8 Blogs That Will Help You Become A Wine Expert
When it comes to appreciating and learning about wine, the Internet is one of the best resources available. However, due to the vast and seemingly never-ending nature of the web, it can often be difficult to figure out where to begin your research. Never fear, vino enthusiasts: wine.net is, as always, here to help!
We have put together a list of 8 Blogs That Will Help You Become a Wine Expert that are sure to serve as informative and approachable portals into the wonderful world of wine. Along with our list, we’ve included information on each blog’s creator, a brief description of the blog itself, and all of the accompanying social media links. Because we’re in such a helpful mood, here’s what you should do next: pour yourself a glass of wine, settle into a comfortable chair, and start browsing!
Reverse Wine Snob: Thumbing Your Nose At Bottles Over $20
Who: The creator of Reverse Wine Snob is Jon Thorsen, who describes himself as “simply a wine consumer. I have no special training or tasting powers. I don’t have any certifications or fancy letters after my name; in fact, I’ve never even taken a ‘wine appreciation’ class. I’m not able to tell you the region or variety of a wine just by sniffing it. I’m just a guy who loves to drink wine and tell people about the good, cheap ones. I love saving money and not overpaying for things.” Every reverse (or regular) wine snob should be sure to buy Jon’s book, Reverse Wine Snob: How to Buy and Drink Great Wine Without Breaking the Bank, which is available for purchase on Amazon.com.
What: According to the “What is a Reverse Wine Snob?” page: “UrbanDictionary.com defines a wine snob as ‘a wine enthusiast, particularly one who is pretentious, or self-important because of their “imense wine knowledge.”’ We all know the type…My solution to this problem is to simply turn wine snobbery upside down–to become a ‘Reverse Wine Snob.’ I am a wine enthusiast for sure, but a wine enthusiast with an open mind and a reasonable budget!” Mr. Thorsen’s site is jam-packed with thousands of inexpensive wine recommendations, reviews, deals, and even features frequently updated and expertly chosen Top 10 Lists. This is an outstanding blog and a must-follow for any vino enthusiast.
Links:
Website: www.reversewinesnob.com
Twitter: @ReverseWineSnob
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReverseWineSnob
Instagram: @reversewinesnob
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/reversewinesnob
Email: [email protected]
A Wine Story
Who: A Wine Story was created by Marisa D’Vari, “fine wine authority, sought-after judge, and one of just two international wine writers invited to join the jury of Vinitaly’s 20th International Wine Competition.” Her writing has been published in several different wine magazines, and she also syndicates a weekly column to a variety of newspapers, newsletters, and blogs. D’Vari is also a member of a wide variety of wine-related societies and organizations.
What: Ms. D’Vari’s blog provides a wealth of information on all things wine, and is useful for beginners and veterans alike. A Wine Story offers interviews with other wine experts, news from the wine world, book, restaurant, and wine reviews, databases wine-related organizations, wine dictionaries, and information on wine regions. You can also sign up for a free monthly newsletter and food and wine pairing guide that will be sent via email. Brava, Ms. D’Vari!
Links:
Website: www.awinestory.com
Twitter: @awinestory
Facebook: www.facebook.com/awinestory
Email: [email protected]
Vinography®: A Wine Blog
Who: Vinography was founded by Alder Yarrow in 2004, who was sure “that there had to be a better way of answering his friends’ repeated questions about what wines he liked and his favorite restaurants.” Mr. Yarrow speaks and presents about wine events around the world, and is also the author of The Essence of Wine, “a coffee table book of photographs and essays about the many flavors and aromas of wine, as well as the author of the Sonoma and Marin County chapter of the behemoth, Opus Vino, a comprehensive look at the world’s wine regions and their best wines.” Mr. Yarrow is extremely knowledgeable, and his blog is an invaluable addition to any wine enthusiast’s internet Favorites list.
What: According to the blog’s “About this Site” page, Vinography is “a respected source for non-mainstream wine writing, and one of the most influential wine blogs on the Internet. Featuring wine and sake reviews, restaurant reviews, editorials, book reviews, wine news, and wine event coverage, Vinography publishes new content daily to a global readership.” Vinography has dedicated themselves to remaining objective in their rankings and evaluations, and does not “accept advertising from wineries, winegrowers, or wine production companies.” Vinography estimates their number of monthly readers at just under 100,000, and they have posted almost 2,800 unique articles. This is another outstanding blog and an essential reference for any wine enthusiast.
Links:
Website: www.vinography.com
Twitter: @vinography
Instagram: @alderyarrow
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Vino: Wine Talk that Goes Down Easy
Who: Dr. Vino was created by Tyler Colman, who wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on “the political economy of the wine industry in France and the United States.” Dr. Colman has written two books: Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink and A Year of Wine: Perfect Pairings, Great Buys, and What to Sip with Each Season and contributed the wine pairings to Stanley Tucci’s The Tucci Cookbook. Dr. Colman’s writing has also been featured in Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, The New York Times, and Men’s Health, just to name a few. Additionally, he “teach[es] wine classes at NYU and The New School and previously [taught] at the University of Chicago. [He] taste[s] over 1,000 wines a year [and also gives] talks and tastings for individuals, groups, and corporations.” According to Forbes, Dr. Vino’s “reporting over the past six months has had seismic consequences, which is a hell of an accomplishment for a blog.” We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves!
