A farewell (of sorts)

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 08-11-2023

What a run.

When I launched Terroirist way back in the fall of 2010, wine blogging was having a moment — its moment — in the collective wine consciousness.

Alder Yarrow’s Vinography was a daily visit. Joe Roberts was making waves. Tyler Colman and Tom Wark were offering an endless stream of thoughtful commentary. Keith Levenberg rarely posted, but when he did, one couldn’t help but think that his essays belonged in the New Yorker. At the New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle, Eric Asimov and Jon Bonné were supplementing their must-read columns with must-read blog posts.

There were so many of us. Hundreds would attend the annual Wine Bloggers Conference and its European counterpart.

Many of those pioneers still write prolifically, but that moment has passed. Several of the best “bloggers” made careers out of it. But many more faded back to other endeavors, like their day jobs and raising their kids. Today, I’m officially joining the ranks of that latter group and bidding farewell to Terroirist.

This isn’t a goodbye to wine and drinks writing; I still enjoy drafting features when I can find the time. But it no longer makes sense to keep the lights on at Terroirist.

So thank you, dear reader, for all the support over the years. I know that many of you have started each and every day with Terroirist — and for your traffic (and emails), I’m forever grateful.

To Shelby, Isaac, and the other Terroirists — thank you for all your work over the years. I look forward to reading your work, wherever it is published.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to solicit offers for Terroirist. If you’re interested in the site or even just the domain, please let me know.

Cheers!
David

Gearing Up for #BerserkerDay

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 01-26-2015

berserkerslogoMany wine geeks spend all their free time on Wine Berserkers, a wine discussion board that was launched in 2008 after Todd French, an oenophile in San Clemente, was kicked off Robert Parker’s e-bulletin board. Today, Wine Berserkers is world’s most active wine board. It boasts nearly 20,000 members and receives nearly 9,000 visitors each day.

Tomorrow, Wine Berserkers is expecting to receive more traffic than ever before. The reason? BerserkerDay.

Every year, French invites wineries, retailers, and others to offer “berserk” deals. These deals are posted throughout the day — and many are absolutely unreal. It’s completely free — retailers don’t pay to participate, and this year, BerserkerDay is open to the public. You don’t even have to be registered on Wine Berserkers. (That said, paying members can preview the deals today!)

As French explains, “this day of deals is a fantastic way for those ITB to give back to consumers, and also the reverse, as many, many new and exciting wineries/producers/wines are discovered by Berserkers on BerserkerDay, with purchases made, and discussions from those who might have experience with them.”

So check it out. And make sure your credit card is ready for some serious damage!

 

Merry Christmas! (And a Hiatus.)

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 12-24-2014

Santa typically unwinds with chicken wings & Jack.

Santa typically unwinds with chicken wings & Jack.

Merry Christmas!

To me, Christmas has always been less confusing than other holidays for the at-home sommelier. Unlike Thanksgiving, where you sit down to ten courses and 10,000 calories, it’s a great day to spread the drinking around — Champagne with brunch, maybe a nice white wine or light red in the afternoon, and then a couple of big reds with dinner. Just be sure to drink well.

Regular blogging will resume on Monday, December 29.

Big News! The Everything Wine Book

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 11-07-2014

Adobe Photoshop PDFBaseball cards. Stamps. Barbie dolls. Coins. You name it, and you’ll find a dedicated group of obsessives. Those who love wine are no different — they’ll brag about their collections, trade old and rare bottles, and forever pursue perfection.

Until 2007, I assumed that wine fanatics were crazy. Sure, I enjoyed wine, but it was simply a drink.

And then I put my nose in a glass of Syrah from Failla. Something clicked. And at that moment, I became obsessed. I promptly dove into the world of wine, planning trips, taking classes, attending tastings, and reading every wine publication I could find.

I wish I’d had The Everything Wine Book. The latest edition was officially released today, and it offers a comprehensive introduction to wine. Plus, it was revised and updated by me! So please pick up a copy!

A Trip to France and a Brief Hiatus

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 07-05-2014

parisSince November 9, 2010, Terroirist.com has been updated every single (business) day – and more. But after 1,708 posts, it’s time for a brief break. Plus, I’m in France!

Don’t worry. I’ll return to regular blogging on July 17. Until then, follow my travels on Instagram and Twitter.

On July 4th, my trip began with an awesome tour of Paris’ natural wine bars and retailers led by Aaron Ayscough of Not Drinking Poison in Paris. After the tour, I dined at Le Baratin.

Still to come? For food, I’ll be visiting Spring, Clamato, Maison Troisgros, Le Café des Fédérations, L’Atelier du Cuisinier, L’Assiette Champenoise, and Les Avisés.

In Beaujolais, I’ll be visiting Château Thivin, Domaine Diochon, Domaine Michel Chignard, and Domaine Jean Foillard. In Champagne, I’ll be visiting Krug, Frédéric Savart, Vilmart, Didier Gimonnet, Anselme Selosse, and Taittinger.

