Robin Garr
@robingarr.bsky.social
Writer. Creative. Speaker and teacher on many topics: News, politics, food/drink, hunger/poverty, progressive theology, you name it. Episcopalian. He/him
Swirl, swish, sniff
Swirl, sniff, then taste. This ritual may look funny, but it effectively reveals a lot about the wine. Do you do this with other drinks too? I sure do!
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/sniffwine
Swirl, sniff, then taste. This ritual may look funny, but it effectively reveals a lot about the wine. Do you do this with other drinks too? I sure do!
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/sniffwine
November 14, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Swirl, swish, sniff
Swirl, sniff, then taste. This ritual may look funny, but it effectively reveals a lot about the wine. Do you do this with other drinks too? I sure do!
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/sniffwine
Swirl, sniff, then taste. This ritual may look funny, but it effectively reveals a lot about the wine. Do you do this with other drinks too? I sure do!
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/sniffwine
Here's a silly question: When the House orders the release of the Epstein files, how do they guarantee that Pam Bondi et al won't "edit" the collection before turning it loose?
November 12, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Here's a silly question: When the House orders the release of the Epstein files, how do they guarantee that Pam Bondi et al won't "edit" the collection before turning it loose?
Serai Malaysian-plus to fill DiFabio's space
Chef Sebastian Moh will open Serai, featuring Southeast Asian cuisine, in the historic Frankfort Avenue space vacated by DiFabio's Casapela.
Full report on LouisvilleHotBytes on Substack:
bit.ly/SeraiClifton
Chef Sebastian Moh will open Serai, featuring Southeast Asian cuisine, in the historic Frankfort Avenue space vacated by DiFabio's Casapela.
Full report on LouisvilleHotBytes on Substack:
bit.ly/SeraiClifton
Serai Malaysian-plus to fill DiFabio's space
The historic Clifton quarters being vacated by DiFabio’s Casapela after its 15-year run won’t stay vacant for long.
bit.ly
November 10, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Serai Malaysian-plus to fill DiFabio's space
Chef Sebastian Moh will open Serai, featuring Southeast Asian cuisine, in the historic Frankfort Avenue space vacated by DiFabio's Casapela.
Full report on LouisvilleHotBytes on Substack:
bit.ly/SeraiClifton
Chef Sebastian Moh will open Serai, featuring Southeast Asian cuisine, in the historic Frankfort Avenue space vacated by DiFabio's Casapela.
Full report on LouisvilleHotBytes on Substack:
bit.ly/SeraiClifton
An odd but tasty blend
A while back, I talked about an odd blend of red grapes that turned out well. Today let's look at a marriage of white grapes that don't usually mix.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/SauvChard
A while back, I talked about an odd blend of red grapes that turned out well. Today let's look at a marriage of white grapes that don't usually mix.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/SauvChard
An odd but tasty blend
A while back, I talked about an odd blend of red grapes that turned out well. Today let's look at a marriage of white grapes that don't usually mix.
bit.ly
November 7, 2025 at 4:40 PM
An odd but tasty blend
A while back, I talked about an odd blend of red grapes that turned out well. Today let's look at a marriage of white grapes that don't usually mix.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/SauvChard
A while back, I talked about an odd blend of red grapes that turned out well. Today let's look at a marriage of white grapes that don't usually mix.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/SauvChard
Okay, resisters! Now that we know it is just fine to hurl sandwiches at Trumpfenthuggers, let's decide: Other than the iconic sub, what kind of sandwiches shall we throw?
November 7, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Okay, resisters! Now that we know it is just fine to hurl sandwiches at Trumpfenthuggers, let's decide: Other than the iconic sub, what kind of sandwiches shall we throw?
Remember all the junk ads that used to come stuffed in the Sunday paper and went straight to the trash? Now they come in your mailbox and go straight to recycling. Does this kind of cheap advertising actually work for merchants or anyone?
November 5, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Remember all the junk ads that used to come stuffed in the Sunday paper and went straight to the trash? Now they come in your mailbox and go straight to recycling. Does this kind of cheap advertising actually work for merchants or anyone?
Woooeee! These serrano peppers are hotter than I expected. They hurt! 🤯 What am I going to do with these lil fiery demons?
November 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Woooeee! These serrano peppers are hotter than I expected. They hurt! 🤯 What am I going to do with these lil fiery demons?
The Great Gatsby portrays the American Dream as an empty promise, corrupted by materialism and the selfish, careless nature of the wealthy elite. Do you think 47's hosting a Great Gatsby party while denying SNAP benefits is a deliberate statement, unintentional self-parody, or something else?
November 2, 2025 at 8:23 PM
The Great Gatsby portrays the American Dream as an empty promise, corrupted by materialism and the selfish, careless nature of the wealthy elite. Do you think 47's hosting a Great Gatsby party while denying SNAP benefits is a deliberate statement, unintentional self-parody, or something else?
Facts: Not everyone enjoys that extra hour of sleep on Fall Back Sunday. 😾
November 1, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Facts: Not everyone enjoys that extra hour of sleep on Fall Back Sunday. 😾
You never forget your first ... wine travel
Where did your first international wine travel take you? Bordeaux? Tuscany? Germany's Mosel? Many wine lovers choose the classics first. Not me!
