a solid list – I’m a big fan of Drvino.com too! 

Great piece! I’d add Talia Baiocchi to this list. 

Deeply honored, my man, to be mentioned in company like that. Thanks for the kind words!

This is a solid list, and I do agree with it. However, I do hope that
by this time next year you can write this list again, and hopefully by then we
will see some women writers on the list.   It seems clear that, in an industry where we buy and
drink a good share of wine, we still aren’t standing out equally as leaders and
influencers.  I hope to change
that, and I hope many others out there do too. 

Mary, I’d love nothing more than to see the list shift to be dominated by female writers in the blogosphere and have high hopes.

Good list Paul.  I just think it’s important to point out the relative importance of Lenn Thompson and Evan Dawson to our industry here in NY.  While the rest of this great list is scouring the country and the world for good content, Lenn and Evan are focused squarely on our region.  This sort of regional attention adds layers of gravitas to their words.  Their impact here in NY is profound, and profoundly useful too.  By not pulling punches and sticking to quality writing and quality content, they really do move the needle in the right direction for our industry.

Another great wine blog, The Gray Report by a past SF Chronicle wine writer, W Blake Gray http://blog.wblakegray.com/

I’m not sure I can even comment after seeing Jim’s very gracious and slightly embarrassing  comment, but thank you much, Paul, for including me — and more importantly my team — on this list of heavy hitters.

We come for your children.

I suggest Debbie Gioquindo, the Hudson Valley Wine Goddess. A positive spirit in the wine industry with excellent instincts and insights.

Strange list … “They are the most influential to both the trade and consumers.  Their voices influence thousands of other wine personalities and tens of thousands of wine professionals.  

Really? The most influential for consumers? Wow. I doubt many of my readers know their names.  The lack of women on this list is because you’re a guy that uses terms like “cage-match” and “dude.”  You know how much I like and respect you Paul, just have to chime in that this is not a list that I would call influential with the following groups of consumers: young women who drink wine ages 21+, moms/wives/grocery shoppers who buy the most wine, wine enthusiasts who belong to wine clubs and read BH&G, women who read lifestyle blogs while drinking wine, women who pair wine professionally or for fun, and women wine bloggers (we’re too busy drinking,reviewing and pairing to read the cage-matches between the guys). I could go on and on but I’ll stop here. You get my point. 

Overall, I appreciate you waving the flag for wine bloggers, but in the end, we don’t need lists and silly industry awards; we need wineries (great wines and stories) and wine-loving readers (audience).  Additionally, 100,000 visits per month is nice but rapid fans who try what I suggest and tell others? Golden.

Thanks for including me. The main difference between me and the other bloggers you chose [all fine ones] is that I actually have a day job writing about wine for Wine Enthusiast. That’s why I don’t do reviews on my blog. The blog is for me to explore another side of my passion.

Obviously I appreciate being included on such a list, but I am curious about the lack of Tyler Colman’s name on this list. From what I know of his readership, he is certainly one of the more well read wine blogs on the internet.

Apologies Alana but I was only pointing out what we see from the math.  Ironically the most popular US wine celebrities that are not bloggers ARE mostly women: Leslie Sbrocco, Jancis Robinson, Karen MacNeil, Andrew Immer Robinson, and Natalie Maclean.  The only two males that have that star power are Gary Vaynerchuk and Kevin Zraly.  I am not discounting women bloggers by any means and wish I could celebrate their blogging success at the scale of the 8 people I mentioned here.  I am hoping this will change next year.

An oversight in editing.  I had him on the list and somehow lost it.  Will add him back.

Alder, that was an oversight.  I had him and accidentally lost him when moving my draft from Evernote.  I’ll remedy immediately.

Thanks for commenting Steve.  I am glad you don’t do reviews, but do enjoy your writing about wine (everything about wine) when you choose that focus.

Richard Jennings – http://www.rjonwine.com/
His blog also appears on Huffington Post.

 Steve, you’re not the only one on the list making his living at wine writing, are you?

