Sharia Law Supporters Seek To Ban CA Wine Production

Posted by Tom Wark on Oct 14, 2011

I occasionally stop and think about ways I might engage more readers here at Fermentation. One thing I've never considered doing is something like this:

San Francisco Restaurant Workers Support 25% Tip Standard

This article in the Contra Costa Times, published on October 12th and written by Ed Arnow, reports the following:

"There's a move on to make 25 percent the standard tip in San Francisco restaurants. Media sources report that San Francisco restaurant workers are behind it with support from some high-class restaurants."

That's right. A 25% standard tip included on all checks at SF restaurants. As you might imagine, if you now do a Google search on key words associated with this story you'll see a huge nationwide response to this report.

The problem is that the reporter has offered no source for this report. The reporter only mentions "media sources" and "some high class restaurants".

I don't know if the story has any legs at all or how the editors at the Contra Costa Times allowed such an unsubstantiated piece to run under their banner. However, there is no question this "story" is driving traffic to the Contra Costa Times website and that any subsequent follow up (will there be one?) will generate additional traffic.

Why didn't I think of this? I could use a few thousand more readers at FERMENTATION: The Daily Wine Blog. But how can I use this example of…."reporting"… and make it my own?

Wait! I know:

1. Sharp Tacks in California Wine
Sources report they have found sharp tacks in a number of yet unnamed California wines purchased at various retail outlets across the country.

2. Pear and Pineapple Juice Substituted for Grapes in California Wines
A source reports that numerous California Chardonnay producers are utilizing pear and pineapple juice in their Chardonnay to increase pear and pineapple flavor components in their wines and no indication of this growing trend is showing up on wine bottle labels.

3. Supporters of Sharia Law Work to Pass Ban on Wine Production in California
Sources in Sacramento report a move is afoot to ban the production of wine in California led by proponents of Sharia law and that numerous secret muslim lawmakers are supporting the new bill that might harm the California wine industry.

I think as long as I can rid any of these potential stories of any concrete sources and simply "report" these stories, I might be able to draw significantly more readers to this blog.

Anyone with any other suggestions for readership enhancing stories please let me know your ideas. And let's not worry about sources.