I can't really remember winning anything in my life. I mean, I've won stuff. One time I won a raffle for an Aladdin themed gift basket, but it was the boys' themed gift basket. I got a couple ribbons for swimming, mostly all 12th place. I won "Most Likely To Win An Oscar" in my senior yearbook, despite never being cast in a single play.
But I've never won anything really.
I didn't start writing about wine because I wanted to be a wine writer, or win any sort of awards for writing about wine. Writing about wine was a coincidence, and then a happy accident, and then a very enjoyable hobby. Even a year ago when I decided to take it more seriously, I didn't take myself doing it that seriously. I took it seriously, like the actual writing, but I didn't take myself seriously, and a lot of that has to do with one, I just never take myself seriously, and two, no one around me seemed to take it seriously.
Which was fine. I mean, it hurt, but I also understood. It seemed insane. I was a writer who went to acting school who was making a living as a personal assistant while miserably clawing her way through writing comedy pilots. And then I decided to make a career out of my daydrinking as far as anyone could tell. Seemingly insane, or at the very least, unfocused and worrisome.
I spent every last dollar I had going to New York last week for five days for the Saveur Blog Awards and for some business I planned around the Saveur Blog Awards (because if I was spending every last dollar, you know I damn well made sure those dollars were worth every penny). It was also seemingly insane. I just quit my job and was relying on freelance work and now I was spending everything to go to "some blog awards thing".
I didn't do it because I was planning on winning. I actually did it because I thought I was going to lose, but that I could meet good people in the food & wine industry.
So you can imagine my surprise when I won both the Reader's Choice and Editor's Choice Awards for Best Wine Coverage.
The finalists in my category were so wonderfully talented and diverse, and well rooted in the wine community. The Feiring Line, Hawk Wakawaka Wine Reviews, Jameson Fink, Not Drinking Poison in Paris and Vinography each have such amazing, distinct voices with critical information about wine. I was so honored to be nominated along with them, and now I feel as though I can stand with them.
I finally won something I cared about. And I finally think people realize that I'm not insane for pursuing this. I never needed an award to justify my passion for writing and wine, but it is pretty damn nice to have it now that I do.
And so, this is a formal thank you to you, my reader, for voting for me. Even if you gave up after they made you register, you still voted by reading, and you are voting now by reading this. This is only the beginning of a really fun journey of us drinking together, and I'm so happy to share it with you.
This is also a formal thank you to the editors of Saveur Magazine, who I sincerely did not in a million years believe would pick me, especially after your editor-in-chief endearingly referred to me as, "Oh yes, you're the girl who cusses a lot." But good lord, I am glad you did. To be associated in any capacity with such an esteemed and beautiful publication is such a privilege and I'm going to try not to embarrass you (too much).
This is also a delightful FUCK YOU to everyone who ever doubted me. Suck on my Le Creuset pepper mill, you dicks.
BUT MOSTLY, THANK YOU. AND I LOVE YOU. AND CHEERS.
To many, many more bottles of wine in our future.
