Hello my people. This will be the last post for a few weeks, as I’ll be traveling off and on the first two weeks of August. First stop, Paso Robles for our annual media conference; then, Healdsburg to help out with the Murphy Goode Really Goode Job scholarship program where I’ll get to help select the next interns for 2023. In the middle of all that I’ll also be speaking at this year’s Wine Writer’s Symposium about “The Art of the Interview.”
And, another professional announcement: As of this week, I’ve been honored to add California Wine Reviewer to my role as Senior Editor for Wine Enthusiast. This will encompass Lodi, Mendocino County, Lake County, Central Valley, Sierra Foothills, as well as California appellated wines. My colleague Jim Gordon will step into reviewing wines from Napa and Sonoma; Matt Kettman continues to tackle the Central Coast and Southern California wine scenes.
Hello my friends. It’s been a hot second since I’ve been able to post anything, even a cheeky round-up. Well, here you go. A list of just a few of the articles, blog posts, and news releases that caught my attention this week. There certainly is a lot and I hope I captured a well-rounded look at our current food and drinks industry.
On a personal note, I plan to post an update about all the things that are happening on my end. There’s a lot. Luckily there will be (quite) a few press releases going out that will announce some of these updates—so keep your eyes out for those and I’ll try to link to them here as well.
Alright, now it’s time to breathe deep cleansing breaths. *Inhale…the wine…* *Exhale…the good times…*
Hello my friends and happy weekend. I can’t believe it’s already the end of April. Time is flying by. Perhaps because I’ve been having so much fun. (Read: wine.) Newsy roundup this week, no surprise, includes a lot about sustainability in the wine industry, what with Friday having been Earth Day. Cool cool. Also got some interesting wine news coming out of Norway, Switzerland, Greece and South Africa—expand that global perspective. I also want to call out a blog post from earlier this week by yours truly:RAM Cellars—A Taste of Trans-Pride Winemaking.
I think that’s all I got for now. You may not hear from me next week, as I’m embarking on some work-related travel and have a few projects that need to get up and running. But never hesitate to reach out at any time. Always love hearing from ya’ll.
Last week, my team at Wine Enthusiast published my article about Vivianne Kennedy (she/they), owner and winemaker of RAM Cellars and the only openly Transgender winemaker in the US. Every once in awhile I conduct an interview and I find a real connection. Not just a topic or source—I mean a real person-to-person connection. Viv is one of those people for me. We immediately hit it off. Not only is their personal journey amazing and inspirational but her professional journey is as well. I always appreciate it when folks get down in the nitty-gritty details of the viticulture and winemaking process—and Viv is a true wine-nerd at heart.
Following both of our conversations in preparation for this article, I found myself thirsty—thirsty to experience all the hard work and sacrifices she made; thirsty to taste the amazing, innovative wines they were describing to me. I do not join wine clubs easily. I am (now) a member of exactly three and I choose them very carefully: small, boutique businesses with a real story and a winemaker with whom I have a connection. I joined RAM Cellars Cellar Club and today I want to share with you my tasting notes and some of the story behind each of the wines.
Instead of throwing in a few tech sheets or winemaking notes, Viv wrote me a three-page love letter dictating not just where the grapes were sourced and how the wines were made, but how each wine exemplifies a portion of her journey in becoming themself, learning to love herself, and truly embracing themself for who she is. Yes, all the geeky wine-nerd stuff was in there too, but so was her person. That is why I join the wine clubs I do. Personal touches like that.
So, below, I have not just my tasting notes, but exerts about Viv’s story that come from that love letter. Read on, learn more and if you feel so moved, travel on over and buy yourself a bottle. Support Queer-owned businesses like Viv’s. A purchase from her Viv label provides $5 from the sale of every bottle to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and Portland’s Q Center.
This week was one of those crazy busy weeks. What month is it? What day is it? What time is it slash what time zone am I living in—mentally, emotionally, physically? Yah. But one must keep up on the wine news. So here it is. I do hope you appreciate and enjoy. Cheers to the weekend.
