This is Vininspo!
Live wine to the fullest with words, sound and vision that invite enjoyment
I’m Ed Merrison and I wish you a warm welcome to the Vininspo! newsletter. If you’ve ever experienced a moment of joy in the presence of wine + people—and want to relive and magnify that enjoyment—then this is for you. This is a place for the curious and warm-hearted, from newcomer to seasoned professional, to connect with the world and each other through the medium of wine via varied voices, far-flung places and infinite angles. Forget the black-and-white of stuffy opinion, scores and status; this is a horizon-busting travel experience in glorious technicolour!
I’ve been writing professionally for 25 years, and halfway through that made the switch from full-time multimedia journalist with an international news company to specialise in wine. I saw in wine so many elements that set me daydreaming from my childhood: fun, friendship, language, art, travel, tradition and… anticipation of the unknown. I have since written for various publications, headed content for a couple of Australia’s foremost importers, gained a string of top qualifications, taught and judged wine at the highest level and—most important of all—had thousands of heartfelt conversations with a fascinating range of wine people from all over the world.
But I’m a reader and viewer and wine-lover, too, and can’t stop thinking: Where does all that emotion, personality and originality go when people sit down to write about wine? This ancient, universal fermented-grape drink isn’t weird, exclusive, unsurprising or hard to get through; why does so much commentary end up that way?
Nature and human endeavour entwine in wine. When granted richer context to contemplate it—and spurred to share our thoughts with freedom, clarity and generosity—our world shimmers with extra detail. Know what else? It makes every new experience better, too. That’s what Vininspo! is all about.
Reflecting wine’s diversity, this newsletter will ping around a lot—essays, articles, interviews, videos and podcasts. And, as much as possible, this wellspring of passion and character should bubble with disparate voices. Yours is absolutely welcome!
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