maintain healthy leaves and flowers. But it is not simply a matter of keeping it topped up.  Water when left still becomes stagnant, and this often results in an offensive smell developing due to bacterial build up, spoiling the otherwise nice flower scents that are part of the joy of having flowers around the house or working environment.  Some people even loath cut flower for this reason, as they are left with stagnant water and a dirty vase to deal with when the flowers have gone. 

Four simple steps to help preserve your flowers

So, what can be done?  Four simple steps help you to make this problem largely go away.

  1. Prepare the flowers- Once they are cut to the right length, make sure you then strip away any leaves that are going to sit below the water line.  Remove leaves on spiky plants carefully!
  2. Feed the flowers – plant food sachets  that come with cut flowers often contain ingredients to help prevent foul smelling water from developing, so use them if you have them
  3. Change the water regularly - If your flowers keep well, you may have them for some weeks.  In this case, you will want to regularly empty the vase, and refill with fresh water from the tap.
  4. Remove any dead flowers  and any leaves that drop into the water.

So there you have it! Four simple steps that should help prolong your enjoyment of cut flowers.

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Promotional business products

Posted on June 23, 2011 by josheblogs

Now more than ever, the business world needs ways to be remembered, as fewer customers buy more selectively than ever before. Promotional products, when chosen wisely, can provide some much needed brand awareness and help to put a company in mind when a choice has to be made.

How to choose a promotional item

This need not be difficult, and there may well be some obvious choices you can make.  For instance, if you are a bookshop, bookmarks are going to e one of the better choices.  They are cheap, look good, have plenty of space for logos and brand awareness messages and most importantly, they will be with a reader when he or she is with his book.

And with this point, it brings us nicely into WHY promotional products are good things to have.  They are little reminders about your business, long after the customers leave your shop.  Nowadays, with websites being ubiquitous, promotional products can act as reminders of the ‘best place to buy books’, or ‘buy music’ or whatever you are trying to promote.  As such, they can be vitally important in keeping awareness, where new websites doing similar things will constantly be thrust into your loyal customer’s faces.

Offline methods like this must not be neglected.  Items like promotional USB sticks (see our recent article on cheap promotional USB sticks too) provide a useful tool which will undoubtedly be reused time and again, especially if they are attractive and reliable.  Promotional mugs are even better in some ways, (see our recent blog on cheap promotional mugs), as they can become old favourites, andare exactly they type if item that will circulate around an office or at the homes of your customers. A little investment now can really pay dividends in the future.  These two items, along with many other such products, like mouse mats and promotional pens will often be well placed when your customers are sat at their computers, or at work, just about to make that order…

So in conclusion, if you are choosing promotional products to promote your business, don’t just think of costs, also think about :

Appropriateness for your audience – i.e. bookmarks for book readers…

How visible are they – i.e. will they be seen often

How useful are they – will they be used often

How easy is it to get a promotional message on

Longevity of the product – mugs may last longer than mousemats for instance.

Thank you for reading, and come back soon for more information on similar topics.

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