Wine Writer

Did you know that a wine could have a “nose,” “body,” and even “legs”? It’s true! If you love wine and talking about it, and if you have strong writing skills, then a career as a Wine Writer might be right up your alley. As a Wine Writer, you use your carefully honed senses (taste, smell, sight), combined with your writing ability, to craft unique content about wine for print and online outlets.

Sure, drinking wine all day may sound like a lot of fun, but being a Wine Writer is a demanding job. You need a palate that can detect the nuances of different wines, and a mind that can elucidate these fine details for novices and connoisseurs alike. You also need to know a lot about wines: wine history, production, regions, and notable figures.

Despite boasting a specialization like “Wine Writer,” the scope of your actual tasks can range far and wide. One week, you’ll be decked out in your finest, covering the big city release of a new vintage by an established Winemaker. The next, you’ll be out in the sticks with your rubber boots on, stomping through the mud with an as-yet-unheard-of Vintner who could be the next big thing.

Like all Writers, you balance your artistic aspirations with the real-world constraints of deadlines and line limits. You coordinate with an Editor (usually in the food section of your publication) who is responsible for checking your work for factual and grammatical mistakes.

Almost all Writers submit assignments electronically these days, so you need good typing skills, and knowledge of common word processing programs and email systems. Also, no one in the writing world works in a vacuum, so you need to know how to get along with other Writers, Editors, and interns. A good personality and the ability to network will also get you access to exclusive events, people, and wine tasting opportunities that can add sizzle to your stories.