Jan 13, 2019
One of my favorite topics at FERMENTATION going back to the beginning has been those that uncover or help draw attention to new voices writing on wine. I used to do this far more than I do now primarily because the period of 2006 – 2011 was a time when some very good writers and observers of wine began to jump into the wine writing pool with new blogs. It was a very exciting thing for an observer of the…
Nov 27, 2018
When I was 14 years old (1977), I was enduring my last year of junior high school at Sinaloa Jr. High in Novato, California. I remember a few things about that year. The things that stand out most is being suspended for a week of school for having been the ringleader of an expedition to San Francisco’s Chinatown where I and two others conspirators procured a collection of small smoke bombs, which were subsequently unleashed on a somewhat entertained collection…
Nov 16, 2018
The Wine Curmudgeon (Jeff Siegel) is celebrating his 11th anniversary penning his blog and reviewing affordable wines. I’ve been reading for all 11 years and will continue as long as he keeps up delivering his consistently astute, honest and interesting posts. However, despite his anniversary, the Curmudgeon is feeling a bit dour, at least as far as the job of reviewing wine is concerned: “Wine criticism has become more button down than ever, a continually increasing jumble of scores and…
Nov 6, 2018
Inside the wine blogging community, we find a good number of folks who try hard, who work to refine their style, who expose themselves as they work their way through the wine cannon and those who work hard and rise to the top. Then there are those wine bloggers who have succeeded in doing all these things, have gathered a dedicated audience, have gained a great deal of respect and who have chosen to use their self-built forum to expose…
Oct 3, 2018
On the eve of the 11th Annual Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, I wonder.. -If I’ll discover any alternative to using social media and email to drive readers to a blog that is both effective not a time suck? -If we will ever see a wine blogger commit to posting multiple original, compelling articles a day (5?) in an attempt to rise quickly to the top of the pack? It’s something I know will work, yet perhaps no one…