The future of wine writing

November 16, 2009 in wine conversation with 28 Comments

 
Blogs and the future of wine writing

Blogs and the future of wine writing

I want to get a post up about my experiences of the Wine Future conference, but before I do that, I want to address something that has bothered me since the final session.

In that final session, Jancis Robinson said, in answer to a question about the future influence of blogs:

“… (there is a) huge generation of people … who are dying to communicate about wine and are very frustrated that dinosaurs like me, and my colleagues who write columns in the National Press, in Britain anyway, refuse to move out of our ‘slots’ and make room for them, so this is a natural place for a new wave of wine enthusiasm to communicate itself.” – Jancis Robinson, Wine Future 2009 (see mins 3:09 – 3:38 on the Vinus.tv video)

Someone else said pretty much the same thing to me at the EWBC.

I’d like to dispel that myth.

The vast majority of wine bloggers are not writing blogs because they are waiting, biding their time until they are “called” to take on the mantle of Wine Writer at the FT, Guardian, Sunday Times, etc.

There is a generation of wine lovers who are using the power of social media, through blogs, twitter, facebook, youtube, etc. to communicate their love of wine and their personal take on it. Some content is definitely better than others, and a very small percentage may be doing this with the goal of taking their place in the Circle of Wine Writers (as it exists today), but that is not what frustrates most of us.

I would argue that the frustration comes from the fact that we realise that there are lots of wine stories out there, whether from a consumer, producer or trade point of view, that the traditional media (mainly in printed formats) is incapable, or unwilling, to share. Instead of helping the wine industry, those respected, established writers who continue to make ‘old media’ their main/key/only platform, ensure that wineries and brands who might get involved with more creative, and arguably more effective, channels, are instead still wasting their money and effort on dead-end advertising.

Jancis, for the record, no-one I know thinks you are a dinosaur – quite the contrary! You are showing how it is possible for a wine writer to use the internet to VASTLY increase the number of wines and wineries you cover, whilst also building a business and a brand you can benefit from financially. We’d be ecstatic if more of your colleagues did the same, increasing the quality of online content, and giving consumers a greater chance to learn to love wine and wine culture.

We don’t want your job, we want you to want OUR jobs!

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About Robert: Robert McIntosh is a wine blogger and online communicator on WineConversation.com, a prolific twitterer (@thirstforwine) and an occasional contributor to wine magazines as well as speaking at wine events. Robert is co-organiser of the annual European Wine Bloggers Conference and Born Digital Wine Awards, promotes international online wine communication, and advises companies about how to engage through social media. Robert also has some trouble communicating in the third person.

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  • http://artpredator.wordpress.com artpredator

    Thanks, Robert, for sharing this. While I wasn’t able to stay in Europe for Wine Futures after the EWBC (this time anyway!), I know I have heard this sentiment at EWBC and at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma also.

    Overall I agree with you, Robert. I also don’t know of many (any?) wine bloggers who are after those few rare jobs in traditional media. Many of us would like to see more opportunities open up in new media where we can get paid (I’m one of them). But I think the overall goal of people writing about wine on the web is different–to tell those stories and share wine enthusiasm via the new media and to bring value to the net. Every day people make unpaid contributions from open source to wikis to content. It feels good to give something back, to write something that others find useful. And for many, that’s payment enough.

    • http://thirstforwine.co.uk thirstforwine

      I think a lot of what people are after is simply recognition. Unfortunately few bloggers get this, and attention is only paid to those who write in ‘proper’ media channels (or do both).

      With recognition, and quality (and effort), money will hopefully follow, so they are not unrelated, but I can think of very few people who are actually trying to become traditional media writers.

      Thanks for your support and comments, and also for making it out to the EWBC! See you again next year?

  • http://www.spinthebottleny.com/ Sasha

    Good points all — but as a fledging wine blogger, I’m not sure I want them to want my “job”…mostly, I think they need to understand what bloggers add to the conversation, how social media has made the discussion more inclusive, and what this means for consumers. It’s much more revolutionary for them than it is for the inside baseball world of wine writing. Jancis gets it — the others, not so much, I think.

