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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Born on this day in 1890, Groucho Marx, the quickest wit in the West. And he even did #wine ads. #Winesky #Moviesky #winewriter

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Eric Idle has a new book out and I saw him talk about it at Symphony Space in NYC last night. He also talked about Monty Python and George Harrison and more. And he sang to wrap things up. And everyone sang and whistled along. #Booksky #Comedysky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Today's #wine pairing for the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel. Domaine de l'Ecu 'Sole'. Label art is from an actual stained glass window from a church in Omaha, Nebraska, for this 100% biodynamic Loire Chenin Blanc. #winewriter #Michaelmas #StMichael #Winesky #Saintsky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

My #wine pairing for #InternationalDayofPeace. Clos d'Agon 'Amic'. Amic is Catalan for 'friend' and the winery wanted it to be wine for friendly gatherings. Now, about the peace part of the day. #winewriter #Winesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

'Mass graphomia'... Basically, Milan Kundera predicted social media in 1978 in "The Book of Laughter and Forgetting." 'Once the writer in every individual comes to life (and that time is not far off) we are in for an age of universal deafness and lack of understanding.'

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I did the @nigella.bsky.social raw beet, dill and mustard seed salad. Not wanting to have Lady MacBeth-like hands, as Nigella references in the recipe, I used golden beets. Being American, I wasnt sure what a wodge of dill was exactly. Served w king salmon and maitake mushrooms. #Cookingsky #Winesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I wrote this 2 decades ago on this night. I post it every year somewhere this time so as to never forget. Sadly, the world is not a better place, but there is still a lot of good. Seek it out. #September11 Thoughts on the Anniversary of September 11 hankzona.substack.com/p/thoughts-o...

hankzona.substack.com

Thoughts on the Anniversary of September 11

Something I wrote over 20 years ago that I updated, and post every year, because it's important to do so.

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Wendell Berry's death got me thinking and writing about him. It was a #wine quote that first put him on my radar, but I then realized his words and works were often in alignment with me personally and professionally. My latest. #Writingsky #Winesky #Foodsky hankzona.substack.com/p/on-wendell...

hankzona.substack.com

On Wendell Berry (and Wine)

and some thoughts on food and faith, nature and human nature, after his death.

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Thank you to all those who do the work we won't do, can't do, especially on the days and at the times we aren't working. A special toast to those in hospitality and in all aspects of the food and beverage supply chain. Happy and Grateful Labor Day to you. #LaborDay #Winesky #winewriter #foodwriter

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Maria Bartiromo is out at Fox News. They must have caught her telling the truth. Grounds for immediate dismissal there.

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Yesterday was #NationalRedWineDay. I marked it with a glass of Beaujolais and steak tartare after hitting Powehouse Arts and the Frick. (Admittedly, I also had two whites with a friend and a rose pet-nat before the Bojo.) #wine #winewriter #Winesky #Foodsky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

A restaurant on their website says they have a "select a la carte menu at the bar." That's a lot of words for "bar menu"! #foodwriter #Foodsky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

A friend and I were discussing traditional cooked green tomato pasta sauce (instead of fried green tomatoes), focusing on Abruzzo-style--brighter, tangier. We are shooting a video with his chef and I was going to pair it with a Trebbiano and/or Pecorino. What other wines would you suggest? #Winesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Really good wine and cooler. Not so much the cup and drinker. An unintended selfie. #Winesky #wine #winewriter

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Today is #WorldFolkloreDay celebrating the history and importance of legends, myths, and folktales. There are numerous wine-related folktales and myths. I listed a few below. What are your favorites? #wine #Winesky #winewriter

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

My garden peppers are abundant this week. That means Proustian childhood food memories are abundant. I didnt make madeleines, but I did make a potato, pepper and egg sandwich. Many w Italian-American roots know what Im talking about. #foodwriter #Foodsky hankzona.substack.com/p/an-ode-to-...

hankzona.substack.com

An Ode to A Sandwich

Proust had his madeleines; I have potatoes, peppers and eggs.

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

On #NationalPhotographyDay, an early photograph we should never forget, despite the efforts of some. #Photographysky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I got on the mailing list and have been following a new boutique winery operation. The partners have some impressive backgrounds. I got the inaugural vintage offering email today. Six wines for $700. But hey, shipping is included! Yeah, no.

