Movie 1 liners

Purrfect ....

The eyes have it......

1. “Dominant headlines most often draw the eye first upon entering the page”
2. “Smaller type encourages focused viewing behavior…. larger type promotes lighter scanning”
3. “a headline has less than a second of a site visitor’s attention”
4. “For headlines — especially longer ones — it would appear that the first couple of words need to be real attention-grabbers”
5. “Navigation placed at the top of a homepage performed best”
6. “Shorter paragraphs performed better in Eyetrack III research than longer ones.”
7. “We found that ads in the top and left portions of a homepage received the most eye fixations”
8. “Size matters. Bigger ads had a better chance of being seen”
9. “Close proximity to popular editorial content really helped ads get seen”
10. “the bigger the image, the more time people took to look at it.”
11. “Our research also shows that clean, clear faces in images attract more eye fixations on homepages”

Users Focus On Faces

People instinctively notice other people right away when they come into view. On Web pages, we tend to focus on people’s faces and eyes, which gives marketers a good technique for attracting attention. But our attraction to people’s faces and eyes is only the beginning; it turns out we actually glance in the direction the person in the image is looking in.

Eye-tracking heat map of a baby looking directly at us, from the UsableWorld study.

And now the baby is looking at the content. Notice the increase in people looking at the headline and text.

Here’s an eye-tracking study that demonstrates this. We’re instinctively drawn to faces, but if that face is looking somewhere other than at us, we’ll also look in that direction. Take advantage of this phenomenon by drawing your users’ attention to the most important parts of your page or ad.

The Cafe Wall

The Café Wall works by feeding our brain too much contrasting information at once. Our visual systems are not very precise when perceiving strong contrasts in color, and the strong black-and-white pattern with mortar in the middle on the Café Wall immediately overpowers the brain.

When we look at Cafe Wall we don’t notice the mortar as being separate from the alternating black and white tiles; we instead assume the mortar is a part of whichever tiles are closest to our field of vision. Since we think the mortar and the tile it is closest to are one object, our brains must then assume that the tile containing the mortar must be larger than the tile not containing the mortar. But then when we look at Café Wall, we see that all the tiles contain mortar! How can one object be bigger than another if they are all the same size and containing the same edging of mortar? They can’t. 

Why does he just scare me?

The Top 10 Plants for Removing Indoor Toxins

Top ten plants for removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air:

1. Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

Also called the “Butterfly Palm”. An upright houseplant that is somewhat vase shaped. Specimen plants can reach 10 to 12 foot in height. Prefers a humid area to avoid tip damage. Requires pruning. When selecting an Areca palm look for plants with larger caliber trunks at the base of the plant. Plants that have pencil thin stems tend to topple over and are quite difficult to maintain.

2. Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)

Also called the “Lady Palm”, this durable palm species adapts well to most interiors. The Rhapis are some of the easiest palms to grow, but each species has its own particular environment and culture requirements. The “Lady Palm” grows slowly, but can grow to more than 14′ in height with broad clumps often having a diameter as wide as their height.

3. Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)

Also called the “reed palm”, this palm prefers bright indirect light. New plants will lose of some interior foliage as they acclimate to indoor settings. This plant likes to stay uniformly moist, but does not like to be over-watered or to sit in standing water. Indoor palms may attract spider mites which can be controlled by spraying with a soapy solution.

4. Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta)

Grows very well indoors, preferring semi-sun lighting. Avoid direct sunlight, especially in summer. Young plants may need to be supported by a stake. The Ficus grows to 8’ with a spread of 5’. Wear gloves when pruning, as the milky sap may irritate the skin. Water thoroughly when in active growth, then allow the soil to become fairly dry before watering again. In winter keep slightly moist.

5. Dracaena “Janet Craig” (Dracaena deremensis)

The Dracaena grows to 10’ with a spread of 3’. Easy to grow, these plants do best in bright indirect sunlight coming from the east/west. They can adapt to lower light levels if the watering is reduced. Keep the soil evenly moist and mist frequently with warm water. Remove any dead leaves. Leaf tips will go brown if the plant is under watered but this browning may be trimmed.

