W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 26/09/2026A PR firm sent me a list of the 10 US states with the highest binge-drinking rates. What do they have in common? None are major wine producing states. Wine drinkers tend to not be binge drinkers. 110
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Conversation of the day. I've seen the top part plenty of times; many online randos issue similar demands. Haven't seen the retort nearly enough. 010
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I tried to vote for The Sopranos, The Simpsons and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but they were ineligible because they started before 2000. 010
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Here's a Harvard-Harris poll from August. Useful perspective for this site. Only 17% of Americans have an unfavorable view of the USA -- but they constitute the core of BlueSky. 000
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Outstanding headline! Newspapers don't prize headline writing today because SEO is more important than being clever. But this one ... my compliments to the anonymous NY Times copy editor who came up with it. 052
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 18/08/2026I know a lot of people here like the Heather Cox Richardson newsletter. It is less reliable than the New York Post or the Daily Mail. 110
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 18/08/20262026 version of the Media Bias Chart. Whatever happened to Rolling Stone? Now equal on reliability with Fox TV News. And how about the Times of India? Unbiased but also less reliable than Barstool Sports. 110
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Last night I drank a 2003 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which got the review below in 2007. It was very good last night, in 2026! I think in 2007 critics were paying too much attention to fruit flavors, and not enough to acid-tannin balance, because this wine WAS ageable. 020
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 09/08/2026Another small sign that maybe the New York Times is easing off of its neo-Prohibitionist campaign against alcohol: Dirty martinis above the fold (online) on a Sunday morning 010
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 08/08/2026Unintentionally accurate New York Post headline this morning. 020
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 03/08/2026It's a trick question, right? Or maybe I actually am a robot. I don't see any traffic lights. 110
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 16/07/2026Today I'm going to see a movie written by Homer. Who knew he had such talent? Is there anything donuts can't do? 110
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 02/07/2026I write about wine and spirits, so on one level I get it. Facebook thinks my page is not appropriate for teens. On the other hand, my own feed is filled every day with rage-bait nonsense. THAT seems much worse for impressionable minds. 141
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 02/05/2026Napa Valley Vintners can't be happy this morning to wake up and discover the valley has been declared "dying" by the New York Post. 130
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 02/04/2026This is a new type of PR outreach. Because I write about wine, I am often offered wine samples (this job does have its perks). This is the first time I have been offered "thought commentary." What the hell is thought commentary? 230
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 28/03/2026Steph Curry is St. Francis of Assisi. The image at left is on the historic Mission Dolores in San Francisco. Easy to imagine the artist using Steph as a model. Check out the 3 fingers the Saint is throwing. Gives new meaning to "Steph launches a prayer from deep ..." 020
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 17/03/2026I don't know if I should be advertising this map, but I live in Northern California and, yeah, checks out. 010
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 06/01/2026Five years ago today a gang of domestic terrorists broke into the Capitol, attempting to overthrow our government and hang our Vice President. They built a gallows to do it. We should not forget, or forgive, this attack. 010
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 06/01/2026Dynamo Donut in San Francisco sold a Diá de Los Reyes special today "dipped in guava glaze and adorned with quince strips, house-made apple gummies" and a plastic baby Jesus. The donut was delicious! But I couldn't eat the body of Christ, so I left him with the dirty dishes. Sorry! 220
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 03/01/2026If you want something to be happy about, all of California and most of the West Coast is completely out of drought. A few years ago there were worries about sufficient drinking water for parts of California. One city actually brought water in on trucks. So this IS good news. 031
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 30/10/2025Hat tip to the headline writers at the New York Post 150
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 22/09/2025When will Democrats listen to Bill Clinton? "It's the economy, stupid." 020
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 28/08/2025Content warning for The Two Gentlemen of Verona. This is San Francisco: We can't let people see an "unarmed altercation between friends" without a warning. Imagine the consequences! Prithy! Verily! 010
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 25/08/2025I know this isn't the most important AI error in the world ... but Juan Marichal had 2 stolen bases in his entire career (and was caught stealing 5 times). How could AI get that so wrong? You cannot trust AI. 100
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 15/08/2025Why? Let me guess. Is it greed? Or ego? Or could it be ... greed AND ego? 030
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 25/07/2025Here is what I drank last night: Khatun Khaji, one of the rarest varietals in the world. It's native to Armenia but is rare even there. It's not even listed in the massive book Wine Grapes by viticultural geneticist Jose Vouillamoz and Jancis Robinson. Tasting notes to follow🧵 160
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 24/05/2025Don't let anyone tell you there's never any good news. 000
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 23/05/2025Normally I have eggs but today I had an alternative breakfast of a jalapeño-lime doughnut and a blueberry lavender doughnut. Both were excellent. The former was not especially spicy but had a nice green vegetal flavor you don't normally find at breakfast. 020
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 30/03/2025I got this as an ad on social media. I am not a glass snob, so the answer is, "Whichever one has Pinot Noir in it." 250
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 10/03/2025Beverage alert: I don't know if I'm late to this party, but this morning for the first time I had a "50-50": coffee with strong black tea and condensed milk. Excellent! 000
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 26/01/2025Turner's Kitchen sandwich shop in San Francisco -- in a tech-bro heavy neighborhood -- announced that it's closing (sigh, I'll miss it.) Now owner Ken Turner is free to name sandwiches whatever he wants. 010
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 29/11/2024FedEx threatened me, and my wife, if I posted this recording. I'm posting it anyway. "If you're going to post it, the best thing to do would be ... get some affairs in order, make sure your insurance is paid up, or you know you've got maybe some extra security or something." 000
W. Blake Gray @wblakegray.bsky.social · 18/02/2024Never take Lufthansa if you can avoid it. Since the pandemic, they have gone cheap on service and it's the worst airline in the Star Alliance that flies to Europe. Tonight my flight was cancelled. I waited 90 minutes in the queue for this interaction: 000
