7 Proactive Strategies For You To Use When Sales Are Down
Copyright 2002 Herman Drost

Have you been unable to focus on marketing your business, since the terrorist attacks? Have sales been down for the past few weeks.

What can you do?
Well, you can't just sit on your behind and just hope that things will magically change and money will come rolling in.

It's time to take the proactive approach, focus on what you are doing with your time and plan it out.

1. Create a marketing plan for this week - you don't have to take days or weeks to create one - just take the next ten minutes and create a list of 7 strategies you can use to promote your business in the next few weeks.

2. Take one strategy and DO it this week - the important thing is to take one different strategy each week and DO it.

3. Track your results, to see what works the best.

4. Evaluate your results - after one month you will have a good idea what is the best method. You can then put more time and money into this successful strategy - you will then feel great that you have made progress and are achieving your goals.

Here are 7 proactive strategies you can do each week to navigate your way to success. It only took 10 minutes to write them down.

1. Write an article for publication. Submit it to article announcement lists, ezine publishers.

2. Add the article as a new page to your web site. Optimize the page for submission to search engines. Submit the page to the major search engines.

3. Write up a new ad. Buy space in a couple of ezines for submission of the ad. Track these ads, to see which one works the best.

4. Design a new theme based web site for one of your affiliate products or services. Optimize the site for search engines and submit to them by hand.

5. Send out post cards. Create a new post card for your business. Find a targeted list of 300 contacts in your local area. Send the postcards out and track the response.

6. Grow your newsletter subscriptions and response rate - research a new topic, incorporate a new service or product to offer to subscribers.

7. Contribute to online forum discussions - spend 1 hour/day on different marketing boards to offer advice. (you can leave a resource box at the bottom of each message and people will naturally contact you because of the helpful advice and information you gave).

Now take the next 10 minutes to write up your own plan of what you WILL DO for the next few weeks (you can use the above list to get your intellectual juices flowing). Keep it simple.

If you take this proactive approach to market these(or yours) ideas in the coming weeks, you will propel your business to success.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://hermandrost.articlealley.com/7-proactive-strategies-for-you-to-use-when-sales-a-454.html

If you're a lifelong wine drinker, and you have read all the research released about the benefits of red wine, the results of an analysis of British researchers might have you changing the beverage you enjoy each day.

Potential harmful levels of metal ions have been found in many wines being sold on the market even as you read this.

Researchers analyzed levels of metals in wines from 16 different countries in Europe, South America, and the Middle East and found that only those of Argentina, Brazil and Italy were free of the dangerous metals.

Professor Declan Naughton along with Doctor Andrea Petróczi, both of London's Kingston University, conducted the analysis using a formula from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to estimate the health risks associated with long term exposure to pollutants.

While not testing the wines themselves, the team instead calculated the target hazard quotients (THQ) based on data published in scientific journals.

Data on the heavy metal content of U.S. produced wine isn't gathered, so these wines were left out of the analysis. The Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) is an indication or risk based on the upper range of known safe limits of exposure to various chemicals. Any reading below 1.0 is considered safe.

What was startling to the team conducting the analysis was that THQ values of most wines were way over 1.0. Typical wines were found to have a THQ that ranged from a low of 50 to a high of 200, with the values for both red and white being equally high. By comparison, THQs that have sounded alarms when it comes to heavy metals in seafood are usually between 1 and 5.

Professor Naughton said, "These values are concerning, in that they are mainly above the THQ value of 1.0. Excess intake of metal ions is credited with pathological events such as Parkinson's disease. In addition to neurological problems, these ions are also believed to enhance oxidative damage, a key component of chronic inflammatory disease which is a suggested initiator of cancer."

So if you drink a glass or two of wine a day, over the course of a lifetime you've been unknowingly taking in chemicals like vanadium, copper and manganese; as well as zinc, nickel, chromium and lead. What's more, some 30 other metal ions were found in the wines, but THQ's couldn't be calculated because the safe level of exposure to these substances remains unknown.

Frustrating since beyond simple enjoyment... many of us were choosing red wine for all those protective antioxidants.

Now we're left to wonder... are the antioxidants stripped of their powers by pro-oxidant heavy metals?

Of special concern to behavioral neurotoxicologist Bernard Weiss, PhD, a professor of environmental medicine at the University of Rochester in New York, is the inclusion of manganese on the list of heavy metals in wines. Not any part of the Naughton/Petróczi work, he notes that this substance in the brain has been linked to Parkinson's disease.

Weiss is quick to point out, "Any time you see numbers like they have in this study, you begin to scratch your head and wonder about the effects over a long period of ingestion: Not one glass of wine last Tuesday, but a glass a day over a lifetime."

Your best bet is to be an informed consumer. While wine from Argentina, Brazil and Italy was found to be heavy metal free, there are twelve other wine producing countries who offer some serious contenders for most metal laden drink. Wines from Hungary and Slovakia had potential THQ values in excess of 350. Close on the heels of these, wine from France, Austria, Spain, Germany and Portugal - some of the largest importers of wine to the U.S. market - had potential THQ values up over 100. Values for North American wines remain unknown.

Professor Naughton suggests labeling wines with the amount of heavy metals inside, just as the alcohol content is listed on the label, so buyers are able to make an informed choice. In that way they can enjoy the pleasure and benefits of red wine without the risks that heavy metals bring.

