A Personal Manifesto: Time to Step It Up!

So I wrote the obligatory Thanksgiving wine column, New Year's sparkling wine piece, and even the end of the year "best of" lists.

In the immortal words of the late Peggy Lee, "Is that all there is?"

I'm not about to write a New Year's Resolution column, instead this is a bit reflective and even self-criticism: I haven't done much with this blog and want to it move forward.

I just like this shot! Ha!

Penning 26 newspaper columns a year takes my best effort. I'm proud of my efforts and have even been known to brag a little. I've done some good reporting for the newspaper column while some wine writers don't seem to know the meaning of the word.

My stories for Plate Press have been some of my best efforts. Most blog visitors and even newspaper readers probably don't know I write a quarterly column for Madison, a quarterly magazine published by the Anderson Herald Bulletin. The magazine goes to higher-income homes in East Central Indiana. I write wine stories focused on higher-priced wines for that publication.

This is my 495th blog post so I'll hit some sort of milestone soon. I need to be writing 3 times a week or more to generate serious interest. My blog has done very well when I've done wine trips, or some of my wine travel. But it languishes the rest of the time.

My wine writing is a profit-loss loser. But it's supposed to be that way for a few more years. I'm paid for the Palate Press stories and the magazine efforts. I hope to do more with my wine interest in retirement, which is still a few years away.

I've read several prominent bloggers lately lament about wine blogs. Many have written how poorly written or uninteresting most blogs are. I agree. This blog falls into that category too often. My criticism is too much wine writing is for wine geeks like me and not the general public. That's an entirely different topic for a soon-to-be future post.

My frustration with my blog is reflected in the numbers. I had 105 entries in 2011. But I managed 151 in 2010 and 184 in 2009. I started the blog in October of 2009.

I want to do better and bring more opinion to current issues, reflect on things going on in the wine world that will matter to readers. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm one opinionated SOB. Yet, I don't bring that to the column and blog often enough.

The gloves are coming off and I think it will be fun. I'll still do reviews and share wine news for those who don't have time to digest all the stuff I see in my inbox. But I want to ad an edge of fun and opinion.

So no New Year resolution column or blog - I promise!

Instead, a pledge to work a little harder to bring more readers to Grape Sense - A Glass Half Full. The only way one can do that is to have something to say or share. Invite your friends. It should be fun.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com