When, where and why did you begin blogging?

I started a blog a few months ago, in the kitchen, solely to stop my husband from nagging me to do it. To be honest, I was the world biggest cynic, thinking that blogging was a complete waste of time, and it drove me nuts to watch Gianpaolo spending hours upon hours online. But after he put together an event in NY, while posting articles on the day to day happenings of the event, suddenly my attitude changed. Not only did we garner a considerable amount of contacts, ideas and general interest, but I realized that of 70 to 80% of our online sales were a direct result of the relationship we formed with our readers through our blog. That personal relationship dissolved my original notion that blogging was a waste of time, and instead, gave it meaning.

In a few short sentences, summarize your intention with your wine blog.

I want to open up new retail space in the UK, using our blog as a way to connect to our consumers. I want to cuddle up to people who like our wine, sharing stories, ideas and feedback. I also want to put my degree in literature to use by writing meaningful and satisfying posts. Finally, I want to mix them all together to create an interactive and dynamic blog; because in reality, my readers want to spend time with me, or they wouldn’t be coming to our site. Therefore it’s like doing work that isn’t really work. It’s fun!

How would you describe your readers?

Nice nerds who consist of clients, work colleagues, regular colleagues, and people who generally like to read us. Basically, a great group of people with a very specialized interest.

Is blogging a professional endeavor for you or more of a personal outlet?

Oh definitely both. As I said, what started as a professional motivation has quickly turned into something more passionate and personal.

What tools or resources have you found to be successful in marketing your blog?

Haven’t gotten that far.

How would you describe wine blogging to be different than print media?

More honest, more personal and more uncensored.

Do you believe wine blogs have made any marked impact on the wine industry or wine culture?

Yes, but it depends on the winery. A large winery doesn’t have much to say because they’re not individuals, they’re employees. Where it becomes interesting is when you can react, have extreme views that you cannot express as a corporate blog. The goal of a blog, as I see it, is to present your own personal views that ignite and touch people.

Where do you see wine blogging in 10 years?

Too far in the mist. I don’t think you can look 10 years ahead, because no one could have predicted blogging as it is ten years ago. Technology changes dramatically, but in 2 years time, blogs will have greater influence based on the individual’s trust of a blog.

What you get out of a friendship is identical to that which you put into it. The same idea can be applied to blogging.

What do you hope to gain from this conference?

Two days off from three children