Sometimes important, deep thinkers and important organizations say things or make recommendations that are completely ignored. That’s often a bad thing. But sometimes it’s a good thing, especially if the thing being said or recommended is so crazy it deserves to be ignored. Enter the World Health Organization, a pretty serious organization. To quote from their Draft Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030: “Appropriate attention should be given to the prevention of the initiation of drinking among children and adolescents, prevention…
In a recent post here at Fermentation, I attempted to warn the Oregon wine industry that Portland’s tarnished reputation due to regular violent protests for the past year and a highly visible homelessness problem could impact visitation to the state’s wine country. It was pointed out (see comments on the post) that in writing this warning to the industry, I may have inadvertently added to the problem of the state’s wine industry being impacted by these circumstances. It was suggested…
Edward Slingerland, writing in the Wall Street Journal and exploring the question of why human beings have developed a taste for alcohol, composed one of my favorite sentences of the year so far: “Evolution isn’t stupid”. Besides being an obvious title for a Ricky Gervais comedy, the phrase is an apt description of Slingerland’s conclusions to the question of why humans drink alcohol, despite it being a dangerous neurotoxin. This question is addressed in his recent Wall Street Journal essay…
“Five Days After Attack, Andy Ngo Releases Statement Confirming He Was Chased and Beaten in Portland” “‘It’s frightened people away’: Downtown Portland hotels slow to recover due to pandemic, reputation” “Demonstrations in Portland | The Official Guide to Portland—TRAVEL PORTLAND” “Majority of downtown Portland merchants say city core is unsafe” “Downtown in distress: Portland’s core is unsafe and uninviting, residents say in new poll, threatening city’s recovery” “Why Portland’s Homeless Problem Is The Worst In The Nation” If you are…
This moment, right now, is the best time to find a job in the wine industry that I’ve witnessed in more than 30 years. Job seekers looking to break into the wine industry will find wineries across the West Coast desperate to hire, particularly in the hospitality realm. A perusal of the Winejobs.com site one can find a host of wineries offering signing bonuses, lowered qualifications, higher per hour pay, more jobs that come with benefits, but most of all,…
