By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor

In case you were curious, Twitter is the by far the place to find liked-minded local-philes these days. That's where our newest staff member, Tracy Weiss and I connected several months ago. We exchanged Tweets, found more than a little common ground when it comes to local food and wine, and then I asked her to write a guest post, which she did and did with gusto.

When I asked her earlier this week if she would be interested in joining the NYCR team in a more formal way, she was extremely enthusiastic — and so it was decided.

Tracy brings two unique qualities to the team. First, she splits her time between Manhattan and the North Fork, so she sees Long Island wine at it source but then also experiences first hand how it is infiltrating (or not) perhaps its most important battleground — New York City.

She also calls herself "the impassioned amateur" — someone who has opinions and instincts about food and wine but also considers herself relatively new to them. "I can ask questions that experts are already supposed to know," she said in a recent email, adding "A few years ago, I used to be all about the quantity. Now I focus on quality."

A former television and talent management professional, Tracy has left the entertainment business to write (and eat) full time, freelancing for food, wine and lifestyle publications while working on her upcoming website www.northforkd.com and her first book.

When not scribbling, Tracy enjoys oysters, all things pumpkin, cult television shows and bubbly from any region.

Please join me in welcoming the NYCR's newest team member.