I was so busy yesterday with Catie's WBW, that I forgot to tell all of you that I had a post on Wine Sediments. I did see a comment from Nate so I know he made it over. Thanks Nate! So for all of my wine and foodie friends who missed it, here it is!
Where do you get and trust your wine information?, Magazines?, Internet?, Wine Blogs?, Books?, Pocket Guides?, Your Local Wine Merchant?
I have been “into” wine for the past, well I do not want to tell you how many years. But let’s put it this way, long before the internet became the tool it is today. When I started getting serious about wine I was very lucky to have a friend who was in the wine business. I could not have asked for a better teacher. But, she and I only would see each other now and then and I had many hours on my own. Therefore, I turned to Wine Spectator. It was the only periodical of wine information that I could readily get my hands on at that time. So I would pick up an edition, circle the items that I found interesting and could afford, then head to my local wine merchant. He and I would go over my selections and given his advice, I would make my purchases. Never was I steered wrong.
So I must say, “in those days”, I depended upon the magazines and my wine merchant to guide me along down the path of grapes.
Now “in these days”, I am not so sure about the wine magazines. They do not seem as instructional as they were then. First of all, there are too many advertisements. If I wanted to buy a car, I would refer to a car magazine or dealer. If I wanted a new handbag or diamond ring, I would head to the shopping mall. The publications are not cheap to buy nowadays, so I am not sure I am getting my money’s worth of wine information from these magazines. To me they are the “same ol, same ol” information. And where are the women reporters for these publications? OK, I will not get into this discussion at this time. But Dr. Debs at Good Wines Under $20 had a post up on Tuesday that is well worth reading.
Where do I turn to “these days” for wine advice? (And yes, even after sipping that wonderful gold and purple liquid for many years, I still find myself being educated). I still have faith in the small wine shops. The owner, Christopher, of our local wine shop here in Oxford, Ohio, Main Street Gourmet, is extremely knowledgeable about all the wines he sells. What makes it amusing is that he is so excited and willing to share his information. He has made some wonderful selections for me when I go to him with my lists and, he has earned my trust. But…
In my opinion, today, I trust, get educated, and have tons of fun on the Internet, especially with Wine Blogs. No other place in the world can you find a group of folks that share their passion for wine in one place. It is amazing that someone in the U.S., Canada, Spain, Scotland, England, Australia, I am talking “world wide”, can chat together in the same day about a wine or grape that has sparked their interest. Each blogger researches, purchases, tastes and writes their findings for all to share. These folks successfully complete a great amount of homework before they present it in a post on their blog site. To me, this is the best wine information resource yet to be found!
I am curious to hear your opinion regarding our wine information resources. Come on, drop me a comment!
I have been “into” wine for the past, well I do not want to tell you how many years. But let’s put it this way, long before the internet became the tool it is today. When I started getting serious about wine I was very lucky to have a friend who was in the wine business. I could not have asked for a better teacher. But, she and I only would see each other now and then and I had many hours on my own. Therefore, I turned to Wine Spectator. It was the only periodical of wine information that I could readily get my hands on at that time. So I would pick up an edition, circle the items that I found interesting and could afford, then head to my local wine merchant. He and I would go over my selections and given his advice, I would make my purchases. Never was I steered wrong.
So I must say, “in those days”, I depended upon the magazines and my wine merchant to guide me along down the path of grapes.
Now “in these days”, I am not so sure about the wine magazines. They do not seem as instructional as they were then. First of all, there are too many advertisements. If I wanted to buy a car, I would refer to a car magazine or dealer. If I wanted a new handbag or diamond ring, I would head to the shopping mall. The publications are not cheap to buy nowadays, so I am not sure I am getting my money’s worth of wine information from these magazines. To me they are the “same ol, same ol” information. And where are the women reporters for these publications? OK, I will not get into this discussion at this time. But Dr. Debs at Good Wines Under $20 had a post up on Tuesday that is well worth reading.
Where do I turn to “these days” for wine advice? (And yes, even after sipping that wonderful gold and purple liquid for many years, I still find myself being educated). I still have faith in the small wine shops. The owner, Christopher, of our local wine shop here in Oxford, Ohio, Main Street Gourmet, is extremely knowledgeable about all the wines he sells. What makes it amusing is that he is so excited and willing to share his information. He has made some wonderful selections for me when I go to him with my lists and, he has earned my trust. But…
In my opinion, today, I trust, get educated, and have tons of fun on the Internet, especially with Wine Blogs. No other place in the world can you find a group of folks that share their passion for wine in one place. It is amazing that someone in the U.S., Canada, Spain, Scotland, England, Australia, I am talking “world wide”, can chat together in the same day about a wine or grape that has sparked their interest. Each blogger researches, purchases, tastes and writes their findings for all to share. These folks successfully complete a great amount of homework before they present it in a post on their blog site. To me, this is the best wine information resource yet to be found!
I am curious to hear your opinion regarding our wine information resources. Come on, drop me a comment!
Cheers!
2 comments:
I've never purchased a wine magazine. I own some of the books, like the Oxford Companion and the Pocket Guide to Wine, but otherwise, I rely on the internet and my random picks from the store. And I trust my wine clubs to send me good stuff!
Before I knew what wine blogs were (or really, what a blog was....um, we're talking as recent as a year ago...I'm a bit slow on the uptake) I relied on one of my good friends who buys wine for a hotel and her mom, who is a wine critic.
I am a newbe on the blogs also, but even before then I have been relying on the internet for info. The wine magazines got too expensive for me and my collection was getting out of hand, also out of date. So out the door they went. And too, it seemed like the same info every month. I am glad I made the change.
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