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/1stwinetravel
Where did your first international wine travel take you? Bordeaux? Tuscany? Germany's Mosel? Many wine lovers choose the classics first. Not me!
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/1stwinetravel
You never forget your first … wine travel
Where did your first international wine travel take you? Bordeaux? Tuscany? Germany's Mosel? Many wine lovers choose the classics first. Not me!
bit.ly
October 31, 2025 at 3:54 PM
You never forget your first ... wine travel
Where did your first international wine travel take you? Bordeaux? Tuscany? Germany's Mosel? Many wine lovers choose the classics first. Not me!
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/1stwinetravel
Where did your first international wine travel take you? Bordeaux? Tuscany? Germany's Mosel? Many wine lovers choose the classics first. Not me!
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/1stwinetravel
Fall Back Sunday! This is the GOOD time change that gives us an extra hour. Do you hate it anyway? ⏰
October 30, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Fall Back Sunday! This is the GOOD time change that gives us an extra hour. Do you hate it anyway? ⏰
Unmalled Ramen House still delights
Ramen House got out of Mid City Mall ahead of the mall's redevelopment rumors. The popular eatery recently moved to well-renovated quarters in Irish Hill.
Read this new LouisvilleHotBytes review on our Substack:
bit.ly/ramenunmalled
Ramen House got out of Mid City Mall ahead of the mall's redevelopment rumors. The popular eatery recently moved to well-renovated quarters in Irish Hill.
Read this new LouisvilleHotBytes review on our Substack:
bit.ly/ramenunmalled
Ramen House ... Unmalled
To be honest, news that Mid City Mall is up for sale and possible redevelopment hasn’t caused many complaints.
bit.ly
October 29, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Unmalled Ramen House still delights
Ramen House got out of Mid City Mall ahead of the mall's redevelopment rumors. The popular eatery recently moved to well-renovated quarters in Irish Hill.
Read this new LouisvilleHotBytes review on our Substack:
bit.ly/ramenunmalled
Ramen House got out of Mid City Mall ahead of the mall's redevelopment rumors. The popular eatery recently moved to well-renovated quarters in Irish Hill.
Read this new LouisvilleHotBytes review on our Substack:
bit.ly/ramenunmalled
East Wing, Ballroom, Portland and Chicago, Venezuelan boats, gross videos, and more ... Have we forgotten the Epstein files yet?
October 27, 2025 at 1:18 PM
East Wing, Ballroom, Portland and Chicago, Venezuelan boats, gross videos, and more ... Have we forgotten the Epstein files yet?
Some day the US will bring this administration to our own Nuremberg-style trials ... or someone else will do it.
When that day comes and you are asked what you did in those terrible times, what will you say?
When that day comes and you are asked what you did in those terrible times, what will you say?
October 25, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Some day the US will bring this administration to our own Nuremberg-style trials ... or someone else will do it.
When that day comes and you are asked what you did in those terrible times, what will you say?
When that day comes and you are asked what you did in those terrible times, what will you say?
Burgundy and the hunt for value
This morning when I started typing "Why is burgundy wine ..." into my browser, its silicon-based brain predicted the rest: "... so expensive!?"
How did it know?
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/burghunt
This morning when I started typing "Why is burgundy wine ..." into my browser, its silicon-based brain predicted the rest: "... so expensive!?"
How did it know?
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/burghunt
Burgundy and the hunt for value
This morning when I started typing “Why is burgundy wine …” into my browser, its silicon-based brain predicted the rest: “… so expensive!?”
bit.ly
October 24, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Burgundy and the hunt for value
This morning when I started typing "Why is burgundy wine ..." into my browser, its silicon-based brain predicted the rest: "... so expensive!?"
How did it know?
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/burghunt
This morning when I started typing "Why is burgundy wine ..." into my browser, its silicon-based brain predicted the rest: "... so expensive!?"
How did it know?
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/burghunt
Do parallel wines ever meet?
The Northern Rhône, Willamette Valley, Bordeaux, Central Otago, and Vladivostok all lie near the 45th Parallel. But they don't all make great wine.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/parawine
The Northern Rhône, Willamette Valley, Bordeaux, Central Otago, and Vladivostok all lie near the 45th Parallel. But they don't all make great wine.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/parawine
Do parallel wines ever meet?
The Northern Rhône, Willamette Valley, Bordeaux, Central Otago, and Vladivostok all lie near the 45th Parallel.
bit.ly
October 17, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Do parallel wines ever meet?
The Northern Rhône, Willamette Valley, Bordeaux, Central Otago, and Vladivostok all lie near the 45th Parallel. But they don't all make great wine.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/parawine
The Northern Rhône, Willamette Valley, Bordeaux, Central Otago, and Vladivostok all lie near the 45th Parallel. But they don't all make great wine.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/parawine
"Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice."
–Jose Antonio Vargas, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen” (2018)
–Jose Antonio Vargas, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen” (2018)
October 15, 2025 at 2:29 PM
"Apartheid was legal. The Holocaust was legal. Slavery was legal. Colonialism was legal. Legality is a matter of power, not justice."
