Happy 10 Year Anniversary to my Wine Blogger Career

The first Wine Blogger Conference took place in October 2008 at the Flamingo Hotel in Sonoma County. This was where I learned I was a “wine blogger” and I met some amazing fellow wine bloggers who I befriended.

Fast forward 10 years, I even met my husband because of people I met through that conference. Yes, I am talking about you Miss Ashley Routson. You may not have been at the first conference, but you were tweeting everyone from Ohio, and that’s when we became Twitter friends. I could never have imagined meeting my husband because of you. LOL.

Home, Sweet Home.

This November, the Wine Blogging Conference is coming back home to Sonoma County, and I got my tickets as soon as they were announced. I have been to the event a few times throughout the years, but I was working—for the St. Helena Tourism Bureau, or a PR Agency giving away Scharffen Berger Chocolates to attendees. This will be my first year as a BLOGGER, there to learn from the sessions (so excited for the Legal Issues Every Blogger Should Know one) and to connect with friends.

I have loved the LIVE WINE BLOGGING tastings in the past, but mostly for the friends sitting at the table more than the wine.

Being a Wine Blogger for me isn’t just about the wine…. It has never been.

I got into wine blogging because I lived in Healdsburg, writing about events for Healdsburg Magazine (a small out-of-print publication). Living in a winery-focused area, most of the events happened at Dry Creek Valley tasting rooms. Hence, Shana the “wine blogger” became a thing.

My own blog was always about the experience of visiting wine tasting rooms, letting the reviews go to the more seasoned wine writers. I love telling a story about what people can expect when visiting wine country. And no, it usually isn't just for the wine, or for a wine tour that showcases the dirt. That extra special something that is part of the BRAND (the essence) of the winery. That's what I love talking about.

I'm not sure if my style of blogging had a name 10 years ago. Now it is called lifestyle blogging. Or, in Instagram World, it's lifestyle influencer.

What does LIFESTYLE BLOGGER even mean? Everything can be considered lifestyle.

It describes me, I guess. I want to write about life. I don't want to put myself into a box of being a wine blogger, food writer, mom blogger or social media blogger. I like to write about all of it, and my experiences.

That’s why I love writing with Sonoma Magazine, Wine Country Moms Blog, SonomaCounty.com, and even here. It's all about the experience, and perhaps some pro tips like don’t wear high heels when wine tasting. Your feet will thank you.

Get Out of The Box

It makes sense because you can't really pinpoint humans for being just on one thing. If you're a teacher, you may also be a mom, a daughter, a friend, a World of Warcraft geek…. If you are a wine blogger, your whole life doesn't necessarily revolve around wine. If you're a mom, you're not JUST a mom. It's become so easy to categorize us, forgetting all the other nuances that make up life.

Maybe that's also why I've had such a hard time writing my bio. I want to say ALL THE THINGS but I have to turn it into a tidy paragraph, or 140 characters. And tie it up with a nice bow.

So, here’s to 10 years of being a wine blogger. I think I will celebrate with a beer.