I wrote the local story last week. The New York Times wrote the national version yesterday, in two pieces: epicurean jerky and jerky's renaissance.

Here's what the Times said about Seattle's Oberto:

Oberto original-style jerky had "classic truck stop beef jerky nose," not surprising since it’s a mass-market stalwart. But it had fans, one of whom called it "chewy, smoky and not too sweet or too salty.” Detractors commented that it went spongy with extended chewing.

Here's what I say to Oberto: Thanks for those free bags of jerky.

They arrived unsolicited after I blogged that I was researching jerky.

As Oberto's national-brand products didn't quite fit into the artisan jerky story, they went straight into the newsroom swag heap, where they await an auction whose proceeds will benefit charity.

Marketing mavens, you done good this time.

And because I've finally learned to use some of the nifty features of the TNT's blog software, here's a replay of the video I produced on artisan jerky:

My wife's been after me to bake something for one of her office gatherings. I generally resist such requests. My thinking goes like this: We spent too much money on culinary school for me to flex my baking muscle for a bunch of Realtors who wouldn't cut their commissions for cookies.

Last night I relented. That's because 1 pound and 2 ounces of Scharffen Berger chocolate arrived in the Swag Heap mailbox -- and I really wanted to know how chocolate containing 99 percent cacao tastes and behaves.

=> Read more!

A bottle of Blue States Winery's pinot noir turned up in the Swag Heap last week. Look for commentary on other products that marketers send my way, in the Swag Heap.

I have drunk many amusing wines. I have a glass of pinot noir on my desk right now. It's from Blue States Winery. It's a bemusing red.

I get the winery's blue states reference. It's from Oregon. Its Web site touts a "balance of natural farming and fair labor practices" and notes that a portion of each purchase is contributed to progressive causes.

But the winery sends mixed messages -- and not just in the form of the pinot's cloying astringency.

First, there's the label, which features a blue circle branded with a capital W adorned with a cowboy hat.

Beg pardon -- but ain't the W, not to mention the cowboy hat, a Red State thing?

Then there's the catchprase that catches in my brain:

"Drink conservatively. Choose your wine liberally."

That first part conjures up sobering GOP scandal. The second part brings to mind this photo:

I'll drink to the latter. You know whence my politics pour.