Jancis Robinson Wine Writing Contest WINNER 2022, SEMI-FINALIST 2021
Slow Wine Guide Former Field Coordinator
US WINE TASTING TEAM Former Member
VinItaly Wine Ambassador Course Graduate
Freelance journalist
HIGHLIGHTS
2008: Began Wine Predator and attended the First Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC) Sonoma.
2009: Attended WBC Napa, and the European WBC in Lisbon followed by a press trip to the Alentejo.
2010: Won a scholarship to WBC Walla Walla plus attended a pre/post conference press trip.
2011: Explored by VW van the wine regions of Idaho, WA, OR, NorCal; spoke at the International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC) in Santa Monica.
2012: Gave an IgniteWine talk at WBC Portland.
2013: Won a scholarship to WBC in Penticton, Canada; went on a press trip to Lake Chelan WA.
2014: Attended WBC in Santa Barbara and the Wine Tourism Conference in Paso Robles, CA.
2015: Attended many industry events in LA as well as online tastings.
2016: Presented at both IFBC in Sacramento and WBC in Lodi.
2017: Attended IFBC in Sacramento and WBC in Santa Rosa; press trips took me to Lodi, SLO, Napa, Lake,El Dorado, Mendocino counties.
2018: Went to Champagne; joined the LA Wine Writers group for a press trip to Oregon.
2019: Graduated the VinItaly Italian Wine Ambassador Course; Sue Hill and I won second in the US Wine Tasting Championships; with the US Wine Tasting Team, competed in France where we tasted in Champagne and in the Loire.
2020: Participated in many ZOOM tastings and attended the virtual WBC now (Wine Media Conference).
2021: Joined the Slow Wine Guide covering Sierra Foothills, Lodi, CA Central Coast, Southern OR; presented at WMC in Eugene, OR.
2022: Won the 2022 Jancis Robinson Wine Writing Contest on Regenerative Agriculture; wrote for Slow Wine Guide; attended Terra Madre in Turin as media; spoke about and moderated a panel on Slow Food and Slow Wine in Lombardy at WMC; attended press trips in Laguna and Valtellina; attended the 43rd OIV Congress in Baja as media.
2023: Traveled to Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Italy's Abruzzo, Veneto, Tuscany, and Portugal on press trips.
2024: Traveled to Sonoma, Central California, Texas, Sicily, Campania, and Tuscany on press trips; finalist in the Wine Travel Awards in the Wine and Food Influencer category.
2025: Nominated for a Wine Travel Award in the Wine and Food Influencer category. International press trips planned to Sicily, Puglia, Campania, Calabria, Tuscany, possibly Moldova and Lichtenstein as well as California and the western US.
We publish 1-2 articles a week with most of them featuring food and wine pairings as well as tasting notes and information about the winery. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!
Areas of interest and expertise include biodynamic wine, regenerative agriculture, food, travel, geography, and culture. With my undergraduate degrees in Literature/Creative Writing and Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz, and graduate degrees in Education, English, and Ecopsychology, I teach writing at the college level. Sue Hill has her BA in Liberal Studies and a Masters in School Administration; she's a reading specialist.
Who knows where we will prowl next? Invite us! We love to travel! Reach me by email: gwendolynalley AT yahoo DOT com.
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 