Jun 25, 2010
Beginning today the third annual Wine Bloggers Conference begins here in Walla Walla, Washington. I'm 3 for 3. I date the advent of wine blogging as an active pursuit to 2005 when more than a few got their start. It only took three years for bloggers to determine they needed a place to gather once a year and confer. What strikes me is that in the nearly 100 years prior to the first wine bloggers conference, there was never a…
Jun 21, 2010
Five years in to the wine blogging revolution and five days out from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference, it's time to assess the things I now know and think about wine blogging and wine bloggers. 1. Given the number of new and compelling voices that make up the wine blogosphere, it's clear to me that prior to the emergence of this self-publishing revolution literary-minded wine lovers were denied access to what must have been a host of fascinating voices who…
Jun 9, 2010
Over the past few years, one corner of the “Culture Wars” has been dedicated to the debate over the utility of religion and whether or not faith has been beneficial to mankind. Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, all considered “New Atheists” for the new and aggressive way they have gone after religion, have been on the attack while a slew of defenders of the faith have taken up the challenged. The ongoing debate is a fascinating…
May 25, 2010
The finalists in the 2010 American Wine Blog Awards were announced today and they include a variety of nominees who are new to the finalist round. Having been involved in these awards for quite some time and having watched the world of wine blogs for longer, I've now come around to the position that wine blogs are indeed members of the "traditional" or mainstream media. For many, including myself, wine blogs have seemed to live outside this idea of the…
May 25, 2010
Lettie Teague ranks not only as one of America's most important wine writers, but as one of its most talented. And it's important to recognize that one does not always imply the other. After spending many years as the Wine Editor and Executive Wine Editor at Food & Wine Magazine, she was recently appointed to be one of the wine writers at the Wall Street Journal. Lettie has won two James Beard Awards, including the coveted MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing…