This update addresses compatibility with Mac OS X

In the past two days, Apple has released updates to Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and tonight for iWeb, stating only that "This update addresses compatibility with Mac OS X."

Since these Apple applications only run on OS X, what else could it possibly be? I can't recall the last time that any software vendor was so vague about what was contained in an update... If they said that it was to improve compatibility with Leopard, I might understand, but they don't even specify what version of OS X is affected.

Last week, many issues with incompatibility related to the QuickTime 7.4 update were reported...

I know that we've had trouble with Numbers consuming large amounts of disk space before crashing when we try to print. I can't say that we have had any particular issues with the other apps, but I haven't tried using them much since I upgraded to Leopard.

I did have issues with iPhoto not being able to print. It would complain that "There are no themes installed" despite nearly 300 folders of themes in the /Library/Application Support/iPhoto/Themes directory. After repeatedly deleting all of the components, prefs and receipts for iPhoto, and repairing permissions, then reinstalling, and repairing permissions again, I was finally able to get it to recognize that the themes were indeed installed.

Its making me wonder if Apple has reached "critical mass" or "terminal velocity?"

Wine at Restaurants

I've had a glass of Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling with dinners at restaurants on a couple of occasions. Now that I have developed more of an interest in wines, I find it somewhat annoying that the wine list at most mid-priced restaurants provide so little information about the choices.

At Mimi's Cafe tonight, they only listed the producer and varietal... So I asked to see the bottle! It turns out that the Riesling they offered is the 2006 Columbia Valley Riesling from Chateau Ste. Michelle. According to their website, it was rated 86 points by Wine Spectator. Davidson's has it priced at $7.99, the same as the Saint M that I like. It was $5.95 for the glass, which seems about average for restaurants...

I thought that the Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling was a very nice wine, although perhaps not as interesting as the Saint M... It had a light fruit aroma, and a light gold color. It had a subdued mineral component, with subtle fruit component, hints of pear, apple and melon. There was a slight sweetness, offset by a mild acidity... Overall, not quite as intense as most of the German Rieslings that I had tried. Would I get it again? Certainly! The Chateau Ste. Michelle seems to be frequently offered at restaurants. It was definitely good enough to get again. At Mimi's Cafe tonight, I had their Diablo center cut pork chops, which paired with the Riesling very nicely.

I've also had a Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling at the Elephant Bar, with their MisoYaki Grilled Salmon. I'm guessing that it was also the Columbia Valley...

The last time we were at Applebee's, they had just revised their menu and wine list. This seems to happen about every six weeks, or about every time that we go there... They no longer offered a Riesling, so I settled for the Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio. I wasn't terribly impressed with it... It seemed lacking in any discernible flavor, like most of the Chardonnay that I've had.

In December I was at C.B. & Potts with some co-workers, and tried the Black Swan Riesling from Australia. I think that Davidson's sells the Black Swan Riesling for $5.99, which is probably about what it cost for the one glass that I had at the restaurant! It also seemed pretty flat... I wouldn't have guessed it to be a Riesling if I didn't know that was what it was...

I haven't posted reviews of any of these on Vine Catcher since i had so little detail about what they were. Perhaps I'll post something on the Chateau Ste. Michelle, since I know what it was...

Batch or Bottle Variation

One of my favorite inexpensive Rieslings over the past few months has been the 2006 "Saint M," from a joint venture with Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington, with Dr. Loosen in Germany. My local wine shop, Davidsons, carries the Saint M for $7.99, which I think is a great value. I've had a bottle of Saint M on hand the last couple of times that I've done wine tastings, so I've been able to compare it with a number of other German Rieslings. The Saint M has come out better than several other wines that are twice as expensive. I know, I should stop equating the cost of the wine with the "quality." I still expect that better wines would cost more, so I have higher expectations from more expensive wines, but am pleasantly surprised when I find a really enjoyable wine for less than $10. The Saint M has hit that spot for me. Its light and refreshing, with a subdued sweetness, balanced with a tartness and acidity that makes it interesting. There is no one aspect that seems overwhelming. Nice by itself, but also goes well with light foods...

In fact, one of our typical Friday night routines is a late dinner, after my daughter gets done with dance class, stopping by Panda Express on our way home for take-out. Their signature "Orange Chicken" or "Thai Chicken" goes great with a Riesling like the Saint M. Slightly spicy/tangy food like Oriental is balanced with the sweetness of the wine -- a great combination, at a great price!

