As we enter our third year since the inception of WINEormous, I look back on the past fondly and look ahead with eager anticipation. When Laura and I started the website in 2009, we didn’t have a clue where it would take us. To be honest, we never really laid out a road map. At the beginning of a new year, that’s one of the first things we intend to do. The initial idea was to create a wine-based website, visiting winemakers and winery owners and sharing their stories. That has remained at its core. Where we’ve fallen short I believe is in engaging you and opening a dialogue with you. I take full responsibility and I intend to change that. We’ve always wanted this to be a two way street and I encourage you to let us know how we can improve the experience for you.
Since starting this project, we’ve expanded our horizons more broadly than I could have imagined. Travels have taken us to Nova Scotia, Mexico, Maine, Alabama, Missouri, Texas, Washington and Virginia. We live in the Temecula Valley and remain determined to keep a finger on the pulse of this ever changing wine country, keeping you up-to-date as new wineries are added to the landscape and some of the players change. Plan on us visiting Napa, Santa Ynez and Paso Robles at least once annually.
I’m extremely excited about what lies ahead this year. At the end of January I’ll travel to Perugia, Italy for the International Wine Tourism Conference. I’ll be sharing highlights of the eight day trip with you in pictures and words and I’m honored to have the privilege of speaking at the conference. I’ll be attending the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, the Wine Bloggers Conference and American Wine Society Conference (two separate events) in Portland, Oregon. I hope to attend the Maya Riviera Wine & Food Festival in Cancún. Ian Blackburn, founder of Learn About Wine, will be hosting several excellent events this year starting on January 26th with Stars of Santa Barbara and I’ll visit every one I’m able to. I always look forward to the Family Winemakers of California tasting.
In the meantime, please feel free to email me (tom@wineormous.com), call me (951 907-9701), or leave a comment here. Without you, none of this means anything.