Jun 29, 2010
Andy Perdue, longtime editor of Wine Press Northwest and an authority on the wines and wine industry in Oregon and Washington, was kind enough to interview me at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington last week. It was a fun interview to do and gave me the chance to think about the utility of the Wine Bloggers Conference and bloggers and my own mug.
Jun 17, 2010
I like toys and I like games. It's a vice, I admit. I love the Xbox. I love computer games. I don't get to use them as often as I like, but I do love them. I love maps too. Hence my fascination with GoogleEarth, perhaps the greatest time-sucker I've come across on the web. So, it's no surprise that I love The Wine Map. I'm not sure how long it has been in existence, but I'm pretty bummed I…
Jun 9, 2010
Over the past few years, one corner of the “Culture Wars” has been dedicated to the debate over the utility of religion and whether or not faith has been beneficial to mankind. Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, all considered “New Atheists” for the new and aggressive way they have gone after religion, have been on the attack while a slew of defenders of the faith have taken up the challenged. The ongoing debate is a fascinating…
Jun 8, 2010
In July, I'll be heading up to McMinnville, Oregon to attend and cover the 24th Annual International Pinot Noir Celebration—arguably the granddaddy of the ever-increasing selection of varietal-inspired celebrations/conclaves for industry and enthusiasts. I'm excited to be invited to attend the event. The last time I went I was in work mode. This time, I'll be in "soak-it-up-and-observe-and-listen-and-ask-questions" mode. This happens to be the mode that most often results for me in both confusion and insight. The IPNC has an…
Jun 3, 2010
The beer and wine wholesalers supporting H.R. 5034, a bill now in the House of Representatives that, if passed, would pave the way for direct shipping rights to be taken away and give wholesalers free reign to push through any number of discriminatory state laws that favor their business, have been relatively quiet in the news media about their attempt to take control of the alcohol distribution and sales industry via federal legislation. However, careful searches on the Internet do…