6. Philodendron (Philodendron sp.)

One of the most durable of all house plants. Philodendrons prefer medium intensity light but will tolerate low light. Direct sun will burn the leaves and stunt plant growth. This plant is available in climbing and non-climbing varieties. When grown indoors, they need to be misted regularly and the leaves kept free of dust. Soil should be evenly moist, but allowed to dry between watering.

7. Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)

A hardy, drought-tolerant and long-lived plant, the Dwarf Date Palm needs a bright spot which is free of drafts. It grows slowly, reaching heights of 8-10’. The Dwarf Date Palm should not be placed near children’s play areas because it has sharp needle-like spines arranged near the base of the leaf stem. These can easily penetrate skin and even protective clothing.

8. Ficus Alii (Ficus macleilandii “Alii”)

The Ficus Alii grows easily indoors, and resists insects. It prefers a humid environment and low to medium light when grown indoors. The Ficus Aliii should not be placed near heating or air conditioning vents, or near drafts because this could cause leaf loss. Soil should be kept moist but allowed to dry between watering.

9. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata “Bostoniensis”)

The Boston fern grows to 4’ in height with a spread up to 5’. It has feathery ferns which are best displayed as a hanging plant. It prefers bright indirect sunlight. Keep the soil barely moist and mist frequently with warm water. This plant is prone to spider mites and whitefly which can be controlled using a soapy water spray. Inspect new plants for bugs before bringing them home.

10. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum “Mauna Loa”)

The Peace Lily is a compact plant which grows to a height of 3’ with a 2’ spread. This hardy plant tolerates neglect. It prefers indirect sunlight and high humidity, but needs to be placed out of drafts. For best results, the Peace Lily should be thoroughly watered, then allowed to go moderately dry between waterings. The leaves should be misted frequently with warm water.

Captured .................

Ah think someone is on the "wrong" side o' th' fence

In Search of Missing Pieces

‘In Search of Missing Pieces’ is a series of original sculptures by French artist Bruno Catalono.
Caught my eye big time!

Osseointegration

(Photograph by Associated Press)

The ideal prosthetic limb would behave like part of the natural body. Osseointegration allows prosthetics to fuse with a patient's living bone--it works by taking advantage of the fact that bone cells attach to titanium instead of rejecting it. The technique has already been used for small-scale dental and facial implants, and researchers are now bringing it to full-scale limb prosthetics. After a successful lower-leg implant in 2008 on a German shepherd named Cassidy, veterinary surgeons at North Carolina State University have six more leg operations on amputee dogs planned for 2010, and are considering a case involving an ocelot at the North Carolina Zoo. But the big challenge ahead is to implement the technology in human limbs. 

Open

Be yourself...

Friendly .......

Hah!

Another gem............

Make Ice cream with only one ingredient?

If you guessed BANANA, congratulations! You're right!

What? You didn't know that bananas can make some of the best ice cream? Well, I didn't either until last week, when my sister called me up and mentioned that she's been freezing bananas and then pureeing them into ice cream.

"That's the sort of thing you discover," she sighed, "when all your friends are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-allergic, and you're on a sugar-free diet." I'd deal with a list of dietary restrictions twice as long, though, if it meant discovering more treats like this one.

It turns out that frozen bananas are good for more than just dipping in chocolate. If you freeze a banana until solid, then whiz it up in a blender or food processor, it gets creamy and a little gooey, just like good custard ice cream. I was surprised at this bit of kitchen wizardry; I assumed that a blended banana would be flaky or icy. But no — it makes creamy, rich ice cream.

Some bananas, depending on their ripeness, have a bit of that green aftertaste. My sister has been experimenting with adding in another ingredient or two, like a tablespoon of peanut butter and another of honey. Delicious!

Chrome Web Browser is No. 1

Oops - we're gonna crash....

(CNN) -- Pilots were warned of potential danger at least eight times in about 30 seconds before a Polish jet crashed in Russia in April, killing President Lech Kaczynski and about 100 others.

A transcript that the Polish government released Tuesday shows that an automated warning system sounded the alarm several times before the Tupolev-154 crashed in western Russia.

"Pull up. Pull up," a warning system advised pilots. "Terrain ahead. Terrain ahead."

The April 10 crash killed Kaczynski, his wife, top Polish military officials, the head of Poland's national bank and other dignitaries.

The president had been traveling with a Polish delegation to Russia for the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish prisoners of war in the village of Katyn. Some 20,000 Polish officers were executed there during World War II.