Next just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more health tips including information on the benefits of red wine and get 5 free revealing Health reports.
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://kirstenwhittaker.articlealley.com/benefits-of-red-wine-busted--heavy-metals-present-in-wine-833459.html

Any wine connoisseur will tell you, if you are going to keep large amounts of wine in your home or even collect it, you will need a proper way to store that wine. Storing wine can be done on a small scale, such as with a wine storage unit or a full-scale wine cellar.

Storing and collecting wine is a practice that is centuries old. Wine, stored properly, will not only maintain its quality but can improve with age in aroma, flavor and complexity. To preserve wine properly, it cannot be exposed to light and must be kept at the proper temperature and within the right humidity. Ideal temperatures for short and long term storage is between 10-14 C? (50-57 F?) with regular humidity to keep the corks from drying out.

A wine storage unit is a small self-contained unit that is plugged in, can be placed right in the kitchen and comes in various sizes from 24" in height to 84". These units moderate humidity and temperature electronically, have UV glass protection and low voltage lighting.

A wine cellar can be integrated into one?s home which is already established or is being built. Having your wine cellar built properly is important as you don?t want your valuable collection of wine to go to ruin because somebody took shortcuts. When building your wine cellar you will have to determine how much space you want to allocate to it and whether it will be climate controlled or a passive space. If you are storing wine for only short periods of time, you can get away with just installing a passive cellar. If keeping wine for long periods of time then you will want to invest in a climate controlled center.

The room your cellar is installed in will have to have proper insulation, vapor barriers and drywall materials. An insulated door is also required. As for the floor, concrete floors will need a vapor barrier only, sealed with a concrete sealant. Above ground floors need to be insulated with at least an R-19 vapor barrier. Do not use cedar on your walls, ceiling or door as it gives off too strong of an odor and it will taint the wine. Doors should be at least 1 ?" thick with weather stripping on all four sides. Place a bottom sweep on your door to maintain a constant temperature within the room. You don?t want the cool air to escape or warm air to enter and you don?t want your climate controlled unit to run all of the time. If you are going to use glass doors, make sure they are double-paned and insulated with tempered glass.

If your floor is concrete, as already stated, you just need to make sure it is vapor sealed. Other flooring materials you can use are slate, tile, marble, or vinyl. You can even use wood, as long as it isn?t cedar. But never use carpet. Carpet will collect mold and mildew in the cold.

Next is racking. You will need to ask yourself how many bottles you plan to store and how much space you will need? How much space do you have? What types of materials will you build your racking from. There are different types of woods one can use including redwood and mahogany. Both of these are resistant to rot in the cool and are mildew resistant. Cedar should be avoided due to its odor. You can also choose to use wire latticing.

Now lighting. The most popular type of lighting is called ?Air Lock? and it is a recessed ceiling light. These lights should be put on dimmer switches to control brightness. Others use track lighting. Also popular are various display lights to accent different areas of the cellar. Display rope lighting is designed and built to fit into the display and be angled toward individual bottle racking. You may want to put your lighting on a timer so that it isn?t left on for long periods of time as light produces excess heat and that will cause your cooling unit to overwork itself.

Last is the wine cellar monitoring and security system. Built-in alerts will help notify you if your cellar?s temperatures are fluctuating. It also alerts you if the door isn?t closed properly. One will want to make sure their cellar door remains closed and locked to maintain room temperature and keep your wine collection safe and secure.

Having a wine cellar at home, whether built-in or using an installed unit is a wonderful way to preserve and collect your favorite wines for all the right occasions.

Carolyn Boden is a marketing consultant at Belvedere, Texas hill country land for sale real estate community. They sell beautiful hill country acreage located west of Austin near Hamilton Pool. For more information please visit http://www.belvedereaustin.com.
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://belvedere.articlealley.com/wine-storage-and-wine-cellars-1841525.html

Many of us who are enophiles have amassed quite a valuable collection of fine and rare wines. We appreciate the artistry of wine, drink it regularly, and often boast to our friends when we acquire a wonderful treasure. This being said, we happily proceed with our passion and pursuit of collecting, never giving a second thought to protecting our wine as we do our other valued assets. Is your wine collection insured and has it been expertly appraised?

If you have a substantial collection of fine and rare wines, you should seriously entertain the thought of having your wine professionally appraised. Imagine the worst case insurance claims scenarios such as fire, flood, mechanical equipment failure (i.e. cooling unit in your wine cellar dying), and theft! These disasters could wipe out your entire wine collection instantly. Does your homeowner's insurance policy [The following insurance companies offer wine insurance policies. Firemans Fund, Travelers, Chubb, AXA, and InsureYourWine.com.] protect your wine collection currently? In most cases, your homeowner's insurance policy would require you to obtain an additional rider to your existing policy to protect your wines. Your insurance company requires that a dollar value be placed upon your entire wine collection, and this valuation is usually performed by an expert on valuation, a certified appraiser).

Have you ever considered other issues affecting your wine collection such as personal investment, estate planning, charity donations, and tax issues? These legal concerns also require the need for a certified wine appraisal. The IRS Tax Code changed in 2007 and any charitable donation you make to a nonprofit in excess of $500 dollars requires the filing of IRS tax form 8283 and also requires attaching a copy of your certified wine appraisal to your tax return.

