To Drink or To Blog?
By Jason Feulner, Finger Lakes Correspondent
Jamie’s recent post about being a little "sick" of wine grabbed my attention, not only due to the fact that she chose to reveal the private nature of her own wine-related thoughts, but also because she hit upon a chord that I see reverberating throughout the wine blogosphere.
I’m nowhere near the wine blog reader that is the guru Lenn, but I’ve noticed in my own limited searches that many blogs seem a bit, well, down recently, and some writers are making sentiments known that mirror Jay’s. One blogger who I have come to respect for his level of knowledge recently offered the dour query as to whether there is anything new or exciting about wine being talked about on the internet.
I’ve kept these observations in the back of my mind, only to have them resurface when I came across a notice on a Rochester newspaper website announcing the creation of a new blog and interactive user’s forum dedicated to Finger Lakes wine. To herald this new online forum, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle has begun feauturing the "Riesling Rebels," two experienced wine women who are now in the employ of the paper’s online site.
A wine blog run by a newspaper? Rebellious indeed.
I have absolutely no reason to suspect that the aforementioned bloggers will be anything but entertaining and enlightening, but I have to admit that the whole idea of a multitude of virtual wine communities is beginning to wear on me a bit. Lenn and I recently came across a Finger Lakes tourism site that was running a so-called blog that was nothing more than a cut-and-paste job featuring some of my LENNDEVOURS work without permission.
The website graciouslly gave Lenn’s site due credit, but I’ve been
paying attention to the definition of the term blog a bit more ever
since.
My point? The Internet wine sensation has really been chugging along
for a few years now, and in the beginning pioneering wine enthusiasts
with a bit of tech saviness jumped on the opportunity to create
interactive, opinionated, and entertaining venues for their fellow
enthusiasts. Sites like this one epitomize what can happen when an
individual with some talent and a willingness to seek out contributors
and educated readers puts his or her efforts to work.
I think, however, that blogging sometimes seems to spiral out of
definitional control, making me wonder how much I should bother paying
attention to every new wine-related URL that pops up.
A dedicated Internet address does not a blog make, nor is there a
need for endless amounts of discussion about wine when, by its very
nature, it is supposed to be experienced first and talked about second.
Only so much energy can be devoted to wine in a virtual space until the
wine in question becomes virtual itself. Blogging is good, but too
much blogging for the sake of blogging because blogging is popular is
blogging up my mind.
Wine blogging is in full trend mode, and like all trends there tends
to be some fatigue as time goes on. Some blogs continue to fascinate
me, some bore me, and most have had their ups and downs. Like all
things, I believe that the quality blogs that do not lose site of both
the nature of blogging and the nature of wine will, in the long run,
prevail and remain fun and relevant. I continue to remind myself to
try and experience wine more and spend less time pontificating and
reading about it.
In the meantime, I’ll get back to you when I discover what’s so rebellious about riesling.
Dear Jason, This is my first visit to your site, so imagine my surprise to be mentioned in your post.
To get right down to it, what is novel about the site the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle recently launched is its networking “backbone.” It allows the public to weigh in about what is the news through posting their own blogs, articles, photos and forum remarks. My small role in that effort as a freelancer aims to highlight a wine region that too often gets the short shrift.
I agree with your point that wine writing (and food writing) often runs the risk of being formulaic or just plain dull. I aim to work hard at sidestepping that trap. I know the readers will call me out if I lapse.
Regards,
Sheila Livadas (aka Riesling Rebel)
Freelancer for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Coming at it from a food rather than wine perspective I have to admit to feeling the same sort of blogging ennui. I’ve read much of the same stuff before - very little is new.
But, and it’s a big but, I feel I have let things go - especially in terms of my own cooking. Speaking about my own site I never intended for it to have many restaurant reviews, it was supposed to be about my cooking. But laziness has resulted in me not cooking to the same level have done previously. As a result I feel I *have* to write something, so restaurant reviews are it. It’s a dirty secret that I’m trying to address at the moment. Just got to finish off that darned restaurant review first though.
Sheila (Riesling Rebel):
Thank you for taking my reference to your new blog in stride. Most of us will admit that wine blogging is very popular right now and I was expressing my personal opinion that I’ve hit a bit of an overload recently. Your announcement caught me at the “right” time.
The advent of a quality blog has nothing to do with sequence, so I’m of course hopeful that your blog adds something new and interesting to the mix.
I am curious to see where a forum run by a print news source will go and what resources you can bring to bear that elude many private blogs. I’m not yet convinced a newspaper website-a great source of public information-always lends itself to a productive exchange of private opinion. I hope you prove me wrong and I’m curious to see how you deal with the challenges of a different format.
Best of luck, and keep that riesling under control!
Sincerely,
Jason Feulner
Sounds like wine blogosphere has become over-saturated, lots of copy cats, and there’s a need to break away from the crowds. Just need some original ideas, a new burst of energy…
It doesn’t matter how many wine blogs there are or how badly they cannibalize each other for ideas, the cream will always rise to the top.
Lenndevours is the only wine blog I read. Not only is it the best and most relevant to me as a Long Islander, but Lenn has something no other blogger could ever duplicate: A Jackson!