Friday Favorites: Wine Blogs I Love
There's a lot of wine out there.Thousands of different varietals of grapes are used to make wines across thousands of worldwide appellations. According to the Wine Institute, 120,000 new wine labels were approved by the US Tax and Trade Bureau in 2010 alone. It's difficult to cut across all the marketing and hype and choices to find the hidden gems of the wine world.That's why I love my fellow wine bloggers.The blogs I read on a regular basis cover a wide spectrum of tastes and experiences. Some are master sommeliers, some are deeply involved in the wine industry, and some, like me, are regular folk with a passion for the grape. With wine being such a dynamic and evolving industry, it takes the full prism of perspectives to truly appreciate what the art and science means in a global context.So, here are a few of the wine bloggers that I read regularly and love to follow.Wine Folly (http://www.winefolly.com)Madeline is a sommelier/artist who delivers real wine education with the right touch of humor. She makes wine approachable and fun...the way it should be! This is still my FAVORITE blog for wine education and entertainment.1 Wine Dude (http://www.1winedude.com)Don't let the fact that Joe is the wine writer for Playboy scare you. This blog covers a wide range of wines and topic in a very readable fashion. Plus, I love his rating system better than the 100-point scale.Reverse Wine Snob (http://www.reversewinesnob.com)Jon excels at finding great wines that are, for the most part, $20 or less. He covers a wide range of varietals and styles. I learn something new almost every time I read one of his posts.The Winewankers (http://thewinewankers.com.au/)Really fun read from a group of burgeoning wine enthusiasts in Australia. Great follows also on Twitter and Instagram where they post fantastic signs and ecards on wine.Vinography (http://vinography.com)One of the original and longest running wine blogger, Alder continues to be extremely influential in wine blog circles.Diner's Journal (http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com)Although it goes well beyond wine into wider food and dining topics, Eric Asimov is one of the smartest and most entertaining writers on the web. His new book is also in my current reading queue.Terroirist (http://www.terroirist.com)If you say the name of this blog too fast, you will raise some eyebrows about your reading habits. David's daily blog is a fantastic recap of the people and topics the drive the wine industry.Wine Julia (http://winejulia.com)This blog won the 2012 Wine Blog Award for Best New Blog. It is a fun and diverse magazine of wine topics with a very modern spin.The Academic Wino (http://www.academicwino.com/)I love this blog for the breadth of wine industry topics covered (most more academic in nature) and the depth with which the topics are covered.Rockin Red Blog (http://rockinredblog.com/)What is more fun than discovering new wines and pairing them with great music. Michelle does a fantastic job of describing the wine discoveries she makes and suggesting music that best reflects either the wine or the context of the discovery.The Drunken Cyclist (http://thedrunkencyclist.com/)The Drunken Cyclist is a wonderfully written blog that reviews wines and discusses cycling along with weekly wisdom from a six-year old.Tuscan Vines (http://www.tuscanvines.blogspot.com/)One of my goals for this year is to learn tons more about Italians wines. I love the expressive fruits and earthiness of so many Italian reds and the tannic dryness of the Piemonte Nebbiolos. This blog includes recipes, tasting reports and cultural flavor of Italian food and wine.Savvy Lush (http://www.thesavvylush.com)I was hooked on Allison's humorous and honest writing with the first paragraph I read: "I don't have any sommelier badges. But I have drunk a lot of wine. A lot." Great suggestions and fun to read.Cuvee Corner (http://cuveecorner.blogspot.com)Besides being one of the nicest guys on Twitter (and a smart Packer backer), Bill knows his wine. His blog is spot-on, educational and informative and one I read as often as I can.WineOh TV (http://www.wineoh.tv)A video based wine blog with really good how-tos, features and profiles about wine and the industry.Dallas Wine Chick (http://www.dallaswinechick.com)I can't make this list without a shout out to fellow Dallasite Melanie. Anyone who can weave Richard Simmons into a post deserves props. Great source on twitter and FB for local Dallas wine events, too.Alawine (http://www.alawine.com)Curated headlines and links for some of the best of the best wine blog posts of the day/week. Also one of my favorite follow on Twitter.The Wine Stalker (http://thewinestalker.net)Despite being a Bruins fan, Joey knows his wines and writes about them in a way that everyone can appreciate.Uncorked in Italy (http://uncorkedinitaly.com/)I did mention above that my goal is to learn more about Italian wines and Eleanor does a nice job of capturing the people, culture and wines of Italy.I am guessing that if you come back to this post in a few days I will have added a few more. Just like how I stand in the wine aisle trying to remember the name of that cool new wine I read about on one of the blogs, I am sure I am forgetting someone worth following.What are your favorite blogs? Leave them in the comments! (I moderate comments, so may take a couple of hours to show up)