Nov 042012
 
Thanksgiving Wine Suggestions

Holiday season is fast approaching, and for many it’s time to think about what wine to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s a few wines I’ve enjoyed lately that could be big hits with your holiday guests. Any of the 2009 petit chateaux bordeaux I reviewed recently would be an economical and popular choice. In addition, […]

Oct 312012
 
What Makes Content Great?

Search Engine Land is a go to site for all topics related to search. So when I saw an article on how to create great content, I naturally assumed the focus would on how content should be  organized and tagged for search engine indexing. The author Rick DeJarnette does deliver some good tips on that […]

Oct 282012
 
Upgrading BMW Angel Eyes

Beginning with the E39 5 Series in 2001, BMW introduced lighted rings around the headlights on their cars. These quickly were termed “angel eyes” and became a big hit in the market. Early BMW angel eyes were powered by a halogen bulb. This caused the color of the rings to be yellow, which didn’t match […]

Oct 252012
 
Talking 2009 Petit Chateaux Bordeaux

My latest WashingtonExec Wine and Dine column published today. The topic this month is the 2009 Bordeaux vintage, and the strong values delivered by the so-called petit chateaux. These are thousands of small vineyards that can produce very high quality Bordeaux, without the stratospheric prices of the more famous Bordeaux appellations. I review three 2009 […]

Oct 192012
 
Has Social Media Changed the Nature of Leadership?

This week a survey was released that looked at the nature of leadership in the age of social media. Jamie Notter and Maddie Grant, consultants and co-authors of the book Humanize – How People-Centric Organizations Succeed in a Social World, released the results Tuesday at a workshop held in Washington, DC. Focused on the association […]

Oct 172012
 
Do Not Track - Time to Level With Consumers

Do Not Track rules for online advertising appear increasingly likely, and the heat is rising. The New York Times ran a thorough story over the weekend detailing what it describes as industry moves to thwart consumer opt-out of online tracking. Industry groups like the Association of National Advertisers, Internet Advertising Bureau and the Direct Marketing […]

Oct 122012
 
What Thinking Like a Publisher Looks Like

In previous articles on this site I’ve talked about counseling clients on adopting a publishing mindset. For a content marketing program to succeed, the company or organization must approach the engagement just like a trade magazine. Quality content needs to be presented in ways that appeal to the target audience(s), and must be presented in […]

Oct 092012
 
Work, Wine and Wheels Moves to ChrisParente.com

Over the weekend I completed the transfer of Work, Wine and Wheels to a self-hosted WordPress installation. After over four years and more than 100,000 visits, it was time to leave the WordPress.com nest in the cloud and run my own site. This transfer took quite a while. Partly this was due to the work […]

Oct 052012
 
Personal Brand, or Client Business?

I read a very good article last week on TechCrunch. The author was questioning the importance some people are giving Klout scores, even in some cases using a person’s Klout score as a metric for employment. The article cites a Salesforce help wanted listing that requires a Klout score of 35 or higher. The articles […]

Oct 022012
 
E36 M3 Battery Replacement

This weekend the battery in my 1999 BMW M3 finally gave out. I bought the car in late 2003, so I know it was at least nine years old and probably was original equipment. The fact it lasted so long is testament to BMW quality a couple of car generations ago. When my car was […]

Sep 272012
 
Excellent California Bordeaux Blends

Recently Gabriele and I traveled down to St. Augustine Florida for a week off. We’ve done this the past four years, and while there we like to try out new restaurants and new wines. We tend to like California Bordeaux blends, which can be safer and more economical bets than French wines. This year we […]

Sep 202012
 
Online Tools to Make You a Smarter Wine Shopper

My latest Wine and Dine column published today in WashingtonExec. In the story I talk about online tools and services that can help you save time and money when purchasing wine. Most of us don’t have enough free time, and a mortgage to pay. Let the Internet help you find the best wine at the […]