World's ugliest dog dies at 17

Miss Ellie, a small, bug-eyed Chinese Crested Hairless dog whose pimples and lolling tongue helped her win Animal Planet's World's Ugliest Dog contest last year, has died at age 17 after a career in resort showbusiness in the Smoky Mountains.

The Mountain Press reported on Thursday that Ellie starred in shows at the Comedy Barn in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

She also appeared on The Animal Planet cable show, Dogs 101, and was on billboards and in a commercial.

This Is The 2012 Ford Explorer

The image, tracked down by the 'stang-lovers at The Mustang Source, looks to be the first image of the all-new 2012 Explorer. While we have no firm details yet, we can tell you it's built on Ford's D platform — a platform that until now has only produced pedestrian soft-roaders like the Ford Flex and the Lincoln MKT. Ford's planning a non-auto show unveil for sometime in the near future — but for now let's talk about the looks of the replacement to the king of the body-on-frame SUVs.

Basically, it looks like either a current-gen Ford Explorer mated with a Ford Flex or somebody knee-capped a late-gen model Explorer. What say you?

Amazing car collection uncovered in Adelaide

We've stumbled across an amazing story of an Aussie classic car collector with almost three hundred cars stored outside his farm in the Adelaide countryside. The range of body styles includes sedans, coupes, roadsters and convertibles, trucks and vans from the 1930s to the 1980s. They've got badges from almost every continent — European, American and even Australian oddities.

The nameplates run through storied names from Austin, BMW, Chrysler, Hudson, Jaguar, Jensen, Lancia, Morris, Nash, Oldsmobile, Renault, Singer, Sunbeam, Vauxhall and Wolseley just to name a few. One hundred of the cars have been stored in paddocks, surrounded by spare parts and two hundred of the cars are in sheds in classic "down under country style" — corrugated iron roofs, no doors and dirt floors.

Want to see them all? We've got the full list of the cars after the jump and the gallery below of the most amazing barn find collection we've ever seen.

Before you start Google-earthing the barns, be aware that the collector does not sell cars or parts. The only way a car leaves his collection is when he trades it for another car.