 Don’t forget “brother from another mother” and “kung foo,” Alana. ;O

Try parsing by trade, consumer, region, three-tier. Midwest can’t get most wines. They look for local and import writers. Wish coast writers and awarders understood.

Honored to be included on this list as “one to watch.” I would second Melissa’s inclusion of Talia Baiocchi. Her recent Eater post on Diamond Creek was just one of many excellent articles I’ve read by her. And I would be remiss if I also didn’t mention how much I enjoy what Melissa has to say about Italian white wines; there is a great combination of passion and knowledge, and I appreciate the focus.

Women in wine need to be more prominent. To be honest, I’m shocked that Natalie Maclean wasn’t on that list. She’s won a zillion awards and her blog is fantastic. 

I have to agree with Alana…I don’t think the average wine consumer could name a single person on this list. That’s not to say they aren’t doing outstanding work, but perhaps this would be better described as wine bloggers most influential on other wine bloggers, which is a pretty small world.

Also, if this list is supposed to measure influence on consumers I’m not sure how Tim Lemke over at CheapWineRatings.com isn’t on it. He pulls more traffic than many of names on this list combined.

Steinberger.  The journalist.

 Hi Paul, maybe it would help if you filled us in on the math you used to compile this. Thanks!

Yeah, and the main difference between the other bloggers and Jameson Fink is that he lives in Seattle. 

Tackses, as I see it you’re a bit of a chicken, you bad mouth two folks but don’t attach your name to it.

Super stoked to see my buddy Jameson Fink as one to watch! Another Seattleite to keep on your radar is Clive Pursehouse of the Northwest Wine Anthem. His insight is great and his writing styling is supberb.

I’m a bit surprised to see no mention of Sean Sullivan and The Washington Wine Report as one to watch. Frankly, I wouldn’t be familiar with the two fellow Seattle-based writers in these comments without some cross-pollination from WAWR. Granted, Mr. Sullivan’s style is very data-driven; superb content but does lack the dramatic flare that this conversation seems to put a premium on. The way we talk about wine is often taken advantage of by flowering facts in colorful bullshit, and what makes Mr. Sullivan refreshing is his thoughtful opinion with poignant, robust content. And considering his weight in not only consumer advocacy but the genuine clout the wine community gives him in the PNW, I too would be very interested in seeing the numbers that went into this apparently flexible list.

Flattered, humbled, and stoked to be on this list. Thanks for such kind word, Paul!

You missed SBTF, the up and coming amazing wine (blind) tasting club in NYC.

Fantastic list Paul, thank you very much. I follow the most of them, but I did not know “the one to watch”. So I’ follow him as well!
Lizzy

Many people have asked us how we got to these results.  It was an analysis that included Page Rank, Blog Analysis, Facebook stats,Twitter followers, Twitter RT’s, and especially social media mentions (aka influence), and extensibility (their ability to cross over to mainstream publications like Washington Post, Playboy.com and others with much larger audiences) for reach.

Also there have been a lot of comments about the lack of diversity in this list.  This saddens us as well.  Unfortunately this is current state of the wine blogosphere.  To overcome this we hope more minority and female writers will see this not as an insult to them, but as a goal to achieve.  Moreover, if you have a wine writer of diversity that you enjoy and respect, it is up to the other members of the wine community and wine bloggers to help promote their content to aid them in achieving top status.

well I think the list reflects more of Wineblogger list for fellow winebloggers to aspire to. I agree with Alana, to the average wine consumer they wouldn’t know hardly anyone on this list. The average consumer doesn’t read wineblogs.. Where women get most influence is cooking or food magazines/blogs. Then when you add in the male ego, you understand why there are no women on the list. I don’t think numbers should be the only decider here. We can all RT and cross post each other’s blogs to move our numbers up but real reach is what people talk about away from the computer… Crickets I hear chirping? Where’s LusciousLushes.com or even Girlwithaglass.com ? These are some of the best “written” blogs out there with content that is stellar. 

