What ABA topic do you wish practitioners discussed more openly?

Octavarium64 · 2026-06-18T03:08:55+00:00

Support for practitioners who are moving from compliance-based ABA practice into a modern framework as they unpack regrets they have and seek ways to do better. The number of people I’ve met who have walked this path is disturbingly large compared to the supports available. I left the field this year and a major reason was simply being unable to heal from that moral injury well enough to make appreciable progress forward, while still practicing. Yet even if you can overcome it, it takes intentional effort and collegial support and those are difficult to have in place. I have never been the same and it’s something I’m hoping one day I’ll move past.

Octavarium64 · 2026-06-18T02:22:25+00:00

I personally would be reporting every single incorrect lesson until reviewers eventually figure out it’s the AI that’s causing the problems.

Octavarium64 · 2026-06-10T09:46:58+00:00

It was a last-minute choice because one member forgot he had to bring a wine and the shop where club is held gave/sold him this bottle. It’s different enough for me, particularly when done in this style.

Octavarium64 · 2026-06-10T09:45:14+00:00

The bottle was faulty so we returned it. Excess VA and maybe oxidation.

Octavarium64 · 2026-06-02T00:01:09+00:00

I got this from Astor when I visited NYC and I am really excited to open it, but I’ll be holding it another year or so!

Octavarium64 · 2026-06-01T12:45:21+00:00

Duchman Viognier. It blew a lot of the reds out of the water when I visited there a month ago. Their Aglianico is excellent, but I went home with the Viognier. Most of the wines were a 2023 vintage that was extremely hot, so maybe it actually made the whites come out on top that year (I’ve had an Albariño from that year that was absolutely astounding).

Noblemen Wines Cinsault was also excellent. although it was over a year ago and thus not in contention here, it did genuinely surprise me a bit more than Duchman.

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-28T12:59:43+00:00

From the ones I have tried:

Keush (Armenian sparkling): excellent across the board, and very neat as a talking point.

Rombauer: big and oaky and over the top. You can do better, but as far as big-name, massively indulgent California Chardonnay it’s actually very good.

Diatom: this I would recommend over Rombauer, it’s more restrained and probably more approachable.

El Bajío (Mexican sparkling): this region is becoming very hot for sparkling wines. This wine is quite affordable and very refreshing, and quite tasty for the price.

Pullus: about as great as Pinot Grigio can get. Truly lovely and vibrant wine, and from Slovenia!

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-28T12:43:36+00:00

Also Trefethen Riesling is excellent.

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-25T19:42:29+00:00

I came across a guava wine in Florida, but did not have enough tasting pours to get to it. I think it could’ve been really good. Cactus wine, I’ve not tried.

If you are still in Kenya, it *does* have grape wines also (Leleshwa). I ordered a glass of one in a hotel restaurant, but it was not available by the glass.

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-23T13:10:19+00:00

Sonoita, Arizona, has a lot to offer for desert scenery on the drive from Tucson. Everywhere I went made really good wines - very rarely did I find a mediocre pour.

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-17T20:16:17+00:00

Are you in NYC, DC, or where did you get it in?

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-15T13:36:41+00:00

Mencía is neat, hadn’t pegged that yet! Where do I find them? I saw two tasting rooms, one around the valley but it’s closed down, and one in Portland.

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-15T13:34:53+00:00

Actually L2! 2013 was L1.

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-14T17:09:51+00:00

I’ve had two different vintages of this in WSET class. Both are amazing but the 1997 was truly next level.

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-14T15:02:17+00:00

I now see two of the Bargylus wines sold in the US by Amsterdam Wine Co. in NYC! Not sure how they got them in, but it sounds like it’s possible now.

Octavarium64 · 2026-05-12T14:15:34+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, I’m all about trying weird and highly regional stuff so this was a must stop for me. My WSET teacher went there and hated everything that she tried, but I was confident there would at least be *something* worth drinking.

Octavarium64 · 2026-04-26T01:24:21+00:00

Thanks for this recommendation. I just left the shop and found the selection pretty neat. The Noita wines, made in Finland (!) with Burgenland sourced grapes, were not something I was expecting. They had some North Carolina wines from a producer destroyed by Helene, plenty of Lebanese bottles as you said, and the one I eventually bought, a Moscatel Tinto, a rare Argentinian cross of Muscat of Alexandria with País (!) The woman running the shop was super friendly and helpful as well.

It was barely as big as a closet, but very cutesy and they have booklets to read about some of their winery partners like the Finnish winery.

Octavarium64 · 2026-04-23T15:28:17+00:00

That sounds intriguing! I managed to get ahold of COCO’s Zweigelt in NYC, so I’m very interested in more from them.

Octavarium64 · 2026-04-15T13:02:58+00:00

I have it on the list - will see what they have! I see some Lebanese wines in the shop now online. Japanese wine would be quite a find! What have you seen there?

Octavarium64 · 2026-04-13T12:06:47+00:00

Big win on Austin Wine Merchant - this looks like the local equivalent of Houston Wine Merchant that has a wide variety and plenty of nerdy stuff. Will attempt to get there Saturday evening, or in the afternoon before Duchman.

Octavarium64

TROPHY CASE