What are the qualifications of a certified appraiser? A certified appraiser is someone who possesses training, an appraiser designation, and certification in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), which is a federal guideline established by the US Congress in 1986. All USPAP certified appraisers are registered with the Appraisal Foundation in Washington DC, and are overseen by the appointed congressional sub-committee. Are appraisers licensed? Only real estate appraisers are currently required to be licensed in most states. Personal property appraisers (i.e. wine appraisers) are not required to have a license, but are certified in USPAP just as real estate appraisers are. Unfortunately, your local wine shop retailers and wine distributors, although knowledgeable about the wines they handle and sell, are not qualified as appraisers, unless they are trained appraisers and certified in USPAP.

How can you spot a fraudulent appraiser? There are many appraisal organizations today awarding designations to appraisers, but do not be deceived by these designations! Only those appraisal organizations offering appraisal certification in USPAP are legitimate. Ask to see the appraiser's proof of his/her USPAP certification or his proof of registration with the Appraisal Foundation in Washington DC. Footnote: It is a violation of USPAP for any certified appraiser to charge a percentage of the appraised value as a fee. Legitimate wine appraisers charge a flat fee or hourly rate only.

Wine appraisal work is not cheap! Don't let appraisal television programs mislead you into believing that a wine appraiser has quick and easy job. We don't! A wine appraiser must inventory, noting condition and significant information, and photograph all of the wines to be appraised. This can take easily one day or longer. Then the wine appraiser must research the wine and pull his/her market comparison sales data (i.e. comparables). The time involved in this task alone can take days. After these steps have been completed, then the wine appraiser must write the wine appraisal report. USPAP also requires that an appraiser must keep the appraisal report for a period of five years, and seven years if an appraisal case is involved in litigation, before the reports can be destroyed. As you can easily see there is a great deal of work that goes into generating expert wine appraisals.

Over the years, I have appeared as an expert witness in many court cases in which issues of valuation were disputed by individuals, insurance companies, etc. More often than not the presiding judge would dismiss the other party's alleged expert witness, usually a wannabe appraiser, as being unqualified and unfit due to their lack of appropriate appraiser credentials. I have not lost a case yet, or a case of wine for that matter. Protect your wine assets and have them professionally appraised.

Tom DiNardo is a licensed wine auctioneer and founder of DiNardo & Lord Auctioneers. He is also certified master wine appraiser, expert witness, and sommelier and wine educator. To contact Tom, please visit www.DiNardoandLordAuctioneers.com or call (888) 503-0828. © 2010 Tom DiNardo - All rights reserved.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://tomdinardo.articlealley.com/wine-appraisal--protecting-your-assets-1563974.html

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It is a pleasure to the palate and it teases the senses when you combine fine dining with a glass of good wine. White wine is excellent when you are dining on fish or chicken, while red wine goes perfectly with red meat dishes.

You might be confused when it comes to classifying the kinds of wine manufactured by vintners.

Wine-makers use the word "varietal" to refer to the type of wine made, as there are many variants to choose from.

France and Italy are amoung the leading countries when it comes to exporting wine all over the world. In the United States, you can find great wine producers in California.

Wines can be named according to the wine-maker, the vintage - which indicates the year when the grapes were grown - and the place where the wines were made.

However, most wine names are derived from the grape they are made from.

Here's a quick look at the general types of wines that you can choose from to suit your taste:

1. Sparkling wine

This is more popularly known as champagne. Sparkling wine takes the form of a bubbly clear liquid which is most often used to signify a celebration. They are further divided into different types. There is a type of sparkling wine which is very dry and they are light and a bit sweet when tasted. There are champagnes made from white or red grapes, and they are more popularly known as Blanc de Blancs.

2. Aperitif

These are wines drank as an appetizer before the actual meal. Vermouth and dry sherry are a couple of examples of an aperitif.

3. Red wines

Red dinner wines are best served with red meat dishes or pasta. Cabernet Sauvignon is a popular red wine brand.

4. Rose dinner wine

This is related to the red wine variety and is also known as "blush wine" or pink wine. It has a lighter color and a sweeter flavor than the regular red wine.

5. White wine

White wine best complements fish or chicken meal. It brings out the natural aroma of food and further enhances flavor when served chilled. Chablis and Chardonnay are examples of white wines.

6. Table wine

Table wines can be red, white or pink wine which have no more than 14% alcohol content.

7. Dessert wine

Sweet sherry is an example of a dessert wine which is mostly of the sweet variety.

8. Cooking wine

Cooking wine is not intended for drinking because they contain salt.

From all these wine types and more - you get to take your pick of which bottle you would like to take home, sip and enjoy.

Information on muscadine grapes can be found at the Grape Facts site.
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://jerryshannon.articlealley.com/the-different-kind-of-wine-700098.html

Since time immemorial, cultures have kept a list of personas that look beneficently upon wine. They are the ones who grew, produced this enticing elixir. In Greece we have Dionysus, the god of vegetation, ecstasy and wine. He is the son of Zeus to Semele. Bacchus, is the Roman wine god. Wine is deemed to have magical effects on its drinkers. Wine is then associated to divine influence.

In Egypt, Orisis is the god of wine. The wines too are sometimes called "the tears of the [the god] Horus" or "the sweat of Ra" (the sun god).

In the Christian tradition, there are various individuals associated with wines. We have the "Ice Saints" that come into conversation whenever we talk about wine trade. These include Pancratias, Servatius, Boniface and Sophid.

