Happy Birthday Australian Wine Review!
This website turns nine years old today (by my rubbish calculations) and I’m celebrating. This is the farthest from home that I’ve been for the website birthday, but in a wonderfully apt place to be banging on about wine writing – the balcony of an apartment in La Morra (I just took a photo above, looking towards Monte Bianco).
Nine years ago I started Australian Wine Review as a spot to put all my tasting notes. I was young, naive, and so achingly keen to become a wine writer that I was filling reams of notebooks with words. This site then seemed like the right place to translate all that shitty handwriting into something useable.
Nine years later and I’m so very glad that I started in the first place. This website has opened so many doors, allowed me to meet so many people, and given me so very much both personally and professionally. It’s still a labour of love, but one that I wouldn’t want to do without.
On a broader note, a massive word of thanks to those who contact me. All the emails, texts, tweets, messages etc help me keep on keeping on. Writing is a lonely craft, and it’s only the realisation that someone might find my words useful/interesting that keeps you going.
Thanks everyone.
Thanks also to the wineries who send me samples and more, even when I’m tardy with the reviews.
Further, thanks to my family for all their understanding, and to my friends for pointing out my spelling mistakes (I still struggle to spell disappointing).
Most importantly though, thank you for reading. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thanks many times more.
On another note, it is disheartening to see the decline in the number of regularly updated Australian wine blogs/websites out there. Five or six years ago there was loads of us, now there are probably less than a dozen. A particular nod to the loss of Jeremy Pringle, Julian Coldrey stepping back, Chris from Australian Wine Journal going missing (I’ve tried, but can’t track him down) and Patrick Haddock concentrating on something that will actually pay the bills (i.e. not wine writing).
As for me personally, I’ve never worked harder over the last 12 months. I finally finished my Masters (in Wine Technology and Viticulture), I’m doing more paid writing work than ever before and my wine events company The Tasting Glass is going gangbusters. Now, I just need more hours in the day.
Again, a massive thanks for reading and I look forward to many more years of Australian Wine Review to come.
Now I’m off to have a birra (than several local vinos).
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6 Comments
Congratulations on your achievements and thanks for all your hard work.
Best wishes for the future and look forward to continue reading the great reviews.
John
Cheers John!
Happy Blog Birthday! I hope you can be somewhere as nice for the 10th website birthday!
I too lament the decline of Australian wine blogs and I miss all the ones you have mentioned. I’d add Tim Cohen to that list, I guess for the same reasons as Patrick Haddock.
Happy ninth birthday to you and the website. I really enjoy reading your reviews and insights to keep up the good work.
Nine years well worth celebrating too – congratulations mate. I always enjoy reading your reviews and chewing the fat with you from time to time about various issues. Keep going strong 🙂
Well done, Chris. Looking forward to seeing you celebrate your 10th birthday. You’re doing a great job for consumers and producers alike. Keep up the good work. I see your La Morra and raise you a Barolo… Salute!