Unpopular opinions
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@endo We make plenty of good whiskey in the US, but the bourbon laws can be a little restrictive, so bourbon distillers definitely don't have as much freedom to experiment. However, not all American whiskey is bourbon, and there are a lot of wonderful bottles available from all over the country.
That being said, my preference over the years has defintely leaned towards bottles from Scotland and Japan. The distillers in Scotland aren't bound by the same laws as bourbon producers and this opens the doors for much broader experimentation. The opposite is true for French wine vs. American wine though. The French have so many rules in place and strict naming conventions, whereas in California, anything goes. And there is a ton of wine coming out of California.
Here are some facts about California wine production that I thought were interesting:
California produces 81% of all wine made in the United States. The United States is the fourth largest wine producer globally, and California accounts for the vast majority of that production. California's wine industry also dominates US wine exports, with 95% of those exports coming from the state, according to WineAmerica.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
California's share of US wine production: Approximately 81%.
US share of global wine production: Around 12%.
California's rank among global wine producers: Fourth largest, after Italy, France, and Spain.
California's share of US wine exports: 95%.And since we're in the unpopular opinons thread, I'll just come right out and say it. The best wine in the world comes from California.
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@Brian to be fair, I’ve heard that there’s a ton of incredible wine in Australia, but my understanding is that most of the good stuff doesn’t leave the country. So I’ve never had any, but I’d love to change that! Some friends that I drink wine with often recently went to Australia and raved about the wine. We’re quite spoiled here in California, and I imagine you are too. For now, if you’re cool with it, we can just have a good handshake and a gentle nod of mutual respect for each other’s local wine. Agreed?
“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman
@zeebeeleather
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@seawolf said in Unpopular opinions:
@Brian to be fair, I’ve heard that there’s a ton of incredible wine in Australia, but my understanding is that most of the good stuff doesn’t leave the country...
From my experience this is basically the norm world over for all sorts of things but especially alcohol of any variety; low production, taxation, logistics, you name it! But its a good excuse to travel around and try the local stuff when you do
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@GraemeE both incredibly obtuse and not for everyone, but if they click, they click hard
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@Brian nah the good ones are in Western Australia. best in the west as they say..
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All the Australians will fight about who has the best wine. I'm in Queensland and will gladly concede this one, ours is like vinegar!
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@Brian said in Unpopular opinions:
@seawolf the South Australian in my completely disagrees
100% @Brian, while I have not been to SA, McLaren Vale (primary producer of nectar from the gods) has been the source of the best big reds I have savoured.
We don't even need to talk Grange.
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Disclaimer – this is an unpopular opinion, and I appreciate that trainers are widely worn today.
For those of you who wear trainers with Iron Heart gear (other than shorts), I'm genuinely curious about your perspective. Iron Heart's work is, in my view, incredibly high-quality and aesthetically refined, and personally, I don't see trainers fitting that same aesthetic or quality standard as, say, good boots or traditional shoes. There are so many excellent quality boots and shoes that pair really well.
So, for those who do, what's the appeal or reasoning behind that pairing for you? I'm trying to understand the different style choices.
(And to clarify slightly, I do differentiate between sneakers like Chucks or Old Skools, and more performance-oriented trainers like Air Force Ones or New Balance.)
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