Nov 20, 2014
Over the last ten years this wine blog has published 2,873 posts. This equates to 1.1 posts per week day since November 2004. So, I can say, at the very least, that I’ve achieved the “Daily” part of this blog’s name: FERMENTATION: The Daily Wine Blog. I can’t say for sure what else I have accomplished. I never set a goal for this blog at the outset or since. I only wanted to say things about wine, culture, politics and…
Aug 19, 2014
What is the value of courting the media if you are a wine industry participant? To whom in the media ought wine or product samples be sent? Should winery owners express and publicize their political positions? What constitutes “news” in an industry built around producing a beverage that will get you drunk? When should you offer a member of the media an exclusive story? Is there ever a good reason to ask a wine reviewer to re-taste a wine after…
Jul 22, 2014
This blog was recently honored with “Best Industry/Business Wine Blog” at the 2014 Wine Blog Awards. That achievement made me very proud. I’ve spent nearly a decade working fairly diligently at FERMENTATION. In many ways spending almost a decade pondering, writing and generally getting stuff off my chest keeps me sane and centered. Along those lines of writing and pondering, and to a degree staying sane, I have some ideas about The Wine Blog Awards, and particularly how I think…
Apr 17, 2014
A new blog focused on Alcohol Beverage Law has launched: “Lawful Libations” from the New York firm of Farrell-Fritz. Begun in March, Lawful Libations has a certain focus on New York legal happenings connected to the alcohol beverage world, but has also focused on federal issues. It’s a welcome addition to this particularly narrow niche of blogs. Back in 2010 I wrote a post listing the various alcohol beverage legal blogs, in which I profiled 15 different blogs reporting on…
Feb 8, 2014
Do I and others who publish their own site about wine know far too much about the contours of our navel? Have we explored its ins and outs ad infinitum? This is the gentle charge that was made in a number of ways by at least four different commentators in this recent post here at FERMENTATION about the distinction between “blogger and “journalist”. I wanted to address this charge of “blogger navel gazing” because it comes up so very often…