This time of year gets away from me. Whoosh, like the horse I was riding the summer I spent working with my grandfather when I was 16 years old. One moment all was fine, then I was struggling to stay saddled while the horse tried to scrape me off with tree branches!
I'm hanging on. And enjoying the thrill of the ride as I do. Cheers!
8th Anniversary + Milestones
Last week marked the 8th anniversary of this blog - 12 December 2006 was my first post. Admittedly, I've been most serious about this blog since summer 2010 after attending the Walla Walla, Washington Wine Bloggers Conference. Thank you Zephyr Adventures. I needed that infusion.
I'm gradually improving my photography efforts. A better camera, a fetish for lenses and slowly adding more lighting equipment. And trying to take more time for image composition. My photography friends remain an inspiration. Thank you all.
The last couple of years, infused by wine blogging friends, industry connections, weekly twitter tastings and podcast shows, my palate has been stretched, my tasting vocabulary challenged and a world of wine expanded. It's about more than just Washington wine. Washington wine remains my touchstone, the place where I live, my inspiration. But there is a world of wine out there.
Social Media has been very, very good to me.
There is no way I could remain engaged with social media and wine without the help of some friends. My friend Tina Morey at Protocol Wine Studio has expanded my wine experiences this year. Together, using #WineStudio we've visited wines of the Hudson Valley, Virginia hard cider, Wines of Italy, and many other wine regions. Thank you Tina.
My wine blogger friend Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like, is the Virginia Wine Blogger. He is the host of Virginia Wine Chat, #VAwineChat where the conversation and wine are all about Virginia. I've had some enlightening Virginia wine experiences this year. More soon on the blog. Thank you Frank.
One of the first twitter tastings I became involved with was #winechat a weekly Wednesday night session about wine. This year I've enjoyed even more #winechat twitter conversations. Tina Morey began the year hosting, and handed over hosting responsibilities to Christina Portz of Just The Bottle. Wow. Just wow. Thank you.
Somehow, three months ago I stumbled into a wine and food pairing group of bloggers. They use the hashtag #winePW for their conversations about food and wine. Love this group. They are passionate, focused and engaged. And I have many new recipes and wine pairing ideas to try at home. I think we're just getting started at making this group sing. Thank you.
Focusing on Washington wine, Sean Sullivan of Washington Wine Report, hosts a monthly Virtual Wine Tasting on twitter. He selects a bottle of Washington wine each month to taste and tweet about. I've been enjoying these @wawinereport twitter tastings for about 3 years. It's a fun way to make friends, compare palates and learn about wonderful Washington wines. Thank you Sean.
Podcast Show
This year I've been co-hosting a monthly wine related podcast on Minstrel and Muse Audio Art Magazine. We have loosely titled our conversations about wine, "#WineMuse Podcasts." I've become the wine "expert" on the podcast, which has forced me to learn even more about the world of wine. What a blast!
Host Linda Reznicek is teaching me by example how to interview. We've spoken with many winemakers from Washington, Oregon, California, New York, Chile, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Austria and New Zealand. We even had an amazing conversation with author Rex Pickett, of the book and movie Sideways. I have great expectations for 2015. Check out our podcasts and winemaker conversations when you have time. Thank you Linda.
A huge thank you to Wine Sellers, Ltd. for sponsoring many of our #WineMuse podcast shows this year. They supplied us with quality wines from around the world to share with listeners. We kept the retail price below $20 for each show and Wine Sellers, Ltd. did an amazing job of delivering truly excellent wines. They are importers and distributors. Check with them for availability. Thank you!
Quality is Strong
You may have noticed that I don't write negative wine reviews. I mean seriously, who has the time and inclination? There is so much wonderful wine out there, that is what I want to share with readers and listeners. Quality of wine is strong around the world. I've learned that much.
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| Prosser, Washington Wine Country Tour. |
I am sitting on several posts, partially due to time constraints, and also, I want the words to be correct. Some wine related experiences are too big and deserve thought, consideration and introspection. You are on my mind and will be shared.
This holiday month is a crazy time of obligations and celebrations. Still, I hope to get to some of those sitting posts and share them before this year is ended. Where is my holiday wine gifting guide? Oops.
Sleep has been rough this month. I've been wide awake in the early hours. Spending those hours reading and not writing has not helped. If I can get more words and photos posted over the next week, perhaps I can sleep an entire night without waking. When I can't sleep I should write.
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| Columbia Crest Head Winemaker, Juan Muñoz-Oca. |
Thank you to all of the amazing growers, winemakers and wineries for making your lifetime commitment and passion the making of wine. I will try to impart to my readers some of your passion. For me, it is no longer enough to enjoy a wonderful bottle of wine. I must know the winemaker and what drives them. My deepest thanks for your openness and the sharing of your passion.
Plus a sincere thank you to my fellow wine bloggers. Our community is scattered around the globe, but we all have in common a deep appreciation for wine. I enjoy your humor, camaraderie, and honesty. Your friendships are deeply appreciated. Let's get together soon for a glass of wine.
Cheers!