Vincent of Saragossa, saint and martyr, whose feast's day is on 22 January, is the patron of Spain and French wine growers. Urbain, Bishop of Autun, is the patron of German wine growers. The most popular wine saint is Martin of Tours. Born in Hungary and grew in Pavia. He association with wine started when he took a party of monks on their asses out to work in the vineyards and it was noted with shock that that animal nibbled through the shoots of the nearby vines. Nonetheless, in the upcoming vintage, it was observed that the vines have grown stronger and produced finer fruit.

The feast day of St. Martin coincides with the time when people would hire servants to prepare for feasts at the turn of the year. It was also the day of the year when many domestic animals were killed in preparation for winter.

St. Benedict named "patriarch of Western Monks" is another saint who is associated with wines. He is best remembered for his rule that states that, "We read that wine is not suitable for monks. But because, in our days, it is not possible to persuade monks of this, let us agree at least that we should not drink to excess. We believe that one pint of wine is enough".

There are many more gods and goddesses of wines out there, proving that wine indeed played the world's culture and history. For more information about wines, explore http://vino.com.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://raephillips.articlealley.com/beyond-mortality-the-gods-and-saints-of-wines-565771.html

Being a natural fruit-based product, wine is subject to a change in quality over any period of time. Proper wine storage can ensure that environmental factors do not negatively impact on the quality of a good wine. Controlling the amount of air, light, humidity and temperature is essential in cellaring and storing wine so that it develops complexity rather than being destroyed.

When wine comes in contact with air it can quickly spoil the quality of contents of the bottle and it should therefore be stored in a way that contact with outside air is avoided. Air is known to oxidize wine and reduce its freshness and appeal. This will quickly make the wine taste like vinegar and can destroy a good bottle of wine.

The best way to keep air locked out of a bottle is by using an adequate cork or a stelvin cap as the glass bottles themselves are not permeable to air. The cork should always be kept moist to ensure that the only air in the bottle is what entered the bottle at bottling time.

Always store corked wine bottles in a horizontal position so that the cork will remain in contact with the wine and will not dry out and therefore let air into the bottle.

Another important factor when storing wine is to ensure that the humidity in the room or cellar is at the right level to ensure that the cork does not shrink. If the humidity is too high the bottle labels will develop mold. The ideal level for humidity when storing wine is 70% but anywhere between 50% and 80% is acceptable, although at the higher levels you can expect some mold to form on the outside of the bottles.

If you find that a little wine is left in a bottle after opening it, the remains should be transferred to a smaller bottle until consumed.

Your wine should also be stored in a room where it will experience no vibration or movement. In addition, the bottles should be moved as little as possible until they are ready to be served. Excessive movement or vibration is known to destroy the quality of the wine and should therefore be avoided or kept to an absolute minimum.

When storing wine, temperature is another environmental aspect that should always be considered. Temperature should range from about 12 to 15 degrees C to ensure that the wine ages slowly and develops complexity. A wine cellar should be designed and built to maintain the required temperature and that is the reason most wine lovers build a wine cellar for storage. However, a wine cabinet can also be used where there is not the space to built a wine cellar.

Temperature fluctuations need to be avoided in a wine cellar as a wide range in temperature over a short period of time can cause the wine to lose its freshness and appeal and speed up the aging process. Wine should always be stored in darkness. Many wine makers today use ultra violet filters on their bottles to ensure that light is kept away from the wine. With too much light, like too warm a temperature, the wine could acquire an unpleasant taste and age prematurely.

Did you find these tips on storing wine helpful? Learn more about home wine storage and building your own wine cellar at www.winecellarsecrets.com
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://alisonxew.articlealley.com/tips-for-storing-wine-1347955.html

GETTING TO KNOW BUENOS AIRES NEIGHBORHOODS

Since the "crisis" of the economy, when the peso was devalued, at the end of 2001, Buenos Aires has become an incredible travel value and continues to blossom in every way: culturally, economically and socially, as a result...with cozy cafes and parrillas (barbecue houses, with Argentinian meats and wines) on nearly every corner; beautiful, wide, tree-lined avenues to stroll on, with lovers or friends; charming neighborhoods, with even more charming balconies, doors and cupolas, of Arte Nouveau, Classical and Modern architectural styles, to gaze upon, every day; the background music of the tango spilling out into the streets, echoing in the subways and informing the entire city, with its passionately melancholic mood.

As in most major cities of the world, each of Buenos Aires' many barrios(the numbers and boundaries appear to be vague, at best), possesses it's own unique flavor and charm; San Telmo=tango, small cobbled streets, older buildings, closely spaced; Puerto Madero=built around the beautiful, historic dockside warehouses, from the 1800's, Puerto Madero is now full of tourist restaurants and very high end, modern hotels; Palermo=the most green space and trendiest now; Recoleta=Eva Peron's cemetery and Hotel Alvear...most luxurious French architecture in Buenos Aires; La Boca=tango and rough. Dockside, original, Italian immigrant settlement south of the Microcentro=financial centers, tight streets, Casa Rosada, The Cathedral; etc. Luckily, Buenos Aires is blessed with an abundant system of public transport: taxis, buses, subways, boats, trains, etc. , providing visitors and locals, alike, with many transit options, in any moment. So, you needn't rent a car and add to the overcrowded, city streets.