The Full Collection
Alfa Romeo
1975 Alfetta sedan: 1
1976 Alfetta GTV coupe: 2
1980 Giulietta sedan: 1
1983 33 sedan: 1
Total: 5
Alvis
1947 TA 14 sedan: 1
Armstrong-Siddeley
1953 Sapphire sedan: 1
Audi
1967 90 sedan: 1
Austin
1930s unknown tourer: 2
1930s unknown sedan: 1
1947 A40 sedan: 2
1949 A90 sedan: 2
1949 A70 sedan: 1
1949 A70 sedan: 2
1951 A30 sedan: 2
1951 A40 sedan: 1
1950s A90 sedan: 4
1957 Lancer sedan: 1
1957 A95 sedan: 2
1959 A99 sedan: 1
1958 A40 sedan: 1
1961 A60 sedan: 1
1961 A60 sedan: 1
1961 Freeway sedan: 2
1961 A60 sedan: 2
1961 A60 station wagon: 1
1961 1100 sedan: 1
1966 1800 sedan: 2
1970 Kimberley sedan: 1
Total: 31
BMW
1962 3200 CS coupe: 1
1971 2000 sedan: 1
1974 728 sedan: 1
1983 635 CSi coupe: 1
1979 733i sedan: 1
Total: 5
Citroen
1973 DS 23 sedan: 1
1974 CX 2200 sedan: 1
1978 CX 2400 sedan: 1
Total: 3
Dodson
1910s unknown: 1
Daimler
1950s unknown sedan: 2
Essex
1920s unknown sedan: 1
Fiat
1946 500 sedan: 2
1955 1100 sedan: 1
1966 124 coupe: 2
1965 850 coupe: 1
1971 130 sedan: 1
1971 130 coupe: 1
Total: 8
Ford
1908 Model T home built racer: 1
1950 Consul sedan: 2
1939 Prefect sedan: 2
1956 Zodiac sedan: 1
1950 Zephyr sedan: 2
1960 Anglia station wagon: 1
1956 Zephyr sedan: 2
1962 Cortina sedan: 4
1966 Zodiac sedan: 1
1974 Cortina sedan: 1
1977 Falcon sedan: 1
1977 LTD sedan: 1
1977 Capri hatch: 1
Total: 20
Goliath
1960s unknown sedan: 1
Hillman
1952 Minx Californian coupe: 1
1956 Minx sedan: 5
1958 Minx station wagon: 2
1970 Hunter sedan: 1
Total: 9
Holden
1956 FE sedan: 1
1963 EJ sedan: 1
1966 HR sedan: 1
1979 Commodore sedan: 1
Total: 4
Honda
1971 Coupe 9 coupe: 1
Hudson
1948 Commodore 8 sedan: 1
Humber
1945 Snipe sedan: 2
1958 Hawk sedan: 2
1961 Vogue sedan: 1
1964 Sceptre sedan: 1
Total: 6
Hupmobile
1920s unknown sedan: 2
Jaguar
1945 unknown sedan: 1
1950 Mk VII sedan: 1
1955 Mk I sedan: 2
1959 Mk II sedan: 1
1960s home built special sports: 1
1968 XJ 6 sedan: 1
1975 XJ-S coupe: 1
Total: 8
Jensen
1967 Interceptor coupe: 1
Jewett
1920s unknown sedan: 1
Lanchester
1950s unknown sedan: 3
Lancia
1963 Fulvia sedan: 2
Leyland
1973 P 76 sedan: 1
Lloyd Alexander
1958 unknown sedan: 1
Mercedes-Benz
1951 220 sedan: 1
1968 250 sedan: 1
1978 450 sedan: 1
1988 300 sedan: 1
1989 500 coupe: 1
Total: 5
Mercury
1973 Cougar XR-7 hard top: 1
MG
1953 Magnette sedan: 1
Morris
1920s Cowley sedan: 1
1949 Oxford sedan: 1
1949 Oxford station wagon: 1
1949 Isis sedan: 1
1949 Minor sedan: 1
1949 6 sedan: 1
1950s A90 sedan: 4
1957 Marshall sedan: 1
1960s Oxford sedan: 2
1962 1100 sedan: 1
1965 Mini Deluxe sedan: 1
1960s Nomad 1500 hatch: 1
1960s Marina sedan: 1
1960s Elite sedan: 2
1973 Allegro sedan: 1
Total: 20
Nash
1949 Airflyte Ambassador sedan: 1
Peugeot
1947 203 sedan: 1
1953 403 sedan: 3
1960 404 sedan: 5
1968 504 sedan: 1
1979 505 sedan: 2
1978 604 sedan: 1
1984 205 hatch: 1
Total: 14
Pontiac
1973 Grand Am coupe: 1
Renault
1939 Juvaquatre sedan: 1
1949 750 sedan: 1
1951 Fregate sedan: 2
1950s unknown station wagon: 1
1957 Dauphine Gordini sedan: 1
1961 R4 van: 1 1971 R17 coupe: 1
Total: 8
Reo
1910s unknown
Riley
1953 Pathfinder sedan: 2
1947 2.5 litre sedan: 1
Total: 3
Rolls Royce
1920s unknown: 1
Rover
1946 P3 sedan: 4
1950 P4 sedan: 3
1953 105 S sedan: 2
1960 P5 sedan: 5
1967 P5 coupe: 1
1966 2000 sedan: 1
1978 SD 1 sedan: 5
1981 SD 1 Vanden Plas sedan: 1
Total: 22
Simca
1951 Aronde sedan: 1
Singer
1934 9 sedan: 1
1939 1500 special body tourer: 1
1949 SM 1500 sedan: 2
1950 SM 1500 tourer: 2
1959 1500 sedan: 1
Total: 7
Skoda
1945 1101 sedan: 1
1945 1101 station wagon: 1
Total: 2
Standard
1948 Vanguard sedan: 1
1953 Eight sedan: 1
1954 Spacemaster sedan: 1
Total: 3
Sunbeam
1949 Ninety sedan: 1
1955 Rapier sedan: 1
Total: 2
Triumph
1949 Mayflower: 2
1959 Herald sedan: 1
1959 Herald coupe: 1
1959 Herald station wagon: 1
1963 2000 Mk 1 sedan: 2
1970 2500 sedan: 1
1970 2500 TC sedan: 3
1968 2500 PI sedan: 1
1973 Dolomite sedan: 1
1973 Dolomite Sprint sedan: 1
Total: 14
Vanden Plas
1961 Princess 3 litre sedan: 1
1964 Princess 4 litre sedan: 1
Total: 2
Vauxhall
1946 Fourteen sedan: 2
1948 Wyvern sedan: 1
1957 Velox sedan: 1
1957 Velox sedan: 1
1957 Victor station wagon: 1
1961 VX 490 sedan: 1
1964 Cresta sedan: 1
Total: 8
Volvo
1967 144 sedan: 2
1970 144 station wagon: 1
1975 244 sedan: 1
1975 244 station wagon: 1
1975 242 sedan: 1
1975 264 station wagon: 1
1977 264 sedan: 1
1977 265 station wagon: 1
1986 740 sedan: 1
1986 760 sedan: 2
Total: 12
Wolseley
1946 12/48 sedan: 1
1948 6/80 sedan: 2
1956 4/44 sedan: 2
1958 1500 sedan: 1
1962 24/80 sedan: 3
1959 6/ 99 sedan: 2
1964 110 sedan: 1
Total: 12
Total Cars: 261
Racing Cars
Elfin
1984 Formula V: 1
Jebentte
1968 Formula 4: 1
1976 Formula 2: 1
1978 Formula 2: 1
Total: 3
Lasos
1974 Sports Racing: 1
Nimbus
1978 Formula V: 1
1978 Formula Ford: 1
1979 Le Mans Sports Racing: 1
1984 Stratos Sports Racing: 1
1984 Formula Ford: 1
1986 Hurricane Sports Racing: 1
1988 Cirrus Sports Racing: 1
1990 Clubman Sports Racing: 1
Total: 8
Ralt
1980s Formula 3000: 1
Royale
1980s Formula Ford: 1
Total Racing Car: 15
Commercial vehicles
Austin
1949 A70 utility: 1
1950s Gypsy 4 x 4 truck: 1
1957 A35 panel van: 1
1961 A60 utility: 1
1961 Freeway utility : 1
1966 1800 utility: 1
Total: 6
Chevrolet
1940s unknown truck: 1
Commer
1940s unknown truck: 1
Fargo
1920s unknown truck: 1
Ford
1950s Thames van: 1
1964 Falcon utility: 1
Total: 2
Goliath
1957 Express van: 1
Graham Brothers
1920s unknown truck: 1
International
1960s unknown truck: 1
Morris
1930s unknown truck: 1
1940s unknown van: 1
1950s unknown van: 1
Total: 3
Overland
1920s unknown truck: 1
Standard
1951 Vanguard utility: 1
Studebaker
1940s unknown truck: 1
Total Commercial Vehicles: 21
Cars: 261
Racing Cars: 15
Commercial Vehicles: 21
Overall Total: 297

