Well, I expected to be here. Hoping for more elbow room. Anybody notice some missing persons?

1/2 Summer is waning, but still some time for Vinho Verde. I'm burning through a stash of these 2015s, an iconic brand in Vinho Verde. Let's have another! Holding beautifully, it's barely middle-aged, even at age 10. The vibrant acidity supports maturing but still prime-time fruit. to 2 #wine

On the heels of the Jimmy Kimmel matter and so many other things, look at the less publicized things going on. The assault on democracy is moving forward full steam ahead. Will there be fair elections 2026? I have my doubts. His 1st year, Term 2, isn't close to up.

1/2 Finally ready, hadn't had it of late.Another fine '01 performance, no surprise, this Riesling is holding great.It still seems young,could benefit from more aging! If not immortal, seems close.Fresh and showing its sweet finish, it has enough structure to support fruit/sugar and let it age. to 2

1/2 This '99 Clos de la Roche operates with a subtle touch and freshness. It's all about finesse,plus some power,with dried black cherries in the background. Leaning a bit to austerity, it's not trying to be a fruit bomb. #wine #burgundy to 2

1/2 This 2012 was just singing. I can sometimes excuse a little oxidation for development and complexity, but there was none at age 13. Fresh and focused, this evolved well and held perfectly. Ripe, but textured and showing fine depth, it's super. To 2 #wine #assyrtiko #santorini #greece

It's #Stunday! This vertical #panorama was made in a favorite spot near the coast. The scene was illuminated with an LED panel with an amber diffuser. I made lots of images that night but this is one of my favorites. #photography #landscape #EastCoastKin #longexposure #milkyway #astrophotography

1/2 This 2008 Vinsanto (bottled 2012) is perfect for drinking now--the category holds well, with those sundried grapes (Assyrtiko + 10% Aidani). There's fine tension, a mouthwatering finish with plenty of sugar and there is a fair hit of alcohol this year (14.5%). to part 2 #wine #greece #vinsanto

Someone who I always felt never got enough attention, an archaeologist who was very much into the history of wine, beer and food. This is a gift link, it should work. share.inquirer.com/Px4iCg #wine #beer

Wine is safer than beer. That's just science! 🍷🍷

Normally tolerant of SMS from desperate politicians. Even mark "not spam;" I figure they have a struggle. (That's despite not wanting ANY SMS messages. Send a frigging email.) But the prize goes to S.Brown, in a state not even my own. I've never seen so many messages! @sherrodbrownoh.bsky.social

1/2 This 2015 (a blend of Códega do Larinho, Rabigato, Viosinho and Gouveio) is a vigorous 10-year-old from esteemed Wine&Soul. This is a nice time to try a bottle, although it is still young and has much life left (10+ more?). It's elegant, but surprisingly concentrated in mouthfeel. To 2

"Tripping at 53 years of age is different from tripping at 18. " Yeah, for one thing, I don't think I can bend far enough to get into that tiny boat any more. 🚣Charming. And depressing.

Many have commented about how eager TechBros are to push it, yet "mismatch between phone makers' bullish approach to AI and consumers' general apprehension...." --AI factored into upgrade decisions 11% of time, drop of 7% --30% don't think it's helpful, don't want more www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/...

1/2 Someone brought this familiar friend, Alpha Estate's Xinomavro Reserve VV (2020 vintage). Sometimes a bit powerful in its youth, this had (so I'm told) a gentle slow-ox decant and it was drinking beautifully, fresh and fruity with silky texture and finesse in the mid-palate. To 2

1/2 Yeah, Assyrtiko is great. Went Greeking last night, will get around to that. But with some summer left, can I say two of my fave Greek fresh-and-aromatic summer whites are Moschofilero and Malagouzia. This is a nice Mala example from Alpha Estate. This Mala ($25, 13%) handles itself well.

I have been on it several times too. Major tragedy. So far I've heard three dead, 20 injured. Awful #lisbon #portugal

1/2 Labor Day was fruitful. 🙂🍷This wasn't hard work. A sexy vintage for Seavey, this '01 is fruit forward now, concentrated and a little unctuous, relatively, not quite as powerful as some, but maybe richer. Still, it's Seavey. That means it evolves and shows a backbone to support beautiful fruit.

Calendar says it's September 1 and Labor Day. Aieeeeeeeeeeeeee. How did that happen? Where did the summer go? Did I fall asleep for a few months? More coffee, I think. ☕ Coffee solves many things.

I want a jubbe of 1990 Romanée-Conti. A boy can dream.

I always like a good joke going into a holiday weekend...let frivolity begin. Um, I assume he's joking.

1/2 The 2016 Liatiko, a Cretan value from Douloufakis, is holding well, but this is a good time to dive in. Darker red fruits dominate. There is still some tannic pop, but it's more approachable these days. (It still needed some air.) Tight, focused & a bit earthy, it's a nice food wine. #wine

Yes, I really feel like the 2026 midterms will provide the solution to everything. 😬

Always right on the money, Mike Lukovich, captures the vibe perfectly.

1/2 Time marches on, but the 2001 RvK Riesling Spätlese laughs and ignores it. Bright and sunny, this shows tasty fruit with hints of peach & grapefruit. This isn't missing anything and it improves with air. Arguably, it's better the next day. --To 2 #wine #riesling #germany #spätlese

Alcohol consumption steadily declining. I kept telling wineries in Portugal on my last trip--this is trouble! Especially for a country whose most famous products are fortified AND that produces an ocean of quantity where everyone and their brother wants to work at a winery. The future is perilous.

