What is Wine Blogging?

(Previously Published in La Rioja Alta’s Boletín Informativo de Invierno 2009)

It was in 1975 that a young wine lover wanting to express his views on wine searched for the easiest and most effective way to publish his thoughts. Being that computers were reserved for colleges and research institutions, he accepted a loan from his mother and began a small newsletter that he hand-mailed to a list of wine lovers he culled from local wine retail mailing lists. His goal was simple: to be a consumer advocate for wine lovers and an independent voice. His name is Robert Parker.

Today young wine lovers enamored with the mystery and beauty of wine are also reaching out for the cheapest and easiest method of publishing their thoughts on the beverage that has gripped our imaginations since Roman times. The internet today provides tools, free of charge, that allow this process to happen; and whereby, spreading our thoughts across borders and into the hands of the people internationally. One such tool is the blog, today’s modern newsletter. I would argue that if the times were different, Robert Parker would have been our very first wine blogger.

Wine blogs today are growing in numbers and influence. Each day the list of international wine bloggers at www.wineblogger.info expands, including retailers, wineries, educators, journalists and hobby wine lovers. Additionally, I am encountering individuals animated about wine, wanting to express their thoughts and share their experiences with others. As a result of this growth, in August of 2008, the first ever Wine Bloggers Conference here in La Rioja Spain, hosted by Robert McIntosh, Gabriella Opaz and myself, and included wine bloggers from over 11 countries, all gathered to discuss the foundation and future of wine blogging. The answer is not as obvious as one might expect, but we do know that wine blogs are making a marked impact on the industry, and will only grow in influence as people become more familiar with the technology.

A brief survey of 100 wine bloggers done by Catavino Marketing shows that:

  • Country of Origin: USA (67%) but with significant numbers in Brazil (3.3%), Spain (4.4%), Italy (5.5%) and a few scattered in France, UK, Canada and Australia (2.2% each).
  • Age: 27.2% are 36-40, 21.7% between 31-35 and 20.7% between 41-50.
  • Income: 34.1% claim an average income between $100K and 250K.
  • Education: 34.8% of wine bloggers have a Bachelors degree or equivalent and 37% have a Masters degree or equivalent.
  • Wine Education: 64% have taken wine education classes, and of those people 62.5% have a certification from WSET and 28.1% from the Society of Wine Educators.
  • Wine Trade: Wine marketers make up the majority of wine bloggers today (32.1%) closely followed by general wine bloggers (30.4%).
  • Wine Rating: A vast majority of wine bloggers do not rate wine (66.3%).
  • Language: The leading language is English (89.1%)

Wine Blogs today are as diverse as any other print media. Subject matter ranging from wine ratings to wine education and wine travel to wine marketing are covered at breadth and detail. There are regional blogs, such as Catavino.net, which focus exclusively on a region’s wine, but there are also encompassing wine blogs writing on wines from around the globe. If you love wine, you will find a blog that suites your needs; however, one needs to be critical as there is a considerable amount of rubbish as well. But as with any other type of media outlet, the cream tends to rise to the top, while the poorly maintained and written blogs are sidelined to obscurity. Therefore, finding a good wine blog that is worth following is as simple as asking for a recommendation, followed by a personal critique as to whether the blog fits your niche. Regardless of the media, critical thought will always be required to determine what meets a personal level of quality.

In the USA today, wine bloggers such as Alder of Vinography, DrDebs of Good Wine Under 20, and Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV, are proving that wine blogging can affect sales. While wineries such as Stormhoek, Twisted Oak, and Capozzi Family Winery (Pinot Blogger) are proving that winery blogs can help to increase and grow sales. The unifying factor to their influence is time, as it was with Robert Parker. When Robert first started his publication, readers didn’t know if they could trust him. But after the 1982 vintage in Bordeaux, where his predictions were proven correct, his influence grew quickly, making him the icon he is today. If we calculate the time from when he first published his newsletter to when his reputation became a household name, it was 7 years before he directly influenced sales. Wine blogs on the other hand have been plugging away for only 2-3 years now, and only recently have we seen its impact.

In the coming years, the level of trust will only rise with wine bloggers who have dedicated themselves and persevered through these first years. Wineries that realize their influence now, and begin interacting with the bloggers today, will be the first to see the rewards for their efforts.

Wine blogging is still green and not without its issues, but it is the new platform for wine publishing. You can bury your head in the sand and deny it, as many seem to have chosen to do; but this is the future of consumer wine research. 20 to 30 year olds do not know a world without the internet. They are the new wine consumers who will turn to Google when finding a wine with dinner. Why not embrace the future?

Ryan Opaz

www.catavino.net

www.catavinomarketing.com

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