How I became a wine blogger (& hopefully I don’t suck at it!)

Over the last couple of months I have been getting super excited. So excited that I’m smiling right now writing this. I am a bonafide geek – I admit it!

And you know why I am excited? Because next month, July 2015, will mark 5 years since the Travelling Corkscrew wine blog was born. It’s my passion, it’s me on a page (well most of the time tipsy me) and it’s introduced me to so many wonderful wines, experiences and people (that’s you!).

So in-light of this momentous occasion I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a little ‘bloggy’ personal. To tell you more of my story, and who I am and why I do what I do. Yes this is totally a Q&A with myself, haha yes you see, I am the biggest geek.

Here are some questions I have been asked quite frequently by people – I hope you enjoy!

How did Travelling Corkscrew come about? Why the TC?

Mr. Spittoon and I were living in Sharjah, a dry emirate in the United Arab Emirates. Yes I did say dry, which means no alcohol in the town at all. Thank-fully Dubai was 10 minutes up the 7-lane highway.

I was working for one of the big booze importers, MMI at their premium wine and spirits stores in Dubai International Airport – Le Clos. Now by premium, I mean selling the first growths of Bordeaux, DRC and the likes. At the time our most expensive bottle was US$25,000 (that was for one 750ml bottle!). During my time at Le Clos, working in both the main concourse store and in the first class lounge store (they have now expanded even more and are totally dominating Terminal 3, so if you’re passing through Dubai, check them out!) my highlights were selling wine to NBA player, Juwan  Howard and at the time I held the world record for the largest wine duty-free purchase at a cool US$108,000 for an 8 bottle sale. Nice!

Whilst working and studying towards my Level 3 Advanced WSET certificate as well as creating and producing our bi-weekly team newsletter I started to realise how much I enjoyed sharing wine knowledge and the online world. I was constantly bugging my boss with website suggestions and soon enough I thought well, why don’t I start writing my own stuff online.

Of course after a few wines one night I told Mr. Spittoon my idea and he loved it! Next up was the name game. It was pretty much one of the first names we came up with. I love travelling and I always had a corkscrew handy so why not combine the two! Soon enough Mr. Spittoon created ‘The” Travelling Corkscrew, yep he made one for me. And I was busy setting up my website, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing but hey, that’s how all good stories start right?

I blogged and blogged. In the first month I popped up 11 posts (I’m not overly proud of all of them, but hey it was my first time blogging with absolutely no help or advice) which I reckon was a pretty darn good effort. I kept blogging. I blogged throughout our backpacking year around Europe. And blogged some more. I am sure my Mum was my first and only loyal fan for a good few months, if not years (thanks Mum!!) but it didn’t deter me. I loved writing about wine and it was that passion that drove every single word that went and still is going onto this blog. It was only the other day that someone said to me that they wish they were so passionate about something and I told them to stop what they’re doing and search for it stat! Passion is what life’s all about.

There must be more than passion that fuels this blog?

Yes there definitely is. I love to write and I love wine and by doing what I love it can also help others. My blog can help wineries and business owners get exposure. Since moving to Perth, 3 years ago I have fallen in love with Western Australia. Heck Mr. Spittoon and I are even building a house here now.

The wine scene in WA excites me. There is just so much right under our noses in this state and I can’t help but get excited about it and share it with anyone and everyone that will listen. It worried me that in my first job in the city than many Perth-ites had only been out to the Swan Valley once or twice in their lifetimes. There are so many gems in the state whether it’s in the Perth Hills, down South in Denmark or further afield and I want to help show everyone what’s out there. It would be totally greedy if I kept them all to myself right. It is tempting though.

Do you want to monetize/make this your job?

No. For one, I think the pressure and stress would decrease the passion level for my wine blogging. And secondly I do actually love my day job. It’ll be no surprise to you that I work in online marketing. Another geek point! I have now been over a year at my current company where I work as an Online Marketing Account Manager at a boutique SEO agency.

I guess like the blog, in my day job I help local companies get more exposure for their websites via channels like Google. Same same but different, and that role brings in the bacon and wine shopping money.

So I guess that’s a bit more about me and the blog. I wouldn’t have made it to the 5 year mark without all the support and encouragement from my family and friends (who drink all that wine with me). And of course I couldn’t have done it without my lovely Mr. Spittoon who begrudgingly drinks all those wines with me and is dragged along on all the winery visits. Poor him!

And last but not least, you guys, yes you, are the ones who fuel my creativity and motivation to want to cover every single wino topic I can think of. Yep you guys are the ones to blame (thank) for me NEEDING to try that wine, go to that winery, try that wine and bacon combo, haha YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION!

Cheers to all the wine lovers out there! And here are my very first 11 posts I EVER did in July 2010:

• The 09’s – Best vintage ever?
• Your wine grape personality match
• The Widow Clicquot Treasure 2010
• Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Wine on the go
• A litre of wine everyday for 90 days..
• Famous Champagne Quotes
• Unusual and Creative Wine Label Designs
• What does your wine order say about you?
• Yoga & Wine
• To chill or not chill your wine?