Anyway, back to the topic... Last weekend I picked up a Saint M, which I intended to keep for a wine tasting with my neighbor Steve. We're going to compare some of the less expensive German Rieslings head to head, and wanted to include the Saint M. Well, I couldn't wait, so I opened it early, since we weren't able to meet up over the weekend. I was really disappointed with the Saint M! Instead of the nice balance that I expected, it was more tart than usual, and seemed to be lacking the sweetness... Looking at the back label, I noticed that the last two sets of the "A.P. Number" that indicate the batch and year the wine was bottled were different than the others that I've had... I think that all of the other bottles of Saint M 2006 that I've had ended with "01 07" but this bottle was an "08 07" so it was apparently a different batch. I am sure that this isn't all that unusual, but its the first time that I've experienced this firsthand...

I was out tonight, and stopped at Davidsons for another bottle of wine. I checked the bottles of Saint M on the shelf, and was happy to discover that they were again ending with "01 07." So happy, in fact, that I bought two, so that I could open one, and save one for the tasting/comparison with Steve this weekend...

While I would expect to be able to detect differences between vintages, I was surprised that there was this much difference between two batches from the same year...

Christmas Eve Wine Tasting

On Christmas Eve, we had a wine tasting with our neighbors, Steve and Diane Porterfield. Steve is the one who introduced us to the German Rieslings, so it was fun to do a tasting with him. Steve and I had gone to Davidsons over the weekend, where we each picked up 2-3 bottles. I had a Saint M already open, so we had a total of six wines to compare. We had an array of appetizers while we tried the wines, including a variety of fresh sausages (sweet Italian pork, Cajun chicken, chicken and apple, and Polish pork) from Sunflower Market, Italian meatballs, Buffalo wings, chips with various dips, and a fresh vegetable tray. Here is what we tried:

Dr. Loosen 2005 Blue Slate Riesling - Mosel Saar Ruwer
Qualitätswein - Produce of Germany
Produced and bottled by Dr. Loosen D-54470 Bernkastel/Mosel
A. P. Nr. 3 576 162 1306
Imported by Loosen Bros. USA Ltd. Salem, Oregon
Blue Slate Riesling comes entirely from steep blue slate vineyards in the Mosel valley. These vineyards are noted for their delicate aromas and vivacious personalities, which are quintessential expression of the Mosel. Blue Slate Riesling, made in the classic, off-dry style.
Alcohol 8.5%
Price: $12.99

Tasting Notes:

Had a good balance of sweetness and acidity, slightly sweet, fairly light body, with a discernable citrus note. This wine was very smooth. I think that it compares well with the Mönchhof Mosel Slate, which has been my favorite, especially at 2/3 the price!

Steve said: A blast of sweetness carried by a burst of tangy citrus to a lovely finish...

This was Steve’s favorite of the night, and my (close) second favorite. This was Jeannette’s favorite as well. I liked it enough to buy another bottle for New Years’s Eve. The only drawback was that the champagne we opened at midnight was disappointing compared to this lovely Riesling!


Wegeler 2003 Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Spätlese - Rheingau
Weingüter Wegeler - D-65375 Oestrich-Winkel
Rheingau - Qualitätswein mit Prädikat
Gutsabfüllung A.P. Nr. 002902401104 - Produce of Germany
In 1882 Julius Wegeler established the Wegeler Family Estates which are now operated in the fourth generation. Know-how, garnered in over a century both in the cellar and vineyard evolved a winemaking philosophy that strives to produce great Rieslings that reflect the signature of both estate and vineyard.
Imported by Cellars International, Inc.
San Marcos, CA 92069 USA
for Rudi Wiest
Alcohol 8.0%
Price: $12.99

Tasting Notes:

Had a nice heavy body, full of citrus flavors, loads of sweetness, with a definite mineral bite. Had a bit of a “sour apple” tart finish. This also compares well with the Mönchhof Mosel Slate, like the Loosen Blue Slate. This may become my new favorite! (I’ve already bought another bottle...)

Steve said: A bold mineral presence mixed with a subdued sweetness and tartness with a short, fading finish.

I ranked this as my favorite of the night, and Steve placed it second. I liked the heavier body, but Steve thought it was too heavy!


Saint M 2006 Riesling - Pfalz region
11% alcohol
Bottled by Villa Wolf property of Ernst Loosen for Chateau Ste. Michelle
Qualitätswein
Product of Germany - Bottled by D-RP 142 463 in D-07231134
A. P. Nr. 5 142 463 01 07
Shipped and imported by Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, WA, USA
Price: $7.99 from Davidsons

Tasting Notes:
Light gold color, medium body. slightly sweet, off dry, a bit of a tart/acidic finish. A well balanced combination of sweetness, tart apple, mineral and acidity.