As many initiatives roll out in schools and restaurants, etc., to make people get off their phones, Mina Kimes forces us to remember that our phones can be a source of endless joy. Fair!

1/2 2012 Clássico (V. Puro) is from very old Baga vines in Bairrada (80-100 years). You'd never know it was wood-aged for 24 months (much of it used, though). It's bright with a juicy finish, the acidity making the Baga jump off the palate. Delicious, it has another decade or so left, maybe more.

👏 As I recall, was a flagrant example in South a couple of years back at a chicken processing plant. They grabbed dozens of workers. I don't recall any significant action against the owners. Could be wrong, but never heard of any. GOP could end this tomorrow. Just send the execs to El Salvador. ?

I'm not a foodie, but even I think this is pretty cool.

1/2 Nykteri Reserve '18 (85% Assyrtiko) is in a great place today--developed but young, ripe and fresh. It can hold a lot longer, but it's proving irresistible now. Santo Wines has a restrained Nykteri style, relative to the category--no oxidation here--but deep & delicious with a firm finish. To 2

A lazy Sunday, and I think I'll just hang around doing nothing. My inspiration: this Koala I met and photographed a couple of decades back in Australia. (Cairns, as I recall.) Really, let someone else vacuum. Leave me alone. #koala #australia #SilentSunday

1/2 In good shape at 35 years. Fully mature & well developed, but with the stuff to still be more beautiful the next day.Good depth nuanced with some forest floor & touch of tobacco.Yet this last bottle is beautifully textured, able to coat the palate and still bright enough to be tasty and lively.

1/2 Wiemer has some fabled single-vineyards, but this just "Dry Riesling" is a good value point in the lineup. It ages well and provides bang for the buck. It's a gentle, somewhat rounder style--hardly bone dry (9 grams of sugar), but it sure still presents as dry, with grip and nice acidity. To 2

Always some interesting tidbits on this account, and this actually sounds good too. From 1651. No alcohol needed.😀

Quaintness from a bygone, now-superseded era. 😈

War of the Worlds 2025 review is hilarious. "I promised myself that I wouldn't pause on every other frame to make fun of it...I'm not paid enough for that." You wonder what goes through the minds of producers to spend the money on a movie and release THIS. #movies www.buzzfeed.com/natashajokic...

1/2 A fave Portuguese white is Pellada's Primus, mostly Encruzado and Bical.The price point is daunting ($80-ish), but the wine is pretty fine. This 2015 vintage met expectations. Bright and crisp, it's pulled in the modest wood (6 mos., used) and seems pure with good depth,but for a hint of flint.

At this point, the diagnosis is no longer in question, and hasn't been for some time. The GOP has no intention of surrendering power. Power is all they care about. The only questions are the prognosis and what we are going to do about it...

1/2 An iconic label, this year is mature, but still lively and bright, with a nicely aged Bordeaux feel to it in its medley of aromas and flavors. A touch of cassis up front is countered by more mature nuances and complexity. The whole comes together beautifully. To 2

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." Now you get fired for collating statistics Big Brother Trump doesn't like. We've jumped the shark. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

To me, @marcelias.bsky.social has the right take. And yet I've seen people saying, the answer to cheating is not more cheating. Alas, it is now. Either everyone follows the rules and ethics, or no one does. You can't just be a helpless victim. I wonder how Democrats will screw up this response.🤦

1/2 People often like Mosco young (different spellings!)--but this '19 is holding well; no reason it can't hold more. (Maybe drank better two days later.) This Salto brand is a bit different: stony, not as fruity. From high-elevation, & based on the Mavrofilero clone. The fine acidity laces through.

Guilty pleasure of week: Netflix's Lidia Poët--billed as a limited series--back for S.2. Based on a true story, which I hadn't realized--Lidia becomes the first modern female Italian lawyer and winds up disbarred--as a woman. In the meanwhile, she is a clever criminal investigator and hilarious.

1/2 or 3. We'll see. Quinta Nova (from Luisa Amorim) has a series of Grande Reservas with a different emphasis.This is mostly Touriga Nacional (with 25% old vines blended in).It throws off the bottle slumber with air and what emerges is a wonderfully fresh and elegant wine for the style and region.

1/2 Incredibly fresh, even more so than the fine 01 Christoffel Spatlese I posted on recently. (Awesome, not my last 😁.) If tasted blind and someone said "5 years old," I might not have disagreed. But this is '01 Auslese. #wine #mosel #riesling #germany

Long day. But gotta love my free socks. Worth doing for the socks. But you need good insurance.

Someone posted on Meyney. I don't buy now,but academic interest: what are your current good Bdx values? Sub $50, good performer.Sociando Mallet, Lafon Rochet, Poujeaux fit, IF doing well, but haven't had new lately. Checked a few others. Sometimes scary how prices escalated on some old go-tos. #wine

1/3 This NV Pinot Blanc (+16% Pinot Gris) reduces alc. just to 7%. Searching for the Goldilocks “just right” level (0% is hard)? From Rheinhessen, Ger. at Wasem Winery plus Wölffer's winemaker Roman Roth, but under Wölffer's new Long Island label "Hamptons Light." to 2

A superb review article.Where it all began? " Buckley proceeds...to craft a forceful defense of a brutish, slovenly, vengeful Republican leader on the grounds that...his attackers are worse. That’s Joseph McCarthy in this case, but this Buckley-penned tune would inspire many, many cover versions."