In every district in Buenos Aires dozens of buildings are under construction. Real estate opportunities are everywhere. Buenos Aires apartments are very affordable with prices in prime locations starting at $1,500 dollars per square meter. The real estate market has considerable growth potential over the next 5 years. Key reasons include the current shortage of housing and the country's tourism boom is attracting attention from foreign investors. In addition, real estate in Argentina is viewed as the safest investment.

Joyce E. Matt is a writer specializing in luxury travel and lifestyle. Click here for more information on: Apartments Buenos Aires and luxury real estate

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://joyceematt.articlealley.com/getting-to-know-buenos-aires-neighborhoods-530712.html

To get around a large place such as Las Vegas has never been easier. Many people who have always had one doubt in their mind flocks to the lights of this city. That doubt was being able to find their way around in such a large city. You will get all the steps with Las Vegas Traffic Map that you need right at your fingertips with a resource like Map Quest on the Internet. You can use your laptop or Internet phone in order to find anything that you need as well as find the place to where you are supposed to be going.You can get from the plane or drive straight to Las Vegas using a virtual Las Vegas Traffic Map that you will find on the Internet. You will be able to enter in the point of origin of where you are at and then enter in your point of destination or where you are going. You will also be able to know exactly amount miles it is from one point to another.

On your Las Vegas Traffic Map there are also different points of interest such as where there are gas stations along the way, restaurants that you may want to eat at, or hotels that you may want to stay. On all the traffic concerns around the area, Map Quest also has a special feature that allows you to get up to date news. You will be able to get another route if there happens to be a big accident on your route to your destination so that you are not delayed.

On the Las Vegas Traffic Map, you will be able to have features such as zooming in or zooming out so you can get a much clearer view of where you are going and what may be around you. You will never have to worry again about getting to your destination or getting stuck in construction that you didn't know about with a website like this. So you can enjoy your business vacation or trip and take the doubt away of possibly being lost.

For more info please visit mapquest.com
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://marydezfoli.articlealley.com/stay-on-course-around-together-with-a-variety-of-sites-with-a-las-vegas-traffic-map-1791739.html

Good domain names

By Clare Lawrence 13th September 2003

Clare is the CEO of Discount Domains Ltd a leading UK domain registrar

No matter what domain name you buy its unlikely to be worth $ millions straight away, but with some careful though and preparation you can maximise your domain names potential.

Using hyphens

Almost every word in the dictionary has been registered already so its more than likely that you will have to register a combination of words. Should you buy a domain name with a hypen in it?

Generally speaking the answer is no. There are several reasons why not.

Describing a domain name with hyphens can be awkward.

Customers have a habit of forgetting the hyphen and typing in the wrong URL.

It's a misconception that hyphens improve search engine rankings, the leading search engines now concentrate on content and pay only limited attention to the URL itself.

Consider a ccTLD

There is no evidence that Country Code Top level domains (ccTLD's) are treated differently by Search Engines, though there can be advantages and disadavantages if your business is regional

Submitting your domain to search engines

Once you have configured your domain to point to your Web site, you will need to ensure that search engines are aware of it. If they aren't, your site will receive very few visitors - even if you have managed to find a memorable, snappy domain name.

This can be achieved by either directly submiting your URL to the search engines through using a submission service such as the free submission service on our site .

Free submissions

Please be careful when using automated submission tools as the Search engine are penalising sites submitted in this way. Ours is manual for this very reason.

Or by linking your site to others, this is the preferred way for search engine to "discover new sites".

Ensuring you own your domain

Just because you buy a domain name doesn't mean you own it. Some less reputable suppliers register domain names in their own name. You can see who owns a domain name by using a lookup call a WHOIS search e.g

WHOIS

If you look at the registrant details the name here is the legal owner. For example if you enter discountdomainsuk.com you will see the legal owner is us – Discount Domains Ltd

Selling your domain name

Is your domain name near to expiry? Don't let it lapse without offering it for sale first, there are lots of good sites who only charge if your domain sells. You might be pleasantly surprised, domain names have fetched a $1 million before now!

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://taya.articlealley.com/good-domain-names-17.html

Tips For Choosing A Good Domain Name

By Clare Lawrence 29th September 2003

Clare is the CEO of Discount Domains Ltd a leading UK Domain name registration service.

Selecting the right domain name for your website is one of more important steps to success. A good domain name will allow your visitors to recognise your business and very quickly understand the purpose of your site.

The following are good points to consider:-

1) Memorable - unless you have a large budget for advertising its better to stick with a name that visitors will remember and associate with your product or service.

2) Relates to your business. This prepares your customer for your site.

3) Easy to say over the telephone.

4) A name early in the alphabet, this helps for directory listing.