    • http://thirstforwine.co.uk thirstforwine

      that’s what I mean (I don’t expect Robert Parker to aspire to writing a post on Wine Conversation, though he is welcome) :)

      I am hoping that established, recognised writers might find the ability to write more freely, and more broadly, about what they really care about and not just what they can get published, by getting involved in these online media channels.

      Jancis definitely gets it, as do a few other big names, but too many still cling to their shrinking columns and have not yet invested in the new world. The early innovators will benefit most!

  • Kent_Vineyard

    A very well written argument. I think what the arrogant opinion of ‘the dinosaurs’ reveals is that they lack a basic understanding of the internet and social media. Most of the so called ‘slots’ in the national press will be losing readers every day. In comparison, bloggers can not only reach a global audience instantly, they can engage in conversations with their audience and build relations with them in a way traditional journalism prohibits.

    • http://thirstforwine.co.uk thirstforwine

      We must recognise that even BIG names are still writing for others – and that it is the editorial and advertising agendas of their traditional media employers that determine much of what can be said (if only by the limitations on space that they offer).

      I look forward to seeing the faces of these writers when they finally DO switch over and realise how much MORE they can do, not less. That will be an exciting time for us all.

  • filipporonco

    I’m asking myself if we actually will have this “conversion” from big bloggers rather the opposite, small bloggers getting bigger and “established”. I explain it better in this post: http://www.vinix.it/myDocDetail.php?ID=3475&lang=eng

    Cheers, Fil.

  • robertgiorgione

    I couldn’t agree with you more Rob. Personally, owing to my lack of journalistic experience in comparison to those esteemed wine writers, I think that blogging is the perfect medium to communicate my knowledge, experience and passion for wine. As you know, I’m not a particular fan of twitter, as I think that’s a completely different subject. As I’ve discovered, a lot of people who blog, do it almost as a side-line to their day jobs and it provides a good vehicle to express their interests. It interesting to note that Jancis is one of the most prolific wine bloggers in the industry and has achieved an amazing reputation over the years…so what is she worried about?

    • http://thirstforwine.co.uk thirstforwine

      I don’t think she is ‘worried about’ anything (if you watch the video she actually does support blogging as a whole) but she did express the view that I have often heard, that bloggers are all aspiring journalists (in traditional media), and I do want to clarify that this is not the case.

      I am always amazed (especially as one who post so infrequently) the effort that Jancis makes for wine in general and her many, many outlets – but in particular her site.

  • jimbudd

    Good post Robert. In her short speech on the future of wine writing following on from Gary Vee, Jancis said that the reason she started her site was that it allowed her to tell the many wine stories that she wanted to tell but didn’t have space in her printed output. For me this is one of the great things that the net and blogging, because it is so easy to manage, allows. Jim’s Loire permits me, perhaps, obsessively to write about wines, producers, events in the Loire that would be impossible in the traditional media.

    As a member of the Circle of Wine Writers for 20 years I believe and hope that it will continue to be an adaptable organisation. It is already quite unrecognisable from the small group founded by Cyril Ray back in 1960.

    • http://thirstforwine.co.uk thirstforwine

      exactly, and I count you in my group above as one of the well respected, established writers who HAS understood it and got involved to create materials which really could only have emerged online

      thank you!

      As for the CWW, we shall see! I think the future is radically different from its charter, so it will be interesting to see what it comes up with

      • jimbudd

        Robert. I think if you look at the Circle’s objectives these still largely apply or are still as relevant for the new social media as for more traditional forms:

        The objectives of the Circle of Wine Writers are:

        * to improve the standard of communication about wines, spirits and beers
        * to contribute to the growing knowledge and interest in wine
        * to promote wines and spirits of quality and to comment adversely on faulty products and dubious practices
        * to establish and maintain good relations with the news media and the wine trade
        * to provide members with a strong voice with which to express their views
        * to provide a forum for the exchange of information
        * to provide a programme of workshops, meetings, talks and tastings

        I’m not really clear what you mean by its charter – criteria for membership?

