Top Wine Blog Posts of 2014

The year is coming to a close, bringing on that wild urge to come up with another ‘Best Of’ wine blog list. I just can’t help myself.

Below are some recommendations from my favorite, go-to wine blogger buddies (read: nerds) of their favorite blog posts of the year, and a few of my own. Hopefully, you have a little downtime around the holidays to catch up on these goodies from the past year.

Happy reading!

Thea Dwelle, Luscious Lushes

Long-time wine blogger (7 ½ years) and funny gal pal, Thea had this to say when asked which blog she loved from 2014:

                  Bill Eyer’s recent post on “Are Wine Blogs Dead?” really resonated with me as one of the few people that have been blogging for 6+ years. He hit the nail on the head with reasons that we step away, or take a break, and had fresh ideas to re-inspire – all because of his own struggles.

Paul Mabray, VinTank

Clearly Paul of VinTank, Napa’s wine think tank, follows a solid lineup of blogs, as his favorite list was LONG. A few of note:

David White, Terroirist

David started and contributes daily to one of my personal favorite blogs, Terroirist, but also writes for a series of outlets, including Grape Collective, Snooth and others. With a day job in communications and a certain way with words, David had this to say:

                    This year, I was most impressed with Gargantuan Wine, a blog from New York City wine buyer Jonathan Lipsmeyer. Virtually every post he writes reminds me of those late-night, wine-fueled, deeply intellectual conversations that wine geeks inevitably have. Why is there no 100-point Chablis? Aren’t there pieces of the 100-point scale worth praising? Why are so many expensive, highly praised Napa Valley cabs completely undrinkable — and why isn’t that a scandal?

I also asked a few folks about their favorite posts on their own (very popular) blogs:

Joe Roberts, 1 Wine Dude

Always a fun read, 1 Wine Dude has long been on my go-to list. Here are a few of his posts that Joe was particularly psyched about this year:

Nannette Eaton, Wine Harlots

Popular wine blogger Nannette from Wine Harlots with a big social media following said she was “kind of proud of the recent post, Oregon Advent: Day 2 Fossil & Fawn Pinot Gris 2013,” going on to say:

               I love meeting the people who create the wines, and hearing their stories. Whether is a boutique winery or a major producer, for me the connection comes from the souls behind the wine. I’m proud of the Fossil & Fawn piece because I adore the wines that Jim & Jenny produce and I want more people to be exposed to their brand of awesome. Secondly, it’s part of the larger ‘Oregon Advent’ feature that profiles one Oregon winery each day until Christmas.

EvolutionToWineBloggingAs for some of my favorites, here is a handful I dug this year. Hope everyone has a happy holiday season with tons of wonderful wines, great food and good friends to share it with. Cheers!

– Wine Folly’s “Wine and Cheese Pairing Ideas” by Madeline Puckette

Christopher Ingraham’s post in the Washington PostThink You Drink a Lot, This Chart Will Tell You

– Grape Collective’s “A Napa Valley Tech Entrepreneur is Revolutionizing Customer Service” by David White

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