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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Wines tasted at Breast Cancer Fundraiser - 2/19/2008

All wines were purchased at Mullaly's Package 221 Webster Street
Worcester, MA 01603-2234

1. Cristalino Brut Cava, Spain $9

2. Via Veneto Pinot Grigio, Delle Venezie IGT, Italy $9

3. St. Francis Chardonnay Sonoma County, CA $16

4. Mark West Pinot Noir, CA $12

5. Hess Cabernet Sauvignon, CA $17

6. Line 39 Petite Sirah North Coast CA $10

7. Cline Cashmere CA (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre) $17

10:24 am est Comments

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The Difference Between Wine Blogs and Websites about Wine

There are wine blogs and there are websites about wine and there is a difference. I am not a wine journalist. Those of you who have read my previous columns have probably already come to realize this. I am a wine educator who writes about wine. I think the distinction must be made because I have no formal training in journalism. As a Political Science major at The College of the Holy Cross, I found writing to be one of my weaknesses. So why do it? As an educator I use the written word in an attempt to educate readers about a variety of wine topics. Sometimes I post my insights, opinions and tasting notes on my website www.stacywoods.com . However, writing about wine on my blog does not make me a wine blogger and nor do I pretend to be. Why? While the content you will find on my blog is 99% wine related, the intent of my website is simply to share what I have learned in an online public journal. The distinction between the two lies in the wine blogger’s intent to engage and build an audience or a following. The most engaging wine blogs have been very successful building traffic to their websites sometimes even resulting in revenue from advertisers. There are good and not so good wine blogs out there with new ones popping up every day. Here are three excellent wine blogs which I read faithfully.The best things in life are free.

The best wine blogs are free. One of the first wine blogs I began reading religiously was Vinography by Alder Yarrow www.vinography.com. Awarded the Best Overall Wine Blog at the 2009 American Wine Blog Awards, Mr. Yarrow updates his blog daily with wine content ranging from restaurant reviews, editorials, book reviews, wine news, and wine event coverage. A blogger only by night, Mr. Yarrow started his blog as an avid, educated consumer. He has managed to build an audience of nearly 91,000 monthly readers by routinely delivering intelligent and insightful thoughts and opinion with objectivity and integrity. He often interacts with his audience through the comment section which usually results in lively engaging conversations among a wide ranging audience. Well respected by some of the most influential players in the wine industry, Vinography maintains a perception of objectivity because it does not “accept advertising from wineries, winegrowers, or wine production companies.” This is a welcome variation from the business practices of some of the most popular wine publications in print.

A wine blog of a different animal is Tom Wark’s Fermentation http://fermentation.typepad.com/. What first attracted me to this sight was his unabashed willingness to say in an honest and thoughtful way what he feels and thinks about the multi faceted world of wine. Saying what you really feel in online print can be as dangerous as making a sex tape. Once it’s out there, it’s out there forever and for all to see! A PR and marketing guru for the wine industry by day, Mr. Wark is a knowledgeable source for provocative commentary on a myriad of topics from shipping laws, alcohol politics, and the influence of wine blogs. I find this daily wine blog very informative and thought provoking while witty and entertaining. His honesty and chutzpah is incredibly refreshing.

Finally, a shout out to a local guy. One of the best local wine bloggers is Robert Dwyer at the Wellesley Wine Press http://www.wellesleywinepress.com/. Mr. Dwyer writes helpful and thorough reviews of wines and wine accessories available in our market, local wine shops and restaurants. He holds an Advanced Certificate from the esteemed Wine and Spirits Educational Trust (WSET). He has been featured in Wine Enthusiast, the Boston Globe and quoted on WBZ-TV. His commentary on local issues such as alcohol taxation and shipping legislation brings an enlightening local perspective to hotly debated national issues. His blog also offers a fun widget to help consumers evaluate the QPR (quality price ratio) of a given wine.

There are many more blogs which I am unable to mention in this short space. I must mention the diverse and talented collection of wine blogger contributors for the newly launched www.palatepress.com. Also, I would be remiss if I failed to mention my idol www.jancisrobinson.com However, I would need to dedicate an entire column to her. Unfortunately there are also thousands of cookie cutter wine blogs out there which are a complete waste of time. Some wine blogs are simply marketing vehicles; countless others are dedicated to telling you what to drink and what not to drink with meaningless tasting notes and ratings. How to you wade through the mess to get to the best? The wine folks I follow on Twitter do a good job at cutting out the clutter. The 300 or so wine people I follow function as a reliable search engine funneling wine news and well written, insightful postings right to my browser. Follow me @stacywoods to see who I’m following and what I am reading.

The best wine blogs attract a wide audience because they read like op-ed pieces in the newspaper (RIP) and engage you as well as inform you. This is different from a website like mine which might offer the reader educational material with no further engaging or entertaining merit. Don’t get me wrong I am flattered to check out my site analytics and see that hundreds of people have checked out what I have to say. I do not pretend to be a wine blogger and forgive me for not pretending to be a wine journalist either.

5:16 pm est Comments

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