A few years ago I was visiting a friend in France who said there's nothing good on American TV. I showed her this. She was astounded. "Play it again."
RIP Nicholas Brendon.
youtube.com/watch?v=j2rheM…
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W. Blake Gray
2.9K posts
W. Blake Gray
@wblakegray
Best Online Wine Columnist in the World! 2013 Roederer Award in that category, and they stopped giving out that award immediately afterward. In perpetuity!
San Francisco Katılım Haziran 2009
89 Takip Edilen9.3K Takipçiler
@RavensSalaryCap You know who that reminded me of? God's gift to coaching, according to Urban Meyer: Mr. Urban Meyer.
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(Former, I think) Philly scout/FO. So it’s not just Terp fans!
Honest NFL@TheHonestNFL
Lame ass comment. Textbook douchebaggery. The buck stops with assistants for him, apparently.
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If you're looking for a one-level-up wine that's both delicious, complex AND good value, it's hard to beat Chianti Classico Riserva.
Despite all that, I stopped drinking them for 12 years. (I'm a fool.) Here's what I discovered by revisiting them.
wine-searcher.com/m/2026/03/chia…
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@ablegrape @EricAsimov It occurs to me since posting the comment that the real value of AI in restaurants now could be the many restaurants that no longer have a somm on site.
Many servers tell me, "This wine is popular." I thank them, but, Meiomi is popular. You know what I mean.
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@EricAsimov @wblakegray It's rare, but it happens. I still remember the somm at (Michelin-starred!) Terra, in Saint Helena, who insisted a bottle of corked wine was fine, refused to replace the bottle, and when I politely insisted, refused to taste the (delicious) replacement bottle next to the first.
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They're going to hate me but ... depending on the somm, AI might be better. I'm sorry.
AI will never be as good as a Master Sommelier, but they're never on the floor.
I love a good somm's personal touch. But if I get some dismissive know-it-all who doesn't listen ...
Eric Asimov@EricAsimov
In restaurants, artificial intelligence enters the wine selection process. nytimes.com/2026/03/19/din…
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@StatisticUrban Well, tell me if judges operate like this in Dallas and Houston. This 80-year-old who committed vehicular homicide is on the verge of getting back her driver's license.
That's San Francisco justice. Probably not the same definition as Texas.
nytimes.com/2026/03/19/us/…
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@GavinNewsom, is there anything you or any California government official can do to prevent this 80-year-old woman from getting another driver's license?
No pedestrian is safe with her behind the wheel.
Tell me who to write to about this, and I will, @CAgovernor
Heather Knight@hknightsf
Nobody disputes that Mary Lau was driving 75 miles per hour on San Francisco streets when she struck and killed an entire family. On Friday, a judge is expected to give her probation. After that, she could get her license back. The case raises the question, what is justice?
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@EricAsimov Something tells me you pick good restaurants.
And let's fact it, you're you. You don't have to be anonymous. If I'm a sommelier and you walk in, I'm quaking in my boots and asking for my supervisor to take over.
Love the story, btw. Please keep up the good work.
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@wblakegray I can’t remember having a sommelier like that, in this country, at least.
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@AlgosJoni Revisiting the category after so long was interesting for me because some wines I used to like didn't make it, and some I hadn't heard of did.
I liked Riecine before. Good wine.
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@wblakegray Oddly, the only one I've tried was Riecine, and that felt like I had hit the bullseye
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In 2013, Chianti Classico Riserva was one of my favorite wines in the world.
Then I stopped drinking it for 12 years for reasons I explain in the story.
I revisited the category in February, and it's still great: good wines, good values. Check it out!
wine-searcher.com/m/2026/03/chia…
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In San Francisco, justice is not only blind, it is also deaf. Not just tone deaf.
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So I just tried calling the judge's office in San Francisco. I want the judge to know pedestrians are not safe if this 80-year-old woman gets another driver's license.
I was told there is no email address, no form I can fill out, and I cannot leave a message.
Heather Knight@hknightsf
Nobody disputes that Mary Lau was driving 75 miles per hour on San Francisco streets when she struck and killed an entire family. On Friday, a judge is expected to give her probation. After that, she could get her license back. The case raises the question, what is justice?
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@hknightsf Hey Heather, do you have an email or phone number for the judge's office? I would like to tell them that San Francisco will NOT be safe for pedestrians if the judge lets this woman drive again.
Thank you.
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Nobody disputes that Mary Lau was driving 75 miles per hour on San Francisco streets when she struck and killed an entire family. On Friday, a judge is expected to give her probation. After that, she could get her license back.
The case raises the question, what is justice?
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Whatever they decide re incarceration, PLEASE don't give her another driver's license.
She killed 4 people! And she's 80 years old! None of us are safe walking in San Francisco if she is behind the wheel.
Think about us. Not just about the criminal. I know this is rare in SF.
Heather Knight@hknightsf
Nobody disputes that Mary Lau was driving 75 miles per hour on San Francisco streets when she struck and killed an entire family. On Friday, a judge is expected to give her probation. After that, she could get her license back. The case raises the question, what is justice?
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@CMMwine I don't blame the other person in this case because I could/should have communicated better. But this was, as you say, a broad definition that AI would have understood.
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@CMMwine Well, this is the question. Last month I got a wine I didn't love because when I said I wanted a "light red," the person I told had a different internal definition. Would AI have done better? I'd say in that case, yes: I meant lighter than average, not lightest on the list.
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@CMMwine What should a good somm recommend?
1) Something I will like
2) Something I will like
3) Something that fits the food
4) Something I wouldn't think to order myself
5) Something to expand my worldview
But first, get No. 1 and 2 right.
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@wblakegray If they AI is trained on the internet at large, with influence weighted for frequency & interaction rather than actual sensory research or buyers' feedback, I see no reason for it to be an improvement or distinctly worse.
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This is a bit wordy (sorry, Jim), but he makes an interesting point.
Jim is a PR guy who told 3 lesser-known wine regions to be cautious in this economy. All of them disagreed and want to push full-steam ahead.
Worth reading.
jimsilver.substack.com/p/they-want-to…
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When an organization, any organization, blacklists a legitimate journalistic outfit -- which SFGate is -- you have to immediately wonder:
What are they hiding?
sfgate.com/national-parks…
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