5) Short names are easier to enter and less likely to get mistyped.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://taya.articlealley.com/tips-for-choosing-a-good-domain-name-28.html

Heavenly Bliss tours are famous around the world, for preparing a choice of 'etched in your mind' tours so that you can feel bliss with the heavenly bliss tours. The Heaven Bliss tours prepare many categories of tours packages for instance wedding anniversary, birth anniversary, Hens night Gold coast, Hens night Brisbane and day spa Gold coast et cetera. In the middle of these tours, the Wine tours Gold Coasts and Hens Night Gold Coast is the well-liked packages served by the Heavenly Bliss tours. Most of the tourists prefer the Heavenly Bliss tours because they are completely idiosyncratic from other standard tours. If you want to avail a very luxurious and coddled day, weekend, night or couple of days, then the only preference with you is the Australian Heavenly Bliss tours.
Wine tours organized by the Heavenly Bliss tours are confidently amongst the most awe-inspiring and rousing, because public are always nosy how wineries are carrying out for arranging the mouth-watering wine. The tourism unquestionably enhances their business from the much conventional pecuniary gains availed from the wineries. The wine tours arranged by the Heavenly Bliss tours have proffered an aperture for the wine enthusiasts so that they can experience and secure various types of wines which are not found in their own zones. Like the Heavenly Bliss tours many other tourism agencies are also organizing wine tours. But the luxurious experience availed from the Heavenly Bliss tours is incomparable. The tours organized by the Heavenly Bliss tours take you to various selected wine privilege places and you are also proposed a special assortment of wines.
The Hens night Brisbane arranged by the Heavenly Bliss tours is characteristically held during nighttime. You can enjoy it before some days of your nuptial ceremony. You can have a ceremonial dinner at the Hens night and can play various varieties of card games. The heavenly bliss tours bestow you with various amusement manners in a Hens night Brisbane. The Heavenly Bliss Tours will deliver you all the required arrangements that are obligatory for the Hens night Brisbane.
The Heavenly bliss tours mainly arrange their tours and packages specifically for the women. Those females that approach the Heavenly Bliss can have a dinner and drink some hard drinks and play amusing games while they are being pampered by the tour organizers. In general, the Hens night Brisbane, Hens Night Gold Coast is held at various stealthy venues, so that you do not get disturbed by any of the disturbances. You can also get the facilities of the spa therapies with the Heavenly Bliss tours. You can purchase various necessary products from the VicheVIP and Heavenly Bliss tours' shopping centre.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://jessicathomson.articlealley.com/a-bliss-with-heavenly-bliss-tours-801316.html

There is an entire collection accessible of red wine to pick from. The categories of red wine regularly go fine with specific tastes, and wine aficionados mostly match specific wines with particular meals and dishes. You may find that you like a particular kind of red wine, and various individuals who adore red wine will find that they decide on a favorite. You may come to a decision you like a specific sort no matter what kinds of foodstuff other people might speak it best matches.

Merlot
Merlot is a versatile red wine easily makes combination with any foods. Flavors comprise plums, herbs and black cherry. Merlot is usually a gentle wine produced in many regions of the world, for example Italy, Chile, Romania, Australia, and The Us.

Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a fresh and delicate wine. Its smell is analogous to chicken, lamb and grilled salmon and seems like fruits also.

Cabernet Sauvignon
This sort of wine is well valued by many. Its usually created from a mix of cabernet and merlot, and regularly specially handled. It is decent with red meat and is full-bodied wine.

Malbec
Malbec wines first made in France, but at the moment are usually formed in Chile, Argentina, Australia and northern California. The main characteristics of such wines are that these are dark colored along with spicy and comfortable. They mostly flavor of plums and berries.

Zinfandel
Zinfandel wines come in a white and red. Red zinfandel is an important, rich wine. It includes a zesty flavor and often tastes of berries and pepper. Zinfandel is a wine whose every kind can be utilized to create any formula even those recipes which involve cooking. Lots of people find red zinfandel fine with tomato-based foods, for example pastas and pizza. It may also be fine with grilled beef and barbecued foods.

Shiraz or Syrah
This type of wine is made from the wild black fruit, commonly black currant or an alternative similar berry. It includes a powerful taste, commonly with additional black pepper or roasting spices. It may be very good with intense meats, and is often manufactured by vineyards in France, California, and Australia.

Barbera
Barbera is certainly one of the traditional types of red wine, first made in Italy. It's good that has a type of food recipes, like those full of tomato flavors. It usually has black cherry and plum juices. It is usually of a soft and smooth texture.

For more great info on types of red wine and unbreakable wine glasses please visit wine-deluxe.com
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The World Cup is only a year away with the scheduled start date set in June 2009. The World Cup is similar to the Olympics in that it brings people together from all over the world for a rollicking good time. This World Cup is also a chance to experience the wines of South Africa.

Nobody is looking forward to the World Cup more than the wineries of South Africa. Wine has been produced for hundreds of years in South Africa, but it was a local business only during the years of Apartheid when international embargoes were in place. The embargoes ended with Apartheid, but South African wine has never really seemed to catch on. This is a mistake as there are many excellent vineyards in the country.

South African wine is unique because most of the grapes produced are based on cross-breading of various vines. This makes the varietal claims of the vineyards fairly humorous as it seems every grape is a mix of two or more competing vines. Regardless, the result is a bevy of unique wines that are often like nothing you've tasted before.

The best of the wines in South Africa are the Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinotage. Despite the names, each is the result of a cross-breading program. The Chenin Blanc can be hard to find because the name is not used in the country. Instead, ask for "Steen." The Pinotage is uniquely South African and excellent. It is a cross breading of Pinot Noir and the Cinsault grape of France. All and all, these are wines you do not want to miss.

Should you go to South Africa just to taste the various wine offerings? Probably not. It is a long, expensive trip for most people of the world. Going for the World Cup, however, makes sense. When your team inevitably gets bounced out, you'll have a side trip to take with the promise that you'll experience a new vintage that will have you taking notes in your wine journal and pasting labels from bottles!