Mark, the absurdity of your statement demonstrates your ignorance regarding this topic.  As we are all friends with Alana and Thea and love their writing they have yet to reach mass appeal and unlike the figures mentioned above, do not stimulate thousands (if not tens of thousands) of mentions of their articles and concepts to consumers, the trade and other influencers.  Moreover the quality and hard work of the digital writers above have earned articles and columns in mainstream publications like the NYT, SF Chronicle, Washington Post and more which has exposed them to mass consumers who now know of them.  It is not simply about RT’s and talking to each other but how their content influences and spreads.

We support ALL bloggers and reporting the best does not diminish the work of others.  In fact, it should be celebrated that bloggers are achieving this level of success.

Where does Jancis Robinson and Natalie MacLean rank on the analytics?

 Recognize most names you listed Paul but pretty sure you meant Andrea versus Andrew Immer Robinson. 

 I have to admit, I only recognize one of the names Paul lists.  I follow many blogs, read as much as I can and continue to expand my reach.  I also have to say that being a consumer, one that does the majority of the shopping and purchases in my home, I tend to think women bloggers have a lot to add that we women consumers will appreciate.  I don’t buy a wine based on its points or scores thus I won’t read a wine blog based on its award, listing or recommendation either. 

Paul, I think that you overstate the “Mass Appeal” of those on this list. Try asking distributors and retail stores and only a few will have ever crossed their screens. I’ve seen more from Natalie Maclean and Jon Bonne than any others.Tom Wark gets my vote for best writer and best content. Wine consumers want authenticity and when we are all done with our “Self importance” talk and “Reach” perhaps we can all just let the wine and winemakers speak and get out of the way. I have no problem with winebloggers. The company I represent has done more to reach out to the wineblogger community than almost any other. The bottom line is winebloggers can help a brand or winery to promote themselves and come across more authentic in many ways than Print Media, but as far as mass appeal, Print is still “Leader of the pack” and what distributors will go to to sell more wine. All the social media stats in the world aren’t going to change that “right now”. For DTC mostly wineries, Winebloggers are key and that’s perhaps what small up and coming wineries need to use more, although one 95+ point review in Spectator or Wine Enthusiast will still rule the day.

First, thanks for the shout out Mark.

Second, Paul – while I agree with you that I certainly don’t have the mass appeal that those listed above (with a couple of exceptions in my opinion) I think you are contradicting yourself in terms of the math. Are you looking strictly at blog metrics or are we talking about true engagement?  By no means to I anticipate ever being in Tyler or Jon’s circulation hierarchy, I think there are many bloggers (women and otherwise) that – if you include true reach would certainly be on the watch list.
Perhaps if you expand this list to include bloggers that do not include professional print as part of their repertoire and add a watch list it might open the eyes to others.Again, I have no expectation that I’ll be at the top of the list but there are certainly other (female) bloggers that have huge reach that are missing here.

While I have no desire to continue the us vs them argument, I do strongly feel that we need to look at bloggers that have no other exposure (i.e. print media) as a different beast.

[...] Over on VinTank’s blog, Paul Mabray names “The 9 Most Important Wine Bloggers in the US.” [...]

Mark,
This is your second non sequitur on this post.  It is not about the relative influence of bloggers to traditional print (maybe you’ve been hanging out with SH).  Moreover your perspective is a very myopic West Coast (or more specifically Napa).  I am sorry you don’t get the time to read the Washington Post or NYT to see the great columns from some of these wonderful writers.  

Where you are incorrect is that social media stats ARE moving the needle.  Sometimes small, sometimes large.  It is irrelevant how much but it is relevant that they are making a difference especially in a world of declining print outlets.

Thea,
I agree that someone should write a post looking at other factors (women only, up and coming, pure play bloggers).  I welcome that post and think you and many others mentioned are doing a great job.

I do disagree me contradicting myself about engagement.  These authors are incredibly good at engagement and they stimulate 10′s of thousands of earned media as well which is a key measure of influence.  The fact that they are both professional print (either earned by their great blogging or blogging as a result of convincing their publications to put on a blog) is irrelevant to me.  They are digital writers who using a blogging platform and thus qualify.

Apologies to Andrea Tristan. It was a typo in my speed to write.

