Good Grape Wine Company

February 1 2009

Nominations are Now Open for the 3rd Annual American Wine Blog Awards

Tom Wark’s 3rd Annual American Blog Awards began the nomination process on Saturday, January 31, 2009.

Nominations are open in seven categories until February 8, 2009:

• Best Wine Blog Writing
• Best Single-Subject Wine Blog
• Best Winery Blog
• Best Reviews on a Wine Blog
• Best Graphics & Presentation
• Best Business Industry Wine Blog
• Best Wine Blog

I am pleased to have been a finalist for “Best Business Industry Wine Blog” in 2008, a finalist for “Best Wine Blog” in 2007 and a winner in 2007 for “Best Wine Blog Graphics.” Will I be able to make it to a finalist role in 2009?  Hard to say, as the competition is a lot different then it has been in years past. Simply, there are more and better wine blogs now.  More credentialed wine folks are writing wine blogs and professional wine writers are writing blogs, as well.  Similar to the quality increase in wine over the last 15-20 years, we are seeing an increase in wine blogging quality at a rapid clip into more niches.

If you’re a reader, but you don’t feel like you have a command of the wine blogosphere to make nominations, I would encourage you to do a couple of things in your selection/nomination research process:

First, go to Alawine and check out the following link –

1)  100 Top Wine Blogs

And, then go to Alltop and check out their list of wine blogs –

1)  Alltop Wine

Finally, go to Fermentation and Vinography and check out links to wine blogs til you feel like you have a sufficient understanding and sampling of the wine blogs available –

1) Fermentation

2)  Vinography

Before you make your nominations, I would encourage you to think about the following things relative to a blog –

1)  Is it original – does the writer take a unique perspective and point-of-view?

2)  Does it feel like you know the person writing based on their writing “voice?”

3)  Is the actual writing of a sufficiently high-enough quality that it doesn’t detract from the message?

4)  Is the writing trustworthy and defensible in opinion?

And, finally, of course, support the sponsors of the American Wine Blog awards, as well.  Mutineer Magazine, Open Wine Consortium, and Riedel glasses.

Now – go and nominate the best!

Good luck to all.

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