The PinotFile Story

The PinotFile began humbly as a half-page e-mail sent to 20 members of my wine club, Le Grand Crew, on April 22, 2001. The original mission statement was to keep readers “apprised of news in the pinotphile world including latest releases, winery news, winemaker profiles and what to buy.” The intent was to circumvent the wine publications of the time which centered primarily around lengthy lists of tasting notes and scores. Within a year, the PinotFile had assumed a four page true newsletter format and was sent out faithfully on a weekly basis. It was an innovative concept and the first wine newsletter exclusively devoted to one variety: Pinot Noir. By word-of-mouth, subscribers were added, and the PinotFile rode the explosion in popularity of Pinot Noir ignited by the movie ‘Sideways’ to become popular in its own right.

My intent has always been to find the compelling stories behind every good Pinot Noir. Because of the serious commitment in time, effort and money that Pinot Noir producers put into the bottle, I prefer to avoid writing negative reviews of Pinot Noirs that were not appealing to me. I strive to give a truthful judgment and feature wines that I deem worthy of interest. Since we all have different palates and nobody tastes the same, the recommended wines are only a starting point for your own exploration of Pinot Noir.

Proudly, the PinotFile has nearly 10,000 subscribers, with new pinotphiles joining the Crew daily. The number of visits to the PinotFile’s website, www.princeofpinot.com, has gone from 59,000 a month to nearly 100,000 a month over the last year! The magic of the internet has brought readers from all over the globe including Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and many, many other countries as well.

I sincerely appreciate the feedback that I have received from readers over the past year. One of the readers commented: “If I drank over 1300 wines during the year, my wife would accuse me of having a drinking problem. You do it, call it research, brag about it, and gain respect among your friends. Way to go!”