Since I started this little blog over an eighth of a century ago (can you tell I was a math minor in college?), I have tried to maintain several “standards”. First, and perhaps most importantly, I try not to take myself too seriously. As I have mentioned countless times here, wine is a beverage. A Beverage. In the grand scheme, it is really not all that important. If wine were to disappear from the face of the earth tomorrow, the species would likely survive. Sure, the economic impact would not be insignificant and the number of people depressed after getting home at 5:00 would increase exponentially, but we would recover (I am speaking in the general sense of “we” of course as I would be completely off the rails contemplating my future as a, gasp, beer drinker, or worse, double gasp, a scotch aficionado).

Second, and although I stray at times, particularly when it comes to wine writing, I try really hard to keep my thoughts positive. There is a ton of really good wine being made all around the world and I could never cover it all; why focus on the bad? Recently, another person in the wine world offered perhaps the most salient point I have ever heard: “No one ever asks me what wines I don’t like.”

Think about that for a second. Once someone learns what I do for a “living” what do you think they ask? A version of “What is your favorite (variety, region, style, etc.) wine?” “What’s the best wine?” I’m asked that nearly every day (hint: all of them). “What’s your favorite variety?” Asked. All. The. Time. (Pinot Noir). “What should I buy?” People text me this regularly while at the store or in a restaurant (“Champagne” is usually my response). On the flip side? I have literally have never been asked: “What is the worst wine you have ever had?” Or “What wine shouldn’t I drink?” And never: “What should I avoid?” So why is there so much effort in the wine world addressing these questions? I have no idea.

Third, wine is not for everyone and we should stop pretending or suggesting that it is. Just like my octogenarian mother-in-law should not slip behind the wheel of a Maserati, my 23 year-old son should not be served a glass of Domaine de la Romanée Conti. Nope. Not for them. Wine is not a process, it is a delight, that is not for everyone and that has to be OK. Instead of focusing on those who may not like wine and trying to get them to drink it, it is time that the wine industry focuses on those who do drink wine. You like Meomi? Here, try this. Have you ever had your Aperol Spritz sans Aperol? Taste this Prosecco.

Where am I going with all of this?

These are thoughts that have bounced around in my abnormally large head for a while now and while I often get bogged down on this site with samples, tasting notes, and events (yes, I know exactly how incredibly bougie that just sounded), I have been looking for the time and space to explore more contemplative issues.

Well.

Recently, I was asked to join WineReviewOnline, a respected authority in the wine world. While my immediate response was that I was being “punked” or that somehow they dialed the wrong number, I quickly realized that this would be an opportunity to spread my wings, so to speak. My immediate inclination was to scream “Yes!!” so loudly that I risked passing out (and to confuse them enough so as to not make sure that it was, indeed, the right number), but I decided to do a bit of research (a skill of mine) and get back to them.

In the end, it came down to these two paragraphs on the “About” page at WineReviewOnline that served to solidify my resolve:

Wine Review Online provides authoritative, critically penetrating analysis of wine regions, producers, and current releases that is independent of financial incentives or commercial influence. Our respected wine journalists and educators offer more than recommendations of what to buy, digging deeper into the “why” factors that explain the qualitative excellence and strong value of the world’s most exemplary wines.

Our contributors are not only well-traveled and experienced in the wines of the world but also insightful and often entertaining and witty. Explanation of the complexities of wine can be important without being self-important.

Through perusing the site as well as a couple of conversations with one of the founders, I determined that WineReviewOnline would not only introduce me to new readers and give me a bit more credibility, but it would also allow me to explore my thoughts on wines, the wine industry, and what it means to be a “wine consumer” with a new audience with different experiences and viewpoints. I am deeply humbled and honored to join such a distinguished group of writers and will strive to do my best work.

So what does that mean for TheDrunkenCyclist? Absolutely nothing. I will continue to strive to post 3-5 times (or more) a week and this site will always remain a free site with no paywalls or subscriptions necessary. (A quick side note: I do not, in any way, mean this to disparage writers who do look to earn a living from their site. I encourage them wholeheartedly. Honestly. I just feel that I have benefitted immensely from this site free and open to all and there is no need to ever change that.)

I will posts updates here about my articles and reviews on WineReviewOnline and I hope that encourages (at least some of) you to head over there and check them out. But no judgment will be made; I truly love this little community (even if it is only my mom), and I my hope is to constantly feed it with my convoluted prose.