Absolutely need to add Sean Sullivan at The Washington Wine Report.

http://www.wawinereport.com/ 

HootnAnnie would be a nice addition to the list.

Hi Paul. I would also add Natalie MacLean who has a readership of 135,000 subscribers.

julie@womenwine.com

I know of and respect all of the names on the list, and the women and men who did not make it. I aspire to be on it some day Paul. Gary is the man who basically started the Social Media end of Wine EducTion and Jancis, literally and figuratively ” wrote the book” on what wine is all about. So let’s take a second and acknowledge the people who may have inspired the people on your list, and the rest of us who did not make it. In my eyes, more bloggers,writers,educators,and enthusiasts from every walk of the industry is better for the masses at large.

Friend in wine
Stu Nudelman/Stu The Wine Guru

Just to echo what some others have said here, Sean Sullivan from Washington Wine Report needs to be included on this list. He’s become a powerful voice & authority for the nation’s second largest producing state. It’s great to see him expanding his coverage of Oregon’s wine industry from time to time.

Wine Blogging means Those who do Reviews?  The guys all should check out… Keith, William and Jordan on http://www.wineguysradio.com All the experience, and the Knowledge :  )   .. i love them. So yes they were missed 

Paul – I would nominate Jeff Siegel, aka “The Wine Curmudgeon” (www.winecurmudgeon.com), who is a leading advocate of the “Drink Local” movement. This may not have yet penetrated into a Californian’s consciousness, as “drink local” would seem obvious there, but the idea is catching on around the country, especially in the blogosphere in Virginia, Texas, Missouri, New York (Lenn!) and elsewhere. Jeff and I co-created DrinkLocalWine.com, but he has really been championing regional wine for years and leading the effort on this front.

 totally agree

Excellent article overall.

Some points both as a blogger, former PR part timer, and now Vintner.

All of these are heavy hitters, many would barely consider ‘bloggers.”  Lumping in serious, professional heavyweights like Jon Bonne’, Eric Asimov is a tad off comparison – paid writers should be segmented out.

Mark’s comments, as much as I respect him, are way off. The majority of bloggers, added together, regardless of gender, wouldn’t add up here. My own blog still gets 5-10k unique readers a month, and its a rounding error. Are there collective voices important, sure, but doesn’t mean any of them/us belong in this list. A Bay area blogger I highly respect, and whose writings surpasses at least several people on this list, IMO, gets a few thousand readers a month. Marketing is as important, if not more, than content/product. A career in the tech world taught me that lesson a dozen times over.

I know all of these names. A few I highly applaud. Most I respect. A few I ignore. A few I need to pay more attention to.  Veterans like Alder, pros like Heimoff and Bonne’, fill my weekly reading. I am in awe of people like David White who come out of nowhere and raise the bar in quality and quantity simultaneously.

I do question your methods for the list, although if you segmented it out by pro vs nonpaid, and ranked it, it still likely wouldn’t change by more than a few. .

As you posted elsewhere “Page Rank, Blog Analysis, Facebook
stats,Twitter followers, Twitter RT’s, and especially social media
mentions”

Does that really compare and add up to that blogs own
Google Analytics & Stats? Color me skeptic. I have worked with
bloggers with great readership that is far greater than those with
‘awesome’ Twitter Stats.

Keep up the great work, but like in wine, there is “balance” in this case between social media and just…reach. A wine world without Eric Asimov and Jon Bonne’ but if they had to climb out of the ‘noise’ by their blog alone, would they make it? One can hope…..

Talia Baiocchi should be on this list for sure.

Loshel, you are super kind but I don’t think we can be included as “wine” bloggers as we cover and write about the Central Coast lifestyle…wine, beer, food, events, new hot spots, and the coast itself. Our original intent was to break into “wine specific” blogging but found that we did not want to be so isolated. Cheers Losh!

[...] comments Apr 032012   Recently, our friends at VinTank posted a blog article on The 9 Most Important Wine Bloggers in the US. It’s a great list, and we highly recommend reading all of them. But, in addition to [...]