Thomas Ajava writes for Nomad Journals - where you can buy a wine journal that makes a great wine gift for wine lovers to record their experiences in.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://thomasajava2.articlealley.com/wine-tasting-in-south-africa-during-the-world-cup-1213487.html

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Lombardy region of northern Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.

Mountainous Lombardy is located in the north central zone of Italy on the Swiss border. It is one of the few regions of Italy without a seacoast. On the other hand Lombardy is known for its beautiful lakes. Lombardy owes its name to the Lombards, a Germanic people who ruled it and neighboring regions for two hundred years well over a thousand years ago. Other rulers included the Celts, the Romans, and the Franks. Its population is 9.4 million, the largest in Italy. In fact, about one of six Italian residents lives in Lombardy.

Lombardy is second to Emilia-Romagna in agricultural production. Among its many agricultural products are rice, wheat, corn, fruits, olives, cattle, pigs, and sheep. Natives still eat more risotto (a rice dish) and polenta (corn bread) than pasta.

The capital of Lombardy's is Milan, Italy's financial, fashion, and media center. With a population of 1.3 million, Milan is larger than seven regions of Italy.

Lombardy devotes about 66 thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 11th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 44 million gallons, also giving it an 11th place. About 62% of the wine production is red or rosé, leaving 38% for white. The region produces 15 DOC wines and 3 DOCG wines, Franciacorta, a sparkling wine made in the traditional (Champagne) manner, and 2 red wines; Valtellina Superiore, reviewed below, and Sforzato di Valtellina. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Over 47% of Lombardy's wine carries the DOC or the DOCG designation. Lombardy is home to about four dozen major and secondary grape varieties, approximately three fifths red and two fifths white.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Pinot Bianco, known as Pinot Blanc outside of Italy, Chardonnay, Trebbiano, and Malvasia. The best known Italian white varieties are Gargena, an Italian variety of Riesling, Renano Italico, and an Italian variety of Trebbiano, Trebbiano di Lugana.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Pinot Noir. The best known strictly Italian red varieties are Barbera, Bonarda, Lambrusco, and a local Nebbiolo called Chiavennasca.

Before we reviewing the Lombardy wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Pizzoccheri della Valtellina, Buckwheat Flour Ribbons with Wilted Cabbage, Potatoes, and Mountain Cheese.
For a second course try Ossobuco all Milanese, Braised Veal Shanks with Grenolata (Parsley, Garlic, and Lemon).
And for dessert, indulge in Budino di Pannetone, Pannetone Bread Pudding

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Triaccio ‘Sassela' Valtellina Superiore 2002 13% alcohol about $16.50 DOCG

In his work Codice Atlantico, Leonardo da Vinci described Valtellina, the source of this wine as "A valley surrounded by tall and terrible mountains, it makes really powerful wines." This area has made wine since the days of the Etruscans and the Ligurians, prior to the ancient Romans. It is the northernmost area for growing the Nebbiolo grape. The wine itself is one of the three DOCG wines in Lombardy.

The marketing materials stated that its nose is quite outspoken, with aromas including mushroom, dried cranberry, and paraffin. It is dry with good fruit, surrounded by supple tannins. This medium-bodied wine is recommended with hard cheeses or grilled game birds.

This wine was aged 18 months in large wooden casks and a further 6 months in steel tanks. The producer says it can be cellared for 8-10 years and suggests drinking it with pasta of all sorts, air-dried beef, and cheese.

I first tasted this wine with beef ribs. It was round but a bit intimidated by the spicy cumin and curry sauce. Paired with a slow cooked beef and potato stew it handled itself better. It was quite fruity and cut the meal's grease. It almost tasted like a Beaujolais.

I tried it with two cheeses. Grana Padano is a classic Parmesan-type cheese made for a millennium in northern Italy including the Lombardy region. It is a cylindrical, cooked, semi-fat cheese which matures slowly. It has a grainy consistency and may be sliced or grated. The cheese's taste is fragrant and delicate. The wine brought out the nutty aspect of the cheese, while intensifying its fruit. It paired well with Pecorino Toscana from Tuscany, two regions south of Lombardy.

Final verdict. I was a bit disappointed with this wine, DOCG is supposed to mean top of the line, and it was not.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://levireiss.articlealley.com/i-love-italian-wine-and-food--the-lombardy-region-95965.html

Situated near Nantes in western France, the Loire Valley is one of the most picturesque winemaking areas anywhere in Europe. Following the course of the Loire river, the valley meanders from Auvergne and the Massif Central mountains to the Atlantic coast.

The climate varies considerably over the wide area of the Loire valley with relatively mild weather in the west, influenced by the winds coming off the Atlantic ocean, to cold winters and warm summers in the east of the region and history shows that vines have been grown here for many centuries with wine being produced since 380 AD, if not earlier.

The main grapes of this region are the Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon which account for about three-quarters of the regions production as white wine, with the remaining one-quarter being red wine produced from Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Pinot Noir grapes.

The vines of the Loire valley are grown predominantly in limestone and clay soils and production, which is approximately 400 million bottles annually, ranges widely from both sweet and dry whites to rosés and fruity reds.

To the east of the region around Pouilly and Sancerre the majority of the grapes used in winemaking are Sauvignon Blanc and these are used to make the delicious dry, white Pouilly-Fumé.

