The Wine Blog Awards Return

Wba In 2007 I asked myself, "what would the best wine blog look like"?

I had my own answers to this question. But what I was more interested in is what others, many others, thought about this question. It then occurred to me that were the best wine blogs able to be identified we just might be able to draw attention to the best work among those who took the time to share their insights on wine and the world of wine with others. 

That's why I founded the "American Wine Blog Awards" in 2007. I wanted to see if we could draw some attention to the best work being done by wine bloggers and in turn draw more readers to the wine blog genre.

In 2009, after conducting the 3rd Annual awards, I handed the baton over to the Open Wine Consortium, knowing that the Awards needed a larger, more capable, more objective organization to take them on and bring them to the next level.

That process is now underway. The 2010 Wine Blogs Awards are now underway, being administered by the Open Wine Consortium and the Wine Bloggers Conference. You can find a great deal of information about the awards at www.wineblogawards.org.

Currently, the administrators are asking folks for comments on what might make the awards better. That democratic process will last until March 15. On April 1 they will begin to solicit nominations in 8 categories, including a new one that honors the best NEW wine blog (A Nice Addition).

The winners, after judges and the public vote on the finalists, will be announced at the Wine Bloggers Conference, being held this year in Walla Walla, Washington on June 25-27.

I'd hope that everyone in the wine blogging community, everyone in the wine producing world, and all others in the wine industry will support this effort to shine the light on the best of wine blogging. I like to ask subjects of my "Bloggerviews" whether they believe that wine blogs have had any impact on the world of wine. This is largely a rhetorical question. Of course they have.

These are the "Oscars" of the wine blogging world. They highlight the very best. They sometimes draw attention to little known bloggers and usually confirm what we already know about the best of of the blogging world.

I've taken myself out of eligibility for any awards this first year after handing them over to the Open Wine Consortium. The very idea of doing this is, I realize, hubris on my part. This little blog plugs along in attempt to do no more than accurately reflect my feelings and ideas at any given moment. Still, it seemed the right thing to do.

However, I will be watching the awards closely the way a parent sits on the sidelines and watches their child pushed and supported by a more expert set of coaches.

Support these awards. Sponsor them if you can. Involve yourself in them. Visit the blogs of those that are nominated in each category. Support the most important movement in wine writing and reporting in almost three decades.

Tags:


3 Responses

  1. Samantha Dugan - March 6, 2010

    And we’re right back to being that fat kid on the playground that gets picked last for everything but dodgeball…sigh.

  2. Thomas Pellechia - March 6, 2010

    Don’t worry about it, Sam. Look at what happened to the Oscars. Awards systems by committee invariably become political machines.

  3. Samantha Dugan - March 6, 2010

    Oh I’m not worried Thomas, I harbor no delusions of grandeur. Quite content with my little slice of the blogging world and my little band of supportive, shit-talking readers…like you dude. Last month I saw a blogger pull a self promoting move so slimy it made my skin crawl…and for what?! Page hits?! Yeah, never gonna be that person.
    That being said, I do think it’s fun to vote, follow along and because of this award dealie I have found one or two blogs that I truly enjoy reading…so I’ll be playing along.


Leave a Reply