Twitter Threads: Labeling My Wine Shipment

I don't know if Twitter was ever a great place for discussion, but there was a time when it was an at least somewhat useful way to tell people about whatever nonsense was going on in my head. Alas, the current algorithm really only incentivizes rage-baiting engagement farming. 

This has impacted my personal work in two ways. First, fewer folks are on Twitter generally, so the audience is smaller overall. Second, if one does not participate in rage-baiting engagement farming, it's becoming damnably hard to show up via the algorithm at all.

Granted, I've only ever wanted to write whatever's on my mind for whoever cares to see it. However, even that requires a platform. At the same time, I've thought for a while that I should really use this platform more and those platforms less. And yet, for convenience sake, so much nonsense winds up over there while *my* actual blog sites largely empty.

So.

This is the first of a series of recent random thoughts that I initially dropped on Twitter -- to zero engagement. They may also get zero engagement here, but this, at least, is *my* actual platform.

I want you guys to appreciate the time & effort it took to label yesterday’s wine shipment with the little shelf-talkers the shipper included in the box.

They also included a one-page pamphlet on the Rioja region of Spain. And friends, now I feel stupid because I did not even know that Rioja is a *place* & not a varietal.

Since you asked, Americans sell wine by type, i.e. Chardonnay. Because we like to categorize things.

Europeans sell wine by region. They care more about who made it than about what kind of grapes got used.

Since Spain is in Europe, obviously Rioja is a PLACE.

In answer to your follow-up question, yes, the European system IS clearly superior. 

The American focus on specific varietals regardless of quality is stupid. European willingness to blend varietals usually works much better.

Subject to your questions, this concludes my briefing.

Bordeaux is typically my favorite, especially white Bordeaux. But we've been drinking a decent amount of Rioja recently.

— Danno E. Cabeza (@DannoECabeza) March 26, 2024

Hahaha!

— Danno E. Cabeza (@DannoECabeza) March 26, 2024

We got into it a couple of years ago, but it’s complicated by the reality that I’ve cut radically back on my drinking overall.

I actually prefer US blends when I buy US wine, but I’ll readily admit that we don’t buy much US wine.

— Danno E. Cabeza (@DannoECabeza) March 26, 2024

American wines tend to list by the winery instead of the terroirs but they do exist. You’ll see them on the labels, Napa Valley, Columbia Valley, etc. Europeans can list the grapes on the back but blends and non blends exist everywhere. I like Italian and French myself

— The Cooler King (@coolerking28) March 26, 2024