Steve said: A smooth, almost halbtrocken combination of mineral, sweetness, citrus, well balanced yet light and very tasteful.

Both Steve and I ranked this as our third pick of the night. We enjoyed the Saint M more than the Flying Ace, Rosch or Detonation, and the Saint M is considerably less money!


Josef Rosch 2005 Halbtrocken Liewen Klostergarten
(Need to get the details from the label)
Price: $16.99 at Davidsons

Tasting Notes:
A sharp attack of mineral and acid, with a tart finish. Not as well balanced as the other wines we tasted. Disappointing for the price point.

Steve said: A halbtrocken with a smooth balance yet Stronger on mineral strength, lesser on sweetness and citrus. Medium finish - not remarkable.

Both Steve and I ranked this in fourth place, after the Saint M. For the same money, I would buy two bottles of the Saint M instead of buying this again.


Flying Ace 2006 Riesling - Rheingau
Qualitätswein
The Red Baron was the original Top Gun, known for his skill and courage. Flying Ace is a deftly made half-dry Riesling from the land where this grape reigns supreme. Flavors of golden delicious apples mingle with ripe peaches and tangerine, followed by a refreshingly crisp finish. This is a versitile, food-friendly Riesling that can pair with poultry dishes, salads, and Asian cuisine. Prost!
A.P. NR. 3107102307
White Wine - Product of Germany
Bottled by Weingut Karl-Joh. Molitor
65346 Eltville-Hattenheim
Alcohol 11%
Imported by Magellan Wine Imports, Inc.
Centennial, CO 80122
Price: $12.99

Tasting Notes:
Overwhelming sour apple flavors, strong mineral component, no discernable sweetness, very flat finish...

Steve said: A definite halbtrocken not withstanding, fair balance of mineral, sweetness and citrus. A half finish as well...

We both ranked this wine as our fifth pick, although neither of us expect to buy this again...


Batterieberg 2006 Detonation Riesling - Rheinhessen
Qualitätswein - White Wine - Product of Germany
A. P. Nr. 1 907 133 190 07 - Bottled by D-RP 907 133 in D-07 135 092
Shipped by Weinhaus C.A. Immich-Batterieberg, D-56850 Enkrich
Imported by Magellan Wine Imports, Inc.
Centennial, CO 80122
Housed in a 1,000 year-old castle, the estate of Batterieberg (Cannon Hill) takes its name from its vineyard that was created in the 19th century by blasting away a mountainside with dynamite. The blasting echoed like 100 cannons in the valley and revealed the pure blue slate that the vines grow in today. Detonation Riesling pays homage to the vineyard created with dynamite.
Alcohol 11%
Price: $11.99

Tasting Notes:

Sharp mineral bite, lacking discernable sweetness, lacking balance. Perhaps too dry for my taste? Very disappointing for the price.

Steve said: Subdued mineral tastes blended with sweetness, absent of citrus, no real finish

We both ranked this as our last pick. Certainly, for the money, I would rather spend an extra dollar or two for the Dr. Loosen or the Wegeler, or even save a few bucks and get the Saint M, which is more enjoyable. This is not a wine that I would expect to buy again, and it may steer me away from other Batteriebergs, although their higher end wines are well rated... Perhaps I’ll have to try another sometime...

I finished this bottle over the days following our tasting, and it seemed to improve a bit... Perhaps it needed to breathe a little, or perhaps our palattes were overwhelmed by the Dr. Loosen or Wegeler Spätlese that we tasted first? I still didn’t like this as well as the Saint M, so it didn’t change my opinion much... Perhaps enough to tie with the Rosch?

Conclusions:

As I have developed a taste for German Rieslings, and gained some exposure to different producers and regions, I have come up with some criteria for rating them. First, do I enjoy the wine, and find it interesting? Is it good enough that I would like to have it again? Then, do I like it more than other wines in the price range? If I don’t like it more than another wine that is the same price, or less, then I wouldn’t rank it highly. So, the first cut is a pass/fail test: would I buy it again? Next question is would I spend more money for this wine that another that I like?

I noted our rankings in the notes above. The top three wines all make the cut - I would definately buy them again. In fact, I already have! The lower three wines definately fail that test - I would certainly NOT buy any of them again.

Ranking the top three picks by the second criteria is perhaps a bit more difficult. Since October, my absolute favorite Riesling has been the Mönchhof Mosel Slate, which is about $18 a bottle locally. Both of the top two from this flight are about $13 each. I definately like them as well as the Mönchhof, and since they are about 30% less expensive, I’d have to say that I expect to buy the Dr. Loosen Blue Slate or Wegeler Spätlese more frequently than the Mönchhof. The Saint M has been one of my preferred wines for “everyday” (or in my case, weekend). It goes nicely with food or by itself, and at $8 is easy to afford.