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I have had this mantra for years: wine is personal, wine is social, wine is connective. As I am writing a personal story about the social and connective aspects of wine, it struck me that because of those aspects, there is also a lot of kindness in and around #wine. #winewriter

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Since it's #InternationalPinotNoirDay and I'm in a kind of Eola-Amity Hills mode this week, I thought I'd open an Eola-Amity Hills pinot noir. Rare streamlined thinking on my part. #wine #winewriter #Winesky #pinotnoir

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

During a conversation with a group of #wine professionals, the negative impact of ICE on some regions and the uncertainty it foments came up. One person, from Napa, replied that ICE never comes to Napa Valley, so they don't worry about it. Hmm, why is that do you think? #Winesky #winewriter

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

I buy a fresh local #watermelon every week in summer. Sometimes, I make Sicilian gelo d'anguria, a traditional watermelon gelatin-based pudding, typically garnished with pistachio and chocolate. Here I am being typical. #justahomecook #whyieatanddrinkathome #summer #Cookingsky #buylocal

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I get more engagement elsewhere (because I can write lengthier/babble more). For a piece I wrote this morning, someone said that I should write a book. My reply was to thank him, but I added, I'm a really good cook and know about #wine --that doesn't mean I should open a restaurant. #Writingsky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Today is National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day. Or as I like to say, it's a nice gesture if someone shares their overwhelming overabundance of zucchini, but when they give you tomatoes, it means they really care. #homegardener #Gardensky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I don't usually drink on a flight but when there is a good and fun option from a project I have written about, been impressed with, and support, like Maker Wine, I make an exception. #Winesky #wine #winewriter

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Happened to catch this bald eagle after it flew overhead.

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

On the birthday of #JerryGarcia, his drawing of August West. 'My name is August West, and I love my Pearly Baker best more than my #wine.' #wineinmusic #wineinart #winewriter #Winesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Saw a 100 year old Buster Keaton movie, 'The General', last night in the gorgeous 98 year old Paramount Theater in Seattle (with remarkable live Wurlitzer accompaniment) and kept thinking Jeremy Allen White ought to play Keaton in the biopic. #Moviesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Since I'm heading out to Method Oregon this week, then staying out in the PNW for a bit, I needed to round up the August wines for my wine club earlier than usual. I am dropping some 'Blouge Clues' on them I think. #wine #winewriter #wineclub #Winesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Wait...so #TheOdyssey isn't about the Brooklyn disco club where 'Saturday Night Fever' takes place?!? #Moviesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Well, at least Taylor Farms stopped using cheap prison labor. Next best thing to slaves for many companies.(A reason why our food is less expensive than elsewhere, by the way.)

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Dropped off some Rias Baixas albarino and Galician conserva to my Gallego friend who'll be watching the #WorldCup game with his almost 100 year old father. That's how and why you watch sports. #wineisconnective #wineispersonal #Winesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

I did a fun and lively wine event for 50 people at a wine and sound bar last night. A woman came up to me and said, "We have a lot in common. I just passed the WSET Level 1!" OK! My response: That's great! My thought: Probably shouldn't tell her I have no certifications. #wine #winewriter

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

The intersection of #art and #wine on #NationalNudeDay. While canvas was not easy to find during WW2, empty wine bottles were. #winewriter #Magritte #Winesky #Artsky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Today's World Cup game may have been payback for France co-opting garnacha, monastrell, and carinena from Spain. #Winesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Once again #NationalNudeDay coincides with #BastilleDay so to mash them together, here are some pieces from French artist (and my favorite) Auguste Rodin. #artlover #Artsky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

On my bike ride early this morning, I rode past an old building a town away that used to house a non-profit run by someone I knew. The organization has been defunct for at least 15 years ago or more. I have not seen nor heard from him in years. He messaged me a short while ago.

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Eggplant parm? Risotto? It's both, kinda. I love eggplant and its coming in now at the farmers markets and nothing beats farm fresh. So I adapted a recipe that is a layer of saffron and anise risotto sandwiched between layers of eggplant. #justahomecook #foodwriter #Cookingsky #Winesky

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

4-4 on my wine-based round of 16 predictions. Quarterfinals Predictions (again based solely on wine): France over Morocco. Spain over Belgium. England over Norway. Argentina over Switzerland. The closest of the matchups compared to the others, but not that close. #Winesky #WorldCup

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Final Ranking of Remaining World Cup Countries* (*based on the likelihood of the President trashing them) 8. Argentina 7. England 6. Switzerland 5. Belgium 4. Norway 3. Morocco 2. France 1. Spain (already happened)

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Hank Zona - The Grapes Unwrapped @hankzona.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

The President just trashed Spain. The entire country. This means Spain's chances of winning the World Cup just dramatically increased. #WorldCupsky #WorldCup

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