McDonald's recalls 12 million Shrek drink glasses

MCDONALD'S is recalling 12 million drinking glasses it is selling to promote the new Shrek movie because painted designs on the cheap collectibles contain the toxic metal cadmium.

The fast food chain said that it wants customers to stop using the glasses, which have been sold for about $2 each and were available in four designs depicting the main characters from the animated movie.

Cadmium is a known carcinogen that research shows also can cause bone softening and severe kidney problems.

In the case of the Shrek glasses, the concern would be long-term exposure to low levels of cadmium, which could leach from the paint onto a child's hand, then enter the body if the child puts that unwashed hand to his or her mouth.

To Hell with Angels....

TOP Hells Angels bikies will be forced to answer questions about tax fraud and how they pay for their extravagant lifestyles after losing a court challenge against the Australian Crime Commission yesterday.

The bikies fought tooth and nail against being dragged before the top crime-fighting body after nationwide raids on their homes in a crackdown on the gang's illegal activities last year.

Their lawyers sought an injunction to block the examinations, arguing that not only were the commission's search and arrest warrants invalid but so was a secret meeting in a Darwin hotel room between the country's police commissioners to finalise the raids.

The Federal Court rejection of their challenge means 12 of the bikie bosses will be quizzed about their present, future and past involvement in the Hells Angels as long ago as 19 years. Their identities have been suppressed.

They must attend the commission's Sydney offices "from day to day until excused or released from further attendance".

