New Websites for Wine

Vinismo The “Wikipedia of Wine.” Vinismo is patterned after other wikis, such as Wikipedia and Wikitravel which posses a question and let others answer it. Nicolas Ritous and Evan Prodromous have started www.vinismo.com welcoming everyone to write and edit wine information. Early critics of the site say if it becomes too academic it will lack appeal. In addition, the interface for editing an article is a bit daunting at present for the non-wiki user.

Winerybound This site, www.winerybound.com is a free travel website for wine enthusiasts to plan their wine touring vacations. Using Google API, visitors to the site can plot their wine tour, personalizing their trip and connecting each stop along the way. A similar service will be available soon on the PinotFile website (look for big changes next year!).

Integrated Viticulture Online University of California Davis’ new website, iv.ucdavis.edu, allows users to access current and past studies on viticulture done by faculty or anyone affiliated with the university system.

Story Teller Wine Company Head storyteller, Michael Alberty is a 20-year veteran of the coffee and wine retail world. He also was a national college debate champion, edited a book about international environmental issues, and did his time behind many deli and espresso counters. Along with several other “wine pirates,” he has opened a retail store in Portland, Oregon. Michael is an advocate for good wines that tell an interesting story about their origins. His electronic newsletter is an entertaining read. We all enjoy wine more when we know about the character who made it and the story behind it. Heck, my entire newsletter is based on this fact. Recently Michael was offering some excellent Oregon Pinots. The website is www.storytellerwine.com.