Vino Ventures

All good things must come to an end. My final post is available here.

I started this blog a dozen years ago with my friend Amy Neyer. We were inspired by a tremendous experience learning from the best at the annual Wine Writers Symposium about the possibility of sharing our passion (and knowledge) for wine in a new way. We saw a void in content that we felt qualified and eager to fill.

Over time, life with twins got in the way for Amy and I broadened the scope of the blog to include food and travel. I wrote about wine-themed travels to South Africa, Chile and Argentina, Germany, Uruguay, all of the major wine regions in France, Tuscany, and, of course, wine regions in the United States. I loved it. It was a joyful experience for me.

Until it wasn’t. So much has changed in the world of wine and wine writing during past decade. Consumer interest has broadened beyond wine to a range of alcoholic beverages even as a surge in media campaigns aim to limit alcohol consumption. The content landscape is crowded with blogs, multiple social media platforms, and podcasts by both professionals and wine aficionados (like me). Demand for long-form writing has declined in the world of TikTok. Traditional print media has given way to digital. It’s challenging to wedge your voice into this competitive influencer marketplace. This is actually the new normal for journalism on any subject.

In 2013, I was still working full time as the CEO of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. When I stepped down in 2015, I thought my entire focus would shift to wine. So much for that notion! For the next eight years, I consulted (off and on) to foundations and national organizations. Six years ago I returned to my long-ago passion for writing as a journalist and authored four non-fiction books (with number five upcoming in 2025). These new directions tamped down my time and tenacity for pushing my voice into the crowded arena of wine writing at a time when the industry is facing many challenges. I didn’t make the time to create a vibrant business model or build a following to scale. With a relatively small group of followers, my writing might be considered artisinal or boutique, although I’m happy to report that my site has welcomed more than 42,000 visitors since inception.

I found a new lane that I love! If you are interested in reading any of my nonfiction work about Cincinnati’s women artists, a biography of “cheetah lady” Cathryn Hilker, a memoir of community development guru Paul Grogan, or a children’s book called “Mr. Poofy’s Puppy,” just click on the links to Amazon.com embedded in this paragraph.

And so this is both my farewell and thank you message to those of you who have stayed with me as subscribers to the Vino Ventures Blog. My stories will still be live right here, accessible by either vinoventurescincinnati[dot]com or kathymerchant[dot]wine.

Happy wine drinking around the world!