Sports cars, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, drugs, firearms, their computers and a treasure trove of financial documents relating to club activities were seized during the raids as part of Strike Force Wolsely, one of the country's largest joint operations involving the ACC and NSW gang squad detectives.

The 12 members of the Hells Angels were then served with summons to appear before the commission, which has sweeping powers to force them to give up their mates if they were involved in federal crimes including drug and violence offences.

The police chiefs, including NSW Commissioner Andrew Scipione, were at the Darwin SkyCity hotel on April 30 last year for the annual police commissioners conference.

The chiefs, who make up the board of the ACC, had an early morning teleconference with commission chief executive John Lawler to pass a special resolution to back up the powers of the 260 officers carrying out the raids by stating that the gangs had become so sophisticated that the police needed extra methods.

Lawyers for the Hells Angels lost the argument that the meeting and the raids were invalid.

Rooty Hill want their own postcode? Wankers!

THIS could be just the start.

If Rooty Hill RSL is successful in obtaining its very own postcode, the way will be clear for the mighty club-suburb to continue expanding.

Soon it will demand statehood. Next, full independence. We may yet live to see the President of Rooty Hill RSL addressing the United Nations.

Carrick Winery & Restaurant

Harvest is over for 2010 and what a wonderful season it was. The grapes were fantastic; ripe with small bunches and berries and with intense varietal flavours.  The season was warm and dry except for a brief cold spell during flowering of the Sauvignon Blanc.

The winery team was very busy but now the wines are all resting in barrel or in tank.  Jane, our winemaker is back and  Isaac her baby is a favourite with all the staff. Jane was helped by Tobi, (doing his second vintage at Carrick), whose family has a winery in Germany; Cris, who is an experienced winemaker from Oregon; Troy, who hailed both from the US and NZ; and Julian, a very cheerful Australian who last worked at  Leeuwin Estate in Margaret River.  Central Otago is definitely established on the world wine map as a place to come and experience making serious Pinot Noir.  I suspect other attractions are the friendly wineries and the social programme which is organised for all the migrating cellar hands.  Mexican seemed to be the party theme this year! At least four of our itinerant staff liked Central Otago much that they have organised themselves winter jobs so they can continue with the good life!

The vineyard team was also international, with our two young college graduates from New York, who have been with us for the season; a young Frenchman; a Czech; and a couple from the UK, as well as our group of pickers who turn up every season.  And what an efficient and friendly team it was.  All the picking proceeded without a hitch except perhaps for the Sauvignon Blanc which flowered during a cold spell meaning fewer and smaller bunches.  Picking Sauvignon Blanc took twice as long as usual as we gleaned everything, including tiny bunches which we would usually leave. We cropped at a very low level which was great for the concentrated flavours but means our very popular Sauvignon Blanc will be in short supply for the 2010 vintage.

Our windup lunch was held on the grass in front of the winery. Look at our Facebook page  if you would like to see some photos of harvest.  .http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Carrick-Winery-Restaurant/118264844854898?ref=ts

Yes, we have succumbed to the media age and with the help of Gay in the office, a Facebook whiz, and Diana from NY, a recent grad in communications we are part of Facebook.  We have a Blog http://carrickwineandfood.wordpress.com/ for longer stories about the winery and restaurant, all linked to Twitter;  @CarrickWines. Log on or join up if you are interested and keep up with all our wines, food and journeys, or check out our website: http://www.carrick.co.nz. 

This incidentally was our last vintage where we are classified as being in transition to full organic status under BioGro.  Next year we will attain full organic registration.  We believe that achieving official recognition for organic production of grapes and wine through an independent audit process is important, not just for the official recognition, but because it gives us an opportunity to look at all our grape growing practices; information on which to access and make future decisions.  One of the hopes for our organic regime is that we achieve physiological ripeness at lower brix which will potentially result in lower alcohol in the wines, something we are looking for without a loss in flavours or in any unripe characteristics.

At our last winery dinner (in honour of the labouring cellar staff) we tasted a few of  the wines that Geoff Kelly nominated as his top 10 Pinots tasted at Pinot 2010 in Wellington . Six of the wines in his top 10 came from Central Otago and Carrick Excelsior 2006 was one of these.   Read the review below.