It should be epic. Be back soon!

#WBA14 — Vote for Terroirist!

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 06-13-2014

wbaYesterday, the finalists in the 2014 Wine Blog Awards were announced — and Terroirist made the list for Best Industry Wine Blog!

The final winner will be determined via a 50/50 weighting of the public vote and that of the judges, so please consider voting for Terroirist! Voting ends on Thursday, June 19. Winners will be announced this year’s Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Santa Barbara.

Vote here!

Best Blog Post of the Year

Best Original Photography or Video on a Wine Blog

Best Industry/Business Wine Blog:

Best Wine Reviews on a Wine Blog:

Best Single Subject Wine Blog:

Best Winery Blog:

Best Writing On a Wine Blog:

Best New Wine Blog:

Best Overall Wine Blog:

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 11-28-2013

Brown_TurkeyTurkey Day is notoriously confusing for the at-home sommelier. Every wine critic has a few recommendations, including me!

Perhaps the only common ground? That you should have a lot of wine on hand. This year, I’ll be sharing five wines from across America with my family:

From Long Island, a 2009 Lieb Cellars Blanc de Blancs
From Virginia, a 2011 Linden Vineyards Avenius Chardonnay
From California, a 2012 Matthiasson Rosé
From Oregon, a 2011 Brick House Vineyards Gamay Noir
From Maryland, a 2010 Black Ankle Vineyards Leaf-Stone Syrah

You’ll notice they’re all domestic — and from five different states. While I typically avoid jingoism, purchasing a foreign wine on Thanksgiving just doesn’t seem right.

What will you be having? Let us know in the comments!

 

Wine Writers Wanted!

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 08-28-2013

Ball_point_pen_writingInterested in writing for one of the world’s most popular wine blogs? Good news: we’re hiring!

When I launched Terroirist in the fall of 2010, I hoped to revolutionize the wine blogosphere by covering everything in the wine world, daily.

Since then, Terroirist has garnered quite a bit of acclaim. It was named the “Best Overall Wine Blog” at the 2013 Wine Blog Awards and the “Best New Wine Blog” at the 2011 Wine Blog Awards. And it’s one of the most highly trafficked wine blogs in the world, reaching about 25,000 readers each month.

But we’d like more content. So we’re looking for writers to cover emerging wine regions, conduct interviews, review books, and write about auctions and investing. But that’s not it; we’re interested in all things wine. Just remember that none of the terroirists have any financial stake in any wine store, winery, wine distributor, or wine importer, and we’d like to keep it that way.

While we can’t afford to pay our writers, there are some pretty cool perks. Terroirist contributors are regularly invited to attend industry tastings, meet with winemakers, and visit wineries. Blogging for Terroirist can serve as a great launching point for other writing gigs. Plus, I host an annual wine dinner for contributors where we raid my cellar.

Writers are expected to generate at least one article each month. After six posts, you’ll get business cards and your biography will be posted on the site.

If you’re interested in joining the team, please send an introductory email, three writing samples, and three story ideas to david (at) terroirist (dot) com by Friday, September 13.

#WBA13 – Vote for Terroirist!

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist | Posted on 05-20-2013

This morning, the finalists in the 2013 Wine Blog Awards were announced — and Terroirist made the list for Best Overall Wine Blog! 

The final winner will be determined via a 50/50 weighting of the public vote and that of the judges, so please consider voting for Terroirist! Voting ends on Friday. Winners will be announced this year’s Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Penticton, British Columbia. 

Vote here!

Best Blog Post of the Year

Best Original Photography or Video on a Wine Blog

Best Industry/Business Wine Blog:

Best Wine Reviews on a Wine Blog:

Best Single Subject Wine Blog:

Best Winery Blog:

Best Writing On a Wine Blog:

Best New Wine Blog:

Best Overall Wine Blog:

Heart’s Delight 2013 in Washington, DC

Posted by | Posted in Terroirist, Wine Events | Posted on 05-15-2013

Not many causes are as unequivocally good as the American Heart Association. Combine this great organization with the generosity of wine producers, wine lovers, and numerous other partners in the DC community, and you have Heart’s Delight, a five-day, wine-centric fundraiser in the nation’s capital.

This event, which started in 1999, raised a net $985,000 this year and aims to hit $1 million by the end of June. All funds go directly to the American Heart Association.

A few Terroirists, including David, Scott, Winn, and me, had the opportunity to attend several of the functions this year and they were really special with exquisite wine, delicious food, and enthusiastic participants. If you haven’t had a chance to get involved in Heart’s Delight before, I highly encourage you to do so. More information can be found on the Heart’s Delight website and Facebook page.

See below the fold for a few highlights from the event: Read the rest of this entry »