–Jose Antonio Vargas, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen” (2018)
–Jose Antonio Vargas, “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen” (2018)
What ideologies lie behind most political violence in the US? You might be surprised.
From The Prosecution Project via The Economist.
econ.st/47kaLpL
From The Prosecution Project via The Economist.
econ.st/47kaLpL
October 14, 2025 at 1:49 PM
What ideologies lie behind most political violence in the US? You might be surprised.
From The Prosecution Project via The Economist.
econ.st/47kaLpL
From The Prosecution Project via The Economist.
econ.st/47kaLpL
ANTIFA isn’t a club — it’s a reflex. Every time you stick up for someone smaller, you’re paying your dues.
–From I AM ANTIFA, By Kermit the Frog, from Closer to the Edge on Substack
bit.ly/imantifa
–From I AM ANTIFA, By Kermit the Frog, from Closer to the Edge on Substack
bit.ly/imantifa
I AM ANTIFA
By Kermit the Frog
bit.ly
October 13, 2025 at 6:56 PM
ANTIFA isn’t a club — it’s a reflex. Every time you stick up for someone smaller, you’re paying your dues.
–From I AM ANTIFA, By Kermit the Frog, from Closer to the Edge on Substack
bit.ly/imantifa
–From I AM ANTIFA, By Kermit the Frog, from Closer to the Edge on Substack
bit.ly/imantifa
What? No sulfites?
Today we're tasting a Saperavi, the Republic of Georgia's iconic grape, but this one's grown and made in France, and it contains zero added sulfites.
Questions worth addressing:
• What is Saperavi?
• Do sulfites in wine even matter?
30 Second Wine Advisor: bit.ly/nosulf
Today we're tasting a Saperavi, the Republic of Georgia's iconic grape, but this one's grown and made in France, and it contains zero added sulfites.
Questions worth addressing:
• What is Saperavi?
• Do sulfites in wine even matter?
30 Second Wine Advisor: bit.ly/nosulf
What? No sulfites?
Today we’re tasting a Saperavi, the Republic of Georgia’s iconic grape, but this one’s grown and made in France, and it contains zero added sulfites.
bit.ly
October 10, 2025 at 3:55 PM
What? No sulfites?
Today we're tasting a Saperavi, the Republic of Georgia's iconic grape, but this one's grown and made in France, and it contains zero added sulfites.
Questions worth addressing:
• What is Saperavi?
• Do sulfites in wine even matter?
30 Second Wine Advisor: bit.ly/nosulf
Today we're tasting a Saperavi, the Republic of Georgia's iconic grape, but this one's grown and made in France, and it contains zero added sulfites.
Questions worth addressing:
• What is Saperavi?
• Do sulfites in wine even matter?
30 Second Wine Advisor: bit.ly/nosulf
Until recent years, Kentucky voters registered Democrat. (Top image, 2016) But most of them (outside major cities) vote Republican (bottom image, 2024). Given this long heritage, is there any way for Democrats to get them back? Is there any way that does not involve selling our souls?
October 7, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Until recent years, Kentucky voters registered Democrat. (Top image, 2016) But most of them (outside major cities) vote Republican (bottom image, 2024). Given this long heritage, is there any way for Democrats to get them back? Is there any way that does not involve selling our souls?
Always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor never the tormented.
–Elie Wiesel
–Elie Wiesel
October 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor never the tormented.
–Elie Wiesel
–Elie Wiesel
#PastaSaturday turned out to be #risotto today: Marcella Hazan’s Risotto con i Pomodori Freschi e il Basilico (risotto with fresh tomatoes and basil) mostly fresh from the garden.
October 5, 2025 at 12:30 AM
#PastaSaturday turned out to be #risotto today: Marcella Hazan’s Risotto con i Pomodori Freschi e il Basilico (risotto with fresh tomatoes and basil) mostly fresh from the garden.
For the first time in 1,600 years, the Archbishop of Canterbury is a woman. I'd say this is way overdue.
October 4, 2025 at 12:29 PM
For the first time in 1,600 years, the Archbishop of Canterbury is a woman. I'd say this is way overdue.
Chill a ... Bordeaux?
If you like the idea of a crisp rosé on a summery October day but really prefer a red, say hello to Clairet, a light, refreshing red from Bordeaux.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/coolclairet
If you like the idea of a crisp rosé on a summery October day but really prefer a red, say hello to Clairet, a light, refreshing red from Bordeaux.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/coolclairet
Chill a … Bordeaux?
If you like the idea of a crisp rosé on a summery October day but really prefer a red, say hello to Clairet, a light, refreshing red from Bordeaux?
bit.ly
October 3, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Chill a ... Bordeaux?
If you like the idea of a crisp rosé on a summery October day but really prefer a red, say hello to Clairet, a light, refreshing red from Bordeaux.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/coolclairet
If you like the idea of a crisp rosé on a summery October day but really prefer a red, say hello to Clairet, a light, refreshing red from Bordeaux.
Read this week's #30SecondWineAdvisor:
bit.ly/coolclairet