This tasting was interesting for several reasons. Most of the Rieslings that I’ve had so far have been from the Mosel region. This time we included Rheinhessen and Rheingau regions as well as the Saint M from Pfalz. Also, most of the Rieslings I’ve had before this were QbA or Spätlese, where several of these wines were “halbtrocken,” the German term meaning “half-dry.” I think that both Steve and I came to conclusion that neither of us like the halbtrocken styles. If you prefer a dry white wine, then you might enjoy the Flying Ace, Rosch, or Detonation more than we did. Also, I think that both of our wifes like the sweeter wines better, which means that we wouldn’t get into so much trouble buying them, as long as we share! ;-)

Another Class Action Lawsuit against Apple?

Slashdot had an article today about another class action lawsuit being filed against Apple for monopolistic business practices, because the iPod doesn't play music in Microsoft's proprietary WMA format. I think that this lawsuit is absurd!

If I buy an iPod, I can use it with a Macintosh or a Windows PC using the free iTunes software from Apple, which works on either platform, in exactly the same way. Apple has even switched the connection that the iPod uses from its own FireWire to USB, in part I'm sure to make it more easily accessible on the PC, where FireWire ports are more rare.

With the iPod, I have the option to "rip" music from CD's that I own or buy, or the choice to purchase music through the iTunes store. I can also download music in the industry standard MP3 format from a variety of other online music services. Apple does not make it mandatory to even use the iTunes music store. If the iTunes music store were the only way to get content for the iPod, then that would be a monopoly. Apple also offers UNenrypted versions of much of the content on iTunes store, so its possible to purchase music from the iTunes store that you could play on other players as well as the iPod. The iPod can play music in either MP3 format, or a format called AAC, which is part of the MPEG4 standard used for DVDs. AAC is an industry standard format used by other manufacturers.

In my view, I have plenty of affordable options for acquiring and loading content into an iPod. If I were to choose a competing product, like a Microsoft Zune, for instance, I would be limited to use Microsoft's software on a Microsoft Windows computer, because they don't offer any support for any other platforms.

Apple doesn't claim to provide support for all formats, or for WMA specificially, so there isn't any misrepresentation about features or capabilities. Apple's product does what Apple says it will do. If you already have music that you have purchased in WMA format, and need a compatible player, then you should probably pick a different portable music player.

Not that Microsoft will guarantee compatibility even with their own products, of course! Microsoft's initial format for "Digital Rights Management" protected media was a system ironically called "Plays for Sure." When the Zune was introduced in 2006, it used a different format! The Zune uses "WMA-DRM" instead of "Plays for Sure" so if Windows users had previously purchased encrypted music from Microsoft's own "URGE" online store before the Zune, it couldn't be played on the Zune. How's that for brand loyalty, customer service and support?

Given that Apple's iPod accounts for 70-90% of the portable music player market, it might seem more appropriate for someone to file class action lawsuits against content service providers that don't support the formats that the iPod uses (with either Mac or PC).

Apple's decision to not pay to license technology from a competing company seems like a reasonable business decision to me. In most regards, Apple does a much better job of cross-platform support than other vendors.

This is no different from situations like operating systems and application software that only work on some hardware. Microsoft only offers most of its software for its own operating systems. The products that it DOES offer for Macintosh are much different than their Windows counterparts. Adobe has managed to offer its entire suite of products on both Macintosh and Windows, with the same features. Apple offers not only iTunes and QuickTime for both platforms, but also has its FileMaker products on both platforms, with the same features and file formats.

There are plenty of other cases of intentional incompatibility in consumer products that are much worse than anything that Apple has done with the iPod. Look at any game console for examples. While some older games can be played on newer consoles, there isn't any backwards compatibility at all. All of the accessories like controllers are designed to be incompatible, just to force consumers to have to replace everything with the new system. Most of the new game systems have USB ports, but they use other interfaces for controllers and accessories instead of standardizing so that controllers could be interchangeable between game systems or computers.

The same arguments could be made in the current DVD format wars, where some movies are being released only in Sony's BluRay format, while others are only available in the competing HD-DVD format. Neither format will play on a standard DVD player. Should every vendor be forced to support every standard or format available?

It amazes me that consumers have tolerated bad behavior from companies like Microsoft for decades without whimpering, but are ready to attack Apple at the drop of a pin!