1 Year of Wine Writing - What I've Learned

One year of writing wine columns, blogging, and other wine experiences has been enlightening. It’s never been boring. It’s never felt like a burden.

It’s easy then to suggest following an interest often pays big dividends even if there is no financial reward.

I’ve probably learned as much about wine in the past 12 months as I had in several of the preceding years. I forced myself to drink a lot more white wine than I ever have before. I took on an additional wine challenge and spent the better part of a month tasting Portuguese wines which I probably would not have done without the added incentive.

Most of the white wines were more enjoyable than expected. Portugal’s wines are a different taste characteristic that’s really interesting.

So, put that Merlot and Chardonnay down and try something different!

This column runs in eight Indiana newspapers or their websites. The combined circulation of those papers is just over 90,000 households by the latest circulation numbers I could find. My wine blog - Grape Sense - A Glass Half Full - generates interesting feedback. I update it 2-3-4 times a week. I might get anywhere from 10-50 hits a day. From the blog, I’ve been asked to do wine tastings, promote sales of chocolate (which I declined), received wine samples, asked where to find certain wines, and a host of other interesting responses.

I mentioned an “additional wine challenge” which is Palate Press. That is a new national online wine magazine that has rounded up bloggers from across the nation and world. I am a contributor, meaning I’ll write something exclusive for them about once a month.
But this column is for the readers, not me. Some of the things I’ve learned or become more convinced of that might help you include:

- Talk about what you’re drinking. Whether it’s with your spouse, a friend, or in a group, talk about the flavors, the acidity, how it feels in the front or back of your mouth. Then think about what you really liked about that wine.

- It really helps to make a few notes about the wines you like. I blog about almost every wine I drink and that’s an extreme, of course. But I’ve also found it really helps me in future purchases.

- Try new wines. Don’t be afraid to pick up something new off the supermarket or wine shop shelf. I’ve found that many wine drinkers will try something new only to learn they like it much better than what they had been drinking the past 2-3 years.

- This column remains about value wine from $15-$20 and under. But I’d also recommend you buy a bottle for a special occasion that costs $5-$10 above your normal limit. Get a recommendation and try a little bit better wine. It helps you establish some parameters to guide your palate. If you like Merlot, buy one that is $10 higher from a name you’ve heard of before but never tried.

Future columns will explore more wine regions, a few planned wine experiences, and I want to do more frequent columns on good value buys – specific wines you can look for in your wine shop.

I’m always thinking about new ideas. Please visit the blog and leave a comment or write me with suggestions, your question, or a comment at hewitthoward@gmail.com