I’m honored to share that I have been nominated once again for a Wine Travel Award! This is my third nomination in the Category of Food and Wine Influencer. I was a finalist my first two years, and with your help, I will be one of the top five finalists again this year. All you have to do is click this link and vote for me. It’s super easy!
Why should you vote for me?
“WSET 3 student and freelance writer Gwendolyn Alley won the 2022 Jancis Robinson Wine Writing Contest, judged wines at Radici del Sud and the Ventura County Fair, wrote for Slow Wine Guide in California and Oregon, competed in France for the US Wine Tasting Team, spoke at wine and food conferences in California, Oregon, Italy, and Canada, and traveled on press trips to Austria, Italy, Portugal, France, Canada, and various regions in the US.”
- 2022 Winner: JancisRobinson.com Wine Writing Contest; read my winning essay here.
- 2025 Wine Judge: Radici del Sud in Puglia, Italy; read Puglia’s Primitivo is Pretty in Pink: Radici del Sud Outstanding Rosati
- 2025 Wine Judge: Ventura County Fair in 2025; read about the winners here.
- 2025 Italy Wine Press Trips: Montefalco, Chianti, Maremma, Puglia, Emilia-Romagna.
- 2024 Italy Wine Press Trips: Sicily, Campania, Maremma.
- 2023 Italy Wine Press Trips: Abruzzo, Veneto, Maremma.
- 2023 Portugal Press Trip: Alentejo.
- 2022 Italy Wine Press Trips: Piemonte, Garda, Valtellina, Trento.
I’ve been writing Wine Predator since 2008, and during this time, I’ve published over 1450 blog posts. Many articles include wine, wine travel, and wine/food pairings, often with recipes. Here are links to a selection from Wine Predator in 2025:
- Feb.14, 2025: A Love Letter to an Italian Grape plus Vineyard Visits with Maremma Winemaker Antonella Manuli
- July 26, 2025: An Invite to Umbria, A Visit to Montefalco’s Cocco Ilaria, and a Pairing: Orange Spoletino “Ponderata” Paired with Peach Salad + Carbonara
- May 22, 2025: Visiting Tuscan Vineyards and Enjoying La Maliosa’s Procanico to Celebrate World Biodiversity Day
I’m also a freelance journalist. Here are articles from 2025:
- From March 20, 2025 VC Reporter— Grape to glass gals: Women winemakers leading the way in Ventura County’s natural wine industry
- From April 2025 VC Reporter —Al Fresco with Flowers: Local spots for a wildflower picnic
plus this companion article on Wine Predator with extended tasting and pairing notes and photos - From April 2025 Ventana — Immersive Experience –Tuscany Travel pages 20-22
- From May 2025 Ventana— Adventure Uncorked pages 8-10
In the past year, I’ve also done some fun, brief videos on Instagram with my friend Steve Zambrano and a 30 minute podcast with Nadine Piche of Ventura Vibe about wine tasting which you can listen to here.
What happens next? Well, the top 5 people with the most votes advance to the judges for their consideration and final decision. So that’s where you come in— your vote for me will advance my writing and me to the final round where the judges will evaluate finalists and decide on a winner.

Gwendolyn Alley and Antonella Manuli at Saturnalia Wine Bar and Kitchen in Saturnia, Tuscany May 2025
While you’re there, please vote for Tuscany’s Fattoria La Maliosa. (Yes you can vote for both of us— two different categories!) Here’s why:
- A Love Letter to an Italian Grape plus Vineyard Visits with Maremma Winemaker Antonella Manuli
- Visiting Tuscan Vineyards and Enjoying La Maliosa’s Procanico to Celebrate World Biodiversity Day
Here’s their announcement on Facebook:
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓–𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧!
Head to winetravelawards.com, discover the nominees, and choose the ones who deserve a place on the world stage – or at least in your future travel plans. Voting closes 31 March.