To finish our season the olives from Carrick vineyard were picked last week. Olive picking is a very intensive and time consuming process. We picked about 330kg of olives which took 10 people a day and a bit - for some reason the weather is always cold.  The olives are combed off the tree onto big ground sheets, tipped into small bins and then cold pressed locally. This year the olives made about 45 litres of intensely green, peppery and fresh oil. We leave it to settle before bottling and it is one of the great treats from the vineyard. You need to visit the restaurant to sample it and we serve it with our own bread baked every day in the kitchen.

Winter is a time for eating. Here at Carrick we have been busy cooking, eating and of course drinking our wines, all in aid of our new winter menu! We are looking at featuring some old favourites such as oxtail, venison pies and pork belly but with a fresh new twist.  So for those of you who are hunkering down, now is the time to give in to the weather, to cook good food and to share it (along with along with great wines) in front of a fire with friends.

Regards from the Carrick Team

SOME RECENT CARRICK REVIEWS

Carrick Pinot Noir 2007

The 2007 Pinot Noir is a great success for the estate, one I regard as a huge leap forward. It has ‘soft’ nose, dark cherry, a touch of raspberry leaf and a scent of charcoal: subtle with good definition. The palate is medium bodied, firm tannins, good structure here and very good acidity. Beautiful poise, vibrant dark fruits with a tangible sense of tension on the off-dry finish. Bon vin.  92

Neal Martin Wine Advocate Sept 2009

Carrick Pinot Noir 2007

This Bannockburn label has emerged as a regional classic.  The 2007 vintage («««««) was matured for a year in French oak barriques (33 per cent new).  Rich and youthful in colour, it is finely scented and flowing, with concentrated cherry, plum and slight coffee flavours, savoury, complex notes and a rich, resounding finish.  Dense yet approachable, it’s

a sophisticated wine, for drinking 2010+

Michael Cooper   Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010

2006 Carrick Pinot Noir Excelsior,  Central Otago,  $85
Good pinot noir ruby,  right in the middle for depth of colour.  On bouquet this wine reminds a little of one of the Rousseau Grand Cru Chambertins,  where from the outset,  you can smell the new oak in the young wine,  yet there is the fruit to sustain it.  The balance of red fruits to black is delightful,  and as one studies the wine it is still complexly floral despite the oak.  Comparison of the oak component with the much more expensive 2006 Marie Zelie wine from Martinborough Vineyard is instructive,  the balance being better in Excelsior,  even though it is a lighter wine.  A key requirement in the development of New Zealand pinot noir is to first get the varietal expression right,  before striving to build longevity into the wine.  Carrick has achieved the former,  and this premium Excelsior wine tackles the second step.  It is an important step forward in building longevity into our New Zealand pinot noirs.  Cellar 3 – 8 years.   http://geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz/index.php?ArticleID=169#RevRef3392

Carrick Crown & Cross Central Otago    ««««

A new line from the Carrick vineyard at Cairnmuir near Cromwell, this zesty, powerful yet charming wine oozes deep cherry and berry flavours supported by a savoury hint and a lingering aftertaste.

Charmian Smith, WINE, Otago Daily Times 27 January 2010

2008 Carrick Pinot Noir “Crown and Cross” Central Otago
Named after an old goldmine on the Carrick estate, Crown and Cross refers to the miners optimistically hoping to be rewarded for their work in this particular mine in this world or the next. More of a fruit driven bottling in this vintage. Violets abound (as per the back label for once!) with some mocha, cocoa and sweet red berry fruits. Quite a steal at this price if one is into glorious primary fruits.

Jamie Drummond.  Good Food Revolution; A New Zealand Diary

Carrick Riesling 2008

Consistently classy and good value.  Grown at Bannockburn, the 2008 vintage (««««) is a medium style (18grams/litre of residual sugar) with intense, vibrant lemon, apple and lime flavours, slightly minerally, crisp and long.  It should mature well.

Michael Cooper   Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010

2008 Carrick Central Otago Riesling

A quintessential Riesling exhibiting lime/lemon and fresh flower notes, with delicious medium sweetness and a lingering finish.

SAM KIM –  Weekend NZ Herald 28 Feb 2009

Carrick

Winery  & Restaurant

247 Cairnmuir Road

Bannockburn

R.D. 2, Cromwell

Central Otago

New Zealand  9384

P: +64 3 445 3480

F: +64 3 445 3481

W: www.carrick.co.nz