31st December, 2019, Chester, UK
Professional reflections on 2019…….
I can't believe that once again I'm looking ahead to a new year. 2019 has simply flown by. As always, in the inspiring yet challenging wine trade, the last 12 months have been characterised by highs, lows, and plenty of moments for reflection.
It was an honour to become an Italian Wine Ambassador through the VinItaly International Academy program earlier in the year. I passed the notoriously tricky tasting and theory exam after an intensive study session in Verona. Here are a few snaps.
I was also very proud to be asked to judge in OIV supervised competitions in France (Citadelles du Vin), Germany (Mundus Vini) and Romania (IWCB). Not only were they great technical exercises, they were fantastic opportunities to network and hang out with friends old and new. I can’t wait to be back again in 2020.
I'm also extremely pleased with the way Vinorandum is developing. What started out as a personal project to order my notes on regions, grapes, producers, and their wines, has now expanded to become a large website geared towards partnering accessible reference material with ongoing insight and editorial. I'm hugely excited about this project and have big plans for it next year. This is the moment to say a big thank you to everyone that has helped so far. You know who you are - it’s massively appreciated!
If you represent a winery and your wines are not listed please let me know. If you’re a writer and would like to contribute please get in touch.
With a heavy heart I sold my shares in Mistral Wine Bar after just 12 months. Running a city centre wine bar taught me a lot of things, notably, that business partnerships are a complex balancing act and that business partnerships with friends are even more complex. In short though, the business swallowed up far more time than anticipated and was increasingly detrimental to the bigger goals I’d set for myself. It was of course tremendous fun (and I drank a lot of great wines), but ultimately I had to accept that I'd been naive and made a mistake venturing down that path.
Over the last 10 years I’ve worn a number of different hats in the wine world. Whether writing about wine, selling it, or dreaming up campaigns to promote it, projects have come and gone. Some have worked and have been filed under ‘success’, others less so. Each one has taught me something new though, and each one helped to clarify my ideas on how to navigate this complex and fragmented industry as a freelance professional.
I’ve realised there’s no right answer, no set way of doing anything. The key is to add value, deliver on your promises, act with integrity and no matter which area of the industry you operate in, cultivate an audience and respect it. You never know when and where your next career change might happen and having your reputation in tact will be the most important factor in making a successful transition.
These ideas have underpinned my recent work and will continue to do so in 2020. In seeking to deliver more value for others than I’ve previously done, it can be no coincidence that far more opportunities have come my way than ever before.
Press trips and study tours came thick and fast in 2019 and I’m grateful to those that invested in me. This on-the-ground insight and its associated networking has enabled me to produce better, more insightful work.
Here are some editorial examples I’m pleased with.
Pantelleria: Sweet Wines of the Black Pearl
The Legacy of Moscato di Siracusa
For anyone that’s interested I’ve created a /now page with my latest activities, but in short, my goals for the coming year are quite simple. I will attempt to create value for both the trade and the consumer through my Vinorandum platform, adding functionality and promoting it as a free source of wine information and opinion. At the same time I’ll be doing more to see how I can support other people’s projects and objectives. Feel free to reach out and let me know what you’re up to. If I can’t help, I might know someone who can.
So, I hope to see you all somewhere in the wine world next year, but until then, I wish you a very happy and successful 2020.
All the best,
Paul Caputo