2022 is the Year Good Wine Gal Writes

​"To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it." -- Kurt Vonnegut

Do you have a creative outlet? Do you dream of bringing your inner desires into reality? When I was young, my mom encouraged me to write. Whether a travel journal from a trip to Disneyland or personal diary of daily observations, there was a culture in my family about writing things down. ​

In high school, English and English Literature were the most captivating courses. Words had a way of being interpreted that lead to discussing universal meaning, of love and life. While Canterbury Tales was a bit lost on me, the journey became real and lead me and the class onto Shakespeare, Yeats, and many more. I was inspired to try my hand at poetry but my words were no comparison to the masters. I also understood that artists were generally eking out a living and only famous after death, so I left writing as a shoe box kept to myself. Then something happened when I found wine in 2012. I wanted to share my wine discoveries with everyone and started what everyone who felt the same way started - a blog.. A decade later, I finally worked up the courage to pitch my wine and travel experiences and in 2022 wrote for a few publications that meant something to me and wine lovers around the world. Here are three stories I wrote. I hope they spark inspiration for you too!

Three Stories Published in 2022 

A Story About Tokaj

Have you sipped Furmint? Here is the story about a place that is very close to my heart - Tokaj, a wine region in north eastern Hungary that I visited in 2020, just before lock down.  "How Hungarian History is shaping sweet, dry and sparkling wine in Tokaj" brings to light the dramatic upheaval caused by changing consumer appetite for sweet dessert wines and how this region is responding. Please pick up a bottle of Furmint (Dry or Sweet) soon. 

Capturing the Sparkle of Cava

Have you heard of Sant Sidurni d'Anoia? If you love sparkling wine, this is a "must know" town located in the heart of Spanish sparkling wine country of Penedes, just north and west of Barcelona. As the category for bubbles grows globally, quality Cava producers are changing things up to draw attention grape growing and sparkling wine production. Here is my story on how this affects bubbles, labels and the export markets. It's called "Cava, Corpinat and Classic Penedes". Please pick up a bottle of Cava this weekend and celebrate the beginning of November with some tapas and bubbles. You won't be sorry.

Regenerative Farming at Tanatlus Vineyards

What is the big deal about regenerative farming? To put some icing on the 2022 cake, I entered a story about the exciting and experimental work my friend Felix Egerer is doing with "regenerative farming" at Tantalus Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley. The Jancis Robinson Wine Writing Competition is  the highest standard for wine writing globally with a broad and diverse readership of wine nerds, students and experts. This is my submission for 2022 called "Radishes, Peas and Hairy Vetch". It was short listed. 

Conclusion

Thank you for reading. None of this is possible without passionate people around me who encourage and support my ideas. It takes a village is no truer than my experience this year in all things. From the bottom of my wine heart, thank you Charlene Rooke, Shanyn Ward, Felix Egerer, Cassandra Anderton, Darlene Harding, Kathy Palfy,  and the rest of my family, who read when I ask them to and that warms my heart again.