Here’s a fantastic and solid list with some of the most relevant wine bloggers, I do agree. However, it also called my attention the lack of women in this list but I see that this has been widely discussed in previous comments.
Wine bloggers are really influential both in the final consumer and in wineries, their on-line presence and publications may change a decision in their daily lives… We encourage wine bloggers to keep promoting 2.0 communication and foster innovation in the wine business! 

Dave and William,
Thank you. That means a lot coming from my esteemed fellow bloggers.
–Richard

 Mark – not disagreeing with you here, but the average wine consumer also has no idea who Robert Parker is, nor could they name anyone on the staff at Wine Spectator. It isn’t necessarily about name or brand recognition – though those things are important. It’s also about the people who get wine in front of consumers (somms, retailers, distribs, importers, etc.) and who (and where – on-line & off-line) they turn to for wine recommendations and the like.

Since she’s Canadian, I guess it’s understandable that you left off Natalie MacLean from this list…And there is a budding wine writer who writes for the NY Times occasionally that has her own blog, Local Food And Wine, who I hope one day will be included on this list! http://localfoodandwine.wordpress.com

[...] by that person’s experiences. I’ve heard a lot of scuttlebutt about Paul Mabray’s 9 Most Important Wine Bloggers in the US list since it was published; and it’s a good list, based on his experiences and [...]

I don’t think anyone has done this for Spirit Bloggers yet. The worlds are parallel but they do have a lot in common. 

Me! (ha ha).  All kidding aside, how do you account for bloggers on websites like Huffington Post, where I blog about wine?  

This looks like a solid list – some new blogs for me to check out! 
I do not see any Canadian Based blogs – and there are some good to great wines coming out of British Columbia.  Check out http://www.thirtysomethingwinesnob.com which seems quite new (up and comer?) but with a focus on Washington State and BC Wines. 
Looking forward to expanding my wine knowledge via these 9 and more!
Great article!

[...] Vintank’s blog post last week listing the 9 most influential wine bloggers, several commenters observed the list was limited to one gender–male. The comments section [...]

[...] : Vintank Articles similaires:Lauréats des Born Digital Wine Awards 20102010 Born Digital Wine Awards, les [...]

Great list thank you! Another decent blog is 
whywineblog.com

Thank you Here’s to
specialization, not only for writers, but for drinkers. If you drink
local, you get to know a region and sense its evolution, as vintages
march on and winemakers evolve. Grazing here & there may give you
great drinking experiences, but they won’t be connected to anything. So
think globally but drink locally.

[...] was bemused by this post on important wine bloggers, as the comments played out ye olde influence [...]

[...] wine, and we love bloggers, so when VinTank published a list of the Nine Most Influential Wine Bloggers of 2012, we couldn’t wait to check it out. What makes these guys so influential? Thoughtful critiques, a [...]

I’m fond of Scott Harvey and his wife, Jana, winemakers/owners at Scott Harvey Wines. Their blog provides so much insight into his winemaking process, wine tasting expertise, and wraps it all up with his 35+ years experience and German winemaking heritage (pretty fascinating to see how that impacts his Zinfandel! http://www.scottharveywines.com/sailing-the-high-seas-to-germany-to-become-a-winemaker-part-2/

Hello this is Alex from the wine forum http://www.winebasic101.com if you like wine or anything to do with wine then the wine forum is the place.

I wonder what the scene is like now?! Great little article, definitely got my attention.

What math are you looking at Paul ? What stats did you use ? Natalie Maclean is WAY AHEAD of any of the bloggers on your list. I think your math must be skewered in favor of your “cronies”. Type any of the domains you listed into the stat checker at ClearWebStats.com and compare them to Natalies, which are  
http://nataliemaclean.com.clearwebstats.com/ I'll share one from your list for context 
http://vinography.com.clearwebstats.com/  They gotta heck a lot of catching up to do, and I doubt they’re able.

The Feiring Line perhaps? http://www.alicefeiring.com/

they are all men! any awesome female wine bloggers out there…YES!

great list.. thanks all contributing intelligence and grace to the world of wine!!

[...] Palate Press and Vinography, just to name a few. If you crave more, Vintank has published a great list of wine blogs worth checking [...]

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