What: Dr. Vino is focused on “mak[ing] wine recommendations as well as looking at the world through the wine glass, bringing in diverse perspectives, and lively reader contributions.” Dr. Vino is overflowing with wine maps (places to buy and drink wine), information about wine-related events, links to media, and hundreds of posts on everything from boxed wine, “wine o’clock,” one-hour booze delivery via Amazon, and the carbon footprint of wine. This blog is a veritable cornucopia of information and an essential addition to our list of the 8 Best Blogs to Help You Become a Wine Expert.
Links:
Website: www.drvino.com
Twitter: @drvino
Facebook: www.facebook.com/drvino
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drvino
Email: use “Contact” page of blog
Vinfolio: A Comprehensive Resource for the True Connoisseur
Who: Vinfolio was “created by passionate collectors with decades of experience [and] fully understands and embraces the needs of the wine aficionado [while also] combin[ing] proprietary technology with exceptional service to help serious collectors manage every aspect of their wine collection.”
What: According to their “About Us” page, “Vinfolio sells and buys collectible fine wine, operates the only truly full-service wine storage facility in the United States, and provides the free, online VinCellar cellar management platform. Our cellar services team can help manage your home wine storage solution, whether it be 500 or 5,000 bottles.” Vinfolio’s website provides customers with a place to buy wine, view a database of producers/wineries, a wine gift shop, expert recommendations, a schedule of interactive tastings, and much more. Their VinCellar downloadable application “is the most complete online wine cellar management system with robust features and an active online community. And it’s completely free.” VinCellar has almost 140,000 active users and is accessible via computer, tablet, and smartphone. The combination of Vinfolio and VinCellar is an unstoppable force in the wine blog world and a vital component of our list.
Links:
Website: www.vinfolio.com
Twitter: @Vinfolio
Email: [email protected]
Another Wine Blog: Because Another Wine, Food, Beer, and Travel Blog would have been way too %#&@ing long!
Who: Another Wine Blog was created in 2007 and is run by husband and wife team Amy Corron Power and Joe Power. Ms. Power is a licensed attorney, “wine lover, foodie, photographer, political junkie, and award-winning author who writes about Wine, Food, Beer, & Spirits. As Managing Editor and Tasting Director for Another Wine Blog, she travels all over the world’s wine regions to share her experiences with her readers.” She is a certified sommelier and also writes for several different wine magazines. Mr. Power is a web designer and developer and the “Editor, Publisher, and All-Around Opinionated Bastard” at Another Wine Blog.
What: Another Wine Blog offers reviews of hundreds of different wines, food pairings and recipes, as well as a huge list of informational wine-related links. According to their website, their goal is to share their wine knowledge with the rest of the world. They explain that “ignorance [of wine] is very curable. In this case, the cure is a marvelous thing. All you need to do is read a few readily available pages on the basics of tasting, open a bottle, swirl it in your glass, take a deep breath, and ignorance begins to fade away with the first sip. That sip also means you now have something in common with millions of new friends all around the world.” Another Wine Blog has been nominated for several different awards, and they are “consistently ranked in the Top 100 Wine Blogs.” Even Dr. Vino has given them high praise, and if Dr. Vino said it, it’s gotta be true!
Links:
Website: www.anotherwineblog.com
Twitter: @AnotherWineBlog
Email: use “Contact Us” page of blog
International Wine Accessories (IWA) Wine Blog: Everything for the Wine Lover
Who: The International Wine Accessories Wine Blog is run by, surprisingly enough, International Wine Accessories. According to the “About Us” page, IWA “is dedicated to helping our customers create a rich and cultured wine lifestyle. With decades of experience, our seasoned team of IWA wine and cellar specialists provides our valued customers with unparalleled access to the widest array of quality wine accoutrements on the planet.” IWA is a retailer and manufacturer of quality products in the United States, and also “an importer of products from around the world.”
What: Their website features hundreds of blog entries on all things vino, links to the latest news from the wine world, product reviews, and an extensive online store. Because this blog is run by a large organization, it is an interesting and unique feature of our 8 best blogs to help you become a wine expert.
Links:
Website: blog.iwawine.com
Twitter: @IWAWine
Facebook: www.facebook.com/IWAwine
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/iwawine
Email: use “Contact Us” page of blog
Wine Peeps: Your Link to Great QPR Wines From Washington State and Beyond
Who: Wine Peeps was created and is maintained by two couples: Kori and Colby Voorhees and John and LaGayle Sosnowy. The “About” page of their website explains that “the primary contributors on this blog are the daughter and father duo of Kori and John. In this blog, we are collaborating to share with our readers the most important things we have learned about selecting, tasting, and enjoying wine. In our travels through wine country…we have observed the great, the bad, and everything in between in the world of wine.” They have hosted wine tasting dinners since 2002 and are also members of the Society of Wine Educators. As a group, they offer a unique and insightful look into the exciting world of wine.
What: According to their website, “Wine Peeps is an independent wine blog dedicated to helping you get the most bang for your buck in wine. We do this through blind tastings of wine from around the world and calculations of Quality-to-Price Ratios (QPRs). Because we are located in Seattle, Washington, we have a special interest in Washington State wines. In the course of our wine journey, we also enjoy numerous wine-related activities, such as traveling throughout wine country, visiting vineyards, reading wine books, and trying wine gadgets, all of which we share with our readers.” The Wine Peeps blog features their tasting criteria and guidelines, information about their tasting dinners and wine ratings, and hundreds of entries on topics ranging from Argentine wine to cabernet franc to dessert wine to zinfandel. The wealth of information provided by this blog makes it the perfect way to round out our list of the 8 best blogs to help you become a wine expert.
Links:
Website: www.winepeeps.com
Twitter: @winepeeps
Facebook: www.facebook.com/winepeeps
Email: use “Contact Us” page of blog