        • http://thirstforwine.co.uk thirstforwine

          good point, and I apologise for my vague terms. Yes, I was referring to the membership criteria that were rather hotly debated around the LIWF. I can see clearly that if those were to encompass the blogging community, there would be many that would be quite willing to sign up to the objectives of the CWW

          I hope to have an opportunity to learn more about the Circle thanks to a friendly invitation to an up-coming event :)

          • jimbudd

            I certainly hope that the Circle will continue to evolve and include bloggers amongst its members as indeed it already does – Gabriella Opaz being one fine example. I would hope now for calm discussion rather than heated debate.I think it is important to be aware until now The Circle has been for writers who were paid for their work, albeit often poorly. There was also a time in the late 1980s and 1990s when the Circle was seen as a joke by a number of writers, particularly the younger ones. I was amazed to discover when I joined the Circle in late 1989 that people like Tim Atkin, Robert Joseph, Charles Metcalfe and Joanna Simon were not members and instead had some members who did little or no writing.It took many years for that perception to change and involved weeding out members who did not write or communicate about wine. Unless retired, Circle members have to complete an record of work as the organisation is keen that its members are bona-fide wine communicators, which until recently has involved some sort of payment. So having repaired its reputation, I think a certain wariness is understandable but I’m sure that the Circle’s committee recognises that we are now in much changed times Clearly there are now wine bloggers/ website owners who do a large amount of independent writing and communicating and who reach a far bigger audience than many trade wine/spirit magazines do. Speaking or writing personally I would certainly like to see them eligible to join the Circle – NB my personal view. Just as there are membership criteria for people in the traditional media, so there will have to be criteria for applicants from the new social media. I suspect that the criteria will not be very different: how often to you write, who for etc. The Circle has always been more likely to accept an application from the wine correspondent for The Times than the writer with an occasional column in The Penge Electrician. Thus someone with a established blog/site with a substantial audience would be a far stronger candidate than someone whose recently launched blog is read only by their grandmother and her pet dog.The new social media/net does offer one big advantage here – an applicant’s/members work is easily visible. As I say I hope a time for calm discussion and reflection

  • http://www.winetravelmedia.com/about Wink Lorch

    Excellent post Robert and some great comments coming through too to add to the debate, so here’s my two cents (pennies?) worth.As so often happens with ‘newfangled things’ in any age, and as you have reported Robert, it is obvious that wine blogs if not always wine bloggers are gaining slow (but getting faster) acceptance even in the world of traditional wine journalism. But here are a few pedantic points that I think still worry traditional wine writers/journalists all touched upon all too briefly at the conference:1) Simply the word blog: for example Jancis, I don’t believe, would ever say she writes a blog although she has started to use the word ‘post’. Jancis has a website that is expensive to maintain and that allows her to input updated content on a regular basis, which she does.2) The issue of when and whether the ‘cream will rise to the top’ and how consumers will spot it. This seemed to be mentioned by several people at Wine Future (which to make clear to other readers I did not attend in person, only virtually via catavino.net). There seems to be a worry amongst the established wine trade, wine writers and educators that consumers are not capable of sifting through the many blogs to find the ones that truly speak with authority. It’s certainly perceived to be a ‘problem’ particularly with such a complex, intricate subject as wine that many ‘wikis’ and therefore blog posts too are simply inaccurate. But this was always the case with print too – even today in the few wine books that are published and wine columns printed, I constantly find non-facts, downright errors. So, hey – print and the web are no different after all, and the keen, intelligent consumer should be able to find the cream.3) The other often untouched (certainly by the reserved British) subject worrying the established journalists is how to monetize a presence on the web – yes, Gary Vee has managed and promised to show Jancis how, but what about everyone else? Many are holding on to the (probably vain) hope that print will revive and that money will still be available – think again, I would say. And this is, of course, completely irrelevant to the evening ‘hobby’ blogger.

    • jimbudd

      ‘Unless retired, Circle members have to complete an record of work as the organisation is keen that its members are bona-fide wine communicators, which until recently has involved some sort of payment.’

      This should read: ‘an annual record of work’

      Wink is right – it is the medium or the media that are different with opportunities open to many more people but the message is broadly the same.

