"Amazon.com" news and stories

First it was books, then housewares and groceries. Now Internet giant Amazon.com is gearing up to sell wine starting in October. If you're already a wine wonk, you probably have your own favorite Internet sites that sell the bottles you covet most. But for the majority of Internet shoppers who like wine but aren't total geeks, the announcement is pretty big news.

But before you start ordering cases of vino, figure out if your state even allows direct shipping (not all states do). If your state qualifies and you sign up for Amazon Prime ($79/year) you'll get free shipping. Pretty sweet deal, huh?

The next question is what kinds of wine will be for sale. Amazon is pretty close-lipped at the moment, as are the Napa Valley Vintners, who are putting on seminars to teach wineries how to sell through Amazon, but it seems that the selection might go beyond Yellow Tail-type wines and actually include some smaller boutique producers. That's good for the producers, and good for us.

One thing is for sure: the "big three" regions of California, Oregon, and Washington won't monopolize the market. Amazon says they'll offer wines from all over the U.S. Now that every single state has at least one commercial winery, a whole new wine experience will be available with the click of the mouse.

So would you buy wine from Amazon.com or keep to your friendly neighborhood shop?

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For the last few years, I have wanted to own a Staub Cocotte. I am entranced by their braising spikes, and the fact that their dark enamel interiors deters the kind of staining you see on the inside of Le Creuset pots. Plus the fact that they just cook so darn well.

This weekend, I was at my favorite home and kitchen store (Foster's Homeware) and found a few minutes to peek at their display of Staub cookware. As I caressed one of the pots longingly, Kim, the store's events manager came over and we started talking about our mutual love of the Cocotte. She said that she uses hers all the time and if anything were to happen to the contents of her kitchen, it would be the first thing she would replace. I left the store empty-handed, but pondering my Staub future.

As I flipped through the internet this morning, I happened to notice that the Staub 5-quart round Cocotte is on sale at Amazon.com for a single day. They normally run $200, but you can snatch one up for $144.99 today if you are so inclined. I'm skipping the sale, as my Le Creuset is a 5-quart round, and try as I might, I can't convince myself that I need two pots of the same shape and capacity. However, if this happens to be your dream pot, this might be your opportunity to finally own one.

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Amazon.com, the Seattle-based juggernaut that revolutionized the way America buys everything from books and CDs to Le Creuset cookware is at it again. This time around it's set its sights on fresh foods.

Last week it announced that it will begin selling farm-fresh produce and meat online. True to form, one of the products on offer is a loss-leader: a 5-ounce steak for $1.99.

Lest you wake up tomorrow morning in Peoria thinking that this new service is available everywhere and log on to Amazon to order a dozen eggs, allow me to clarify. The new service, dubbed Amazonfresh, is a pilot program that, for now, is only available on Seattle's Mercer Island.

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While we occasionally post about products on Slashfood, whether cool gadgets, beautifully designed dinnerware, or some other hot new item, we very rarely talk about actual shopping.

That's changing tonight because this is something that cannot be kept to ourselves. Amazon.com has a 10-piece Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set that's originally priced at $400, on sale for $149. That, my stainless steel cookware-less friends, is a steal, particularly since you can get this shipped for free!

Thanks to Elise of Simply Recipes for the heads up.

Amazon is selling gift certificates to restaurants that range in value anywhere from $10 to $25, but selling them for a fraction of that value. For example, a $25 gift certificate for the New York Deli in Century City (Los Angeles) is only $10. The certificates are provided by restaurant.com and are for quite a long list of cities.

They might not be the highest end restaurants out there, but the places that are participating are decent enough for a good meal. There are some restrictions on the certificates, e.g. "dine-in only" and/or "weekdays only," but for the most part, it doesn't seem like a bad deal.

I wonder if they'll ever have one for The French Laundry.