Moving west into the province of Touraine the predominant grape becomes the Chenin Blanc, which forms the base of the fruity Montlouis. Some of the superb red Loire wines including Bourgueil and Chinon are also produced here, made mostly from Cabernet Franc grapes.

To the west of Touraine, Anjou-Saumur also produces a white wine from the Chenin Blanc which is famed for its smooth quality and winemakers clustered around Angers produce the well known Rosé d'Anjou which was reportedly a favorite of King Henry II of England.

But we cannot leave our brief tour of the Loire valley without a mention of Muscadet which lies at the far western end of the Loire Valley. Producing some 100 million bottles a year, Muscadet is known throughout the world for its pale dry white wine which is best enjoyed when it is fresh and young.

GreatWineTastings.com provides an introduction to the wines of the world and, if you are not sure whether to buy a French red wine or a Californian white wine, then you will find this is the perfect guide to wine for dummy wine drinkers.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://donaldsaunders.articlealley.com/the-loire-wine-region-of-france-178898.html

Spanish wine Classifications.
Spain as a country has a long history of producing fine wines. Spain has the largest area of land dedicated to viticulture of any country in the world; it is made up of a lot of large regions, most if not all specialising in the production of wine.
When you say Spanish wine, most people automatically think of Rioja, it comes from a small region amongst many others. Although Rioja does not come from a large area in comparison to others, it is known for being one of the better wines, due to the fine grapes it is produced from. A lot of the surrounding areas produce much higher quantities of wine but that often are not anywhere near the same quality of these.
Spain works in the same way as both Italy and France, with all classified wines. All classified wine regions are regulated under the Donominacion de Origen system. There are 3 main classifications, Crianza, Reserva, or Grand Reserva. In order to fit into one of these classifications the wine needs to be produced in a certain way.
Crianza- Wines are two years old, and have had at least 12months spent in a cask ( if in Rioja and the Ribera del Duero). Elsewhere this limit can sometimes be reduced to 6 months oak ageing.
Reservas - These are at least 3 years old and have at least one year in a cask
Gran Reservas- These are 5 years old and have had 2 in a cask and 3 in the bottle.
There is an abundance of Spanish wines available on the market, from all your local supermarkets and off-licences. Your own personal taste and a small amount of knowledge of the history of Spanish wines will help you pick out which will be most suitable for what you are looking.

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Spanish Wine Classifications!

Web Statistics
By Clare Lawrence 15th August 2004

Web statistics are a vital part of promoting your website.

On the Internet it's very easy to spend dollars on advertising and pay per click and be disappointed with the results.

By using web statistics properly, you can monitor what works and what doesn't.

Web servers collect logs of site activity but you need software such as the great free product webaliser to monitor and interpret them.

Webaliser turns these 'rawlogs' into a helpful Html format. This tells you a lot of helpful and interesting things, such as:-

How many visitors does your site actually get a day and per month?

Where are they coming from?

How did they get to your site?

Which pages on your site are getting visitors and which are not?

What key-phrases are being used?

By carefully monitoring these results, you can experiment with promotional campaigns, monitor the results and hopefully refine your campaigns.

Its much harder to benchmark your site against rival sites, but there are a number of sites that can give you an approximate idea of other sites traffic such as Alexa, www.alexa.com

Alex uses the activity of 100,000's of users toolbars to record visits and shares this information on its website.

If your sites not showing up on Alexa, then use their add url feature http://pages.alexa.com/help/webmasters/

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://taya.articlealley.com/web-statistics-456.html

Detagged Domains

By Clare Lawrence 29th September 2003

Clare is the CEO of Discount Domains Ltd a leading UK Domain name registration service

What is a DETAGGED domain name? We get asked this question regularly.

Only UK domain names can be detagged. A domain name that has been DETAGGED is no longer hosted on valid name servers.

What happens if there are no longer valid nameservers showing against a domain name?

If no valid name servers are showing this means that any services such e-mail or a web site will no longer work.

Who can DETAG a domain name?

Only a domain registration service or agent can DETAG a domain name. This happens if the relationship between domain name owner and agent expires, for example if the registration fee or renewal fee is not paid.

When are domain names detagged?

Domain names can be detagged at any point after registration. Detagging signifies the end of the relationship between the registration agent and the registrant.

It is not necessarily an indication of whether a domain name is paid for or not.

How can I tell if a domain name is DETAGGED?

You will probably notice that the email or web site associated with the domain name has stopped working.

You can check the status of any registration by doing a WHOIS look-up that will indicate that the domain name is DETAGGED.

How can DETAGGED domain name be retagged?

To restore a DETAGGED domain name, the registrant will need to pay a tag change fee of £15+VAT as of January 2004 to nominet via a registration service. Nominet charge a higher fee to deal direct with the owner.

Can I register a DETAGGED domain name?

A DETAGGED domain name is still registered to the original registrant, and it remains as such until it is either renewed by the current registrant, or it is cancelled. Once cancelled, it immediately becomes available for registration on a first-come, first-served basis.

How long does it take for a DETAGGED domain name to become available for registration?

Nominet contact the owner of each domain that is detagged and confirms if they wish to renew or allow each name to lapse.

If the domain is allowed to lapse then the domain name will be suspended after 21 days and then cancelled between 6-8 weeks after that.

For further information please visit Nominet http://www.nominet.org.uk .

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://taya.articlealley.com/detagged-domains-6.html