    • http://www.catavino.net Ryan Opaz

      we are working on the solution to make money…stay tuned…Changes can be difficult, but eventually we move to new models and forms. I think we’re getting there in the next year or two. Have faith! :)

  • http://fr.linkedin.com/in/joaquingonzalezdecastejon Joaquin de Castejon

    Great post, and I think it applies to many different sectors and products, not just wine. Anybody can be a writer, editor and/or publisher, and they don’t need the traditional gatekeepers.

  • http://twitter.com/veramarvineyard Veramar Vineyard

    Agree, tools such as Twitter and Facebook are increasingly helping sort the good from the bad sources of information on wine. Great article, thank you.

  • fionabeckett

    I’m in the process of trying to gather my thoughts on this very subject as it relates to food writing. Journalism and blogging are two very different activities, neither inherently superior to the other. I have a foot in both camps – at the moment it’s journalism (and writing books) that pays most of the bills though that may change. I don’t think any writer today though can survive without engaging in social media and I’m surprised at the number who still fail to see the point

    • http://thirstforwine.co.uk thirstforwine

      the great thing is when you COMBINE book writing and engaging with your audience online – look at what Gary Vaynerchuck and Chris Brogan are doing! I look forward to reading your thoughts.

      • jimbudd

        Fiona Beckett: Journalism and blogging are two very different activities, neither inherently superior to the other.

        Fiona: I’m intrigued. Are they really different and in what ways?

        • http://www.catavino.net Ryan Opaz

          Journalism can take place on a blogging platform. Blogging is more of a word that defines the use of a tool: the blogging software. I believe that the blog as a publishing device will lead to many “blogger journalists”

          • jimbudd

            I agree Ryan. That’s how I see it.

  • http://www.alfonsocevola.com alfonsocevola

    Yeah, we have interesting lives of meaning too!

  • http://www.wijnkronieken.nl/ Mariella Beukers

    What a great post, and great comments too. Especially the comments Wink Lorch made. You all give me much to think about. This and everything I read about Wine Future (I also followed the live blog) is keeping me busy very much the last couple of days.
    Thx you all!
    Mariëlla Beukers, wine writer coming from a bloggers background

  • http://www.uncorkedventures.com wine clubs

    It’s an interesting discussion for sure, but for someone to think every blogger wants to write for a newspaper some day, it’s honestly just dumb. If I can make the same amount of money writing on my own blog, why would I want to deal with an editor, assigned stories and deadlines? I don’t see the upside there!

  • http://mountainvalleywines.co.uk Borj

    Hi Robert. Very interesting post. I believe you will find more and more changes from traditional print media towards social media. Social media is still a relatively new concept when compared to the length the print media has been in “business”. When comparing the trends it’s important to take into account the stage or product life cycle, if you want, social media has reached vs print. Newspaper sales are down, especially the broadsheets which tend to write higher quality wine reviews. Effectively print has reached it’s peak and is being replaced by free providers on line. This stage of the product life cycle is called decline which comes just after maturity. People have switched to a cheaper more accessible and often more honest source, the internet/social media. For wine in particular the demise of print has been picked up on line and the big boys like Murdoch (News Corp) are quick to recognise this trend with plans to charge for all news websites. This most recent trend brings the print to your ballpark inevitably putting a price on a good wine blogger. Clearly that doesn’t mean every blogger will be able to charge for their wine opinion but those who have the highest hits per page will be able to make a buck or two from various channels whether it’s banner advertising or membership fees. Blogging with social media are in the Introduction stages, later followed by growth. As the name suggests it means the service is still being introduced to a wider public but once it reaches growth, i.e. higher demand the true value of blogging will be recognised not just by us but even by those who currently still focus on alternative sources.
    Recently the FT reported Majestic delivered sales growth of 9% but “Online sales rose 24.6% as Majestic used a blog and social networking site Twitter to attract new customers”. I think this points more than anything else just how much value social media can add – real cash. The others will follow soon and I have no doubt it wont be long before real cash is redirected away from print to social media. How money might change the blogging dynamics I think is another conversation…