If you’re on Instagram, you know it’s a beast. It’s designed to make you yearn for items, feelings and experiences. Whether it’s a sweater worn by a lifestyle influencer, a vacation that your co-worker is chronicling, or a glass of wine posted by, well, anybody! It’s a beastly task to manage your expectations, emotions, and level of FOMO.
When it comes to my Instagram posts, I try to keep it simple. My ideology is consistent with: “This is what I’m drinking, this is what I think you’d love about it, you should keep it in mind the next time you’re shopping for vino.”
The most authentic wine bloggers that I follow portray the same philosophy, or at least appear to. While their feeds are filled with gorgeous photos of the perfect pour, their message and supplemental blog posts are filled with interesting factoids, quirky humour, realism and give you a reason (if not many) to want to taste the wine they taste. I’m sold on them, and I’ve never had a real life conversation with any of them. Here are my top 5 authentic Insta-Winers to follow:
Deborah Murray @yearinwine
When I first started researching what I wanted my Instagram feed to look like, I knew I wanted it to look like Deborah’s. I also knew I didn’t want to work that hard — which is why mine does not look like hers! Her styled flat-lays are thoughtful and beautiful. Deb explains,
“I sometimes take my cue from the changing seasons, while other times I might play on a colour from the wine label, or play off of a flavour or aroma in the wine itself. I like to use natural light and I enjoy experimenting with texture and composition.”
Deborah and I also share the same philosophy behind being a critic vs. sharing an experience:
“I choose to post only about wines that I have enjoyed or that I find interesting. Enjoyment of wine is very subjective, so I prefer to share my experience of a wine as well as some of the things that I have learned about wine along the way.”
You can check out Deborah’s blog here.
Vicky (Viktoriya) Bryksa @vickywinebarcelona
Honestly, I don’t know much about Vicky. She’s based in Barcelona and shares her love for Spanish wine. Her messaging is unpretentious, her pictures express the bright and vivid colours of the Spanish culture and she appears to be truly joyous about working in the wine industry. I reached out to her to lend some of her thoughts on Instagramming and wine. Once I hear back I’ll be sure to update this post for you.
Caitlin Hodges @sips_n_tips
Caitlin is a California girl and I only came upon her Instagram a few months ago. We attended the same Wine Bloggers Conference last fall and I took note of her nametag after sitting at a table together during a session. Yup, I’m super creepy. Ever since clicking ‘follow’, I’ve enjoyed her posts, her blogs and the overall ‘educational yet un-preachy’ approach to wine.
When Caitlin messaged me back, she provided insight into what drives her passion.
“I’ve developed a global appreciation for the relationship between culture, food, and drink over the years, and strive to showcase my favourite “sips” and the stories behind them through my blog posts. My writing tends to feature local craft in each of the areas I visit. Whether it’s an up-and-coming brewery or a family-owned winery, I seek out and support small business and the hole-in-the-wall joints that make life worth living.”
Be sure to visit her site and check out some of her more recent features. Troon Vineyard in Grants Pass, Oregon, and Armstrong Family Winery in Walla Walla, Washington are now on my radar thanks to her.
Aidy (Adrian) Smith @sypped
Of my fave five listed here, Aidy is by far the wine-o with the biggest reach. He’s one of 3 presenters on Amazon Prime’s The Three Drinkers. He also holds integral roles with Winerist and Vivino and is a columnist for UK’s The Independent. He’s a big deal, and has a knack for making wine and spirits approachable to younger generations. His Instagram is casual and entertaining to follow. It’s a peak inside his life as an international writer and consultant. Plus, his attempts at making sh***y latté art everyday is beyond hilarious. And he’s not afraid to tell you when he’s hungover. #honest
Nancy Koziol @oethical_oenologist
Nancy is another Wine Blogger Conference attendee, although she was actually a presenter at one of the sessions I sat in on. The session was about adjusting one’s writing to ensure Google can read it. I didn’t know that was a thing either. Not only did I learn a ton (of which I’m still trying to grapple with) but also I was riveted from start to finish. Nancy is a talented presenter with a knack for being approachable. Nancy’s philosophy:
“I aim to keep things interesting, unpretentious and personal. When I post something I want to either give someone an idea, teach them in a way that doesn’t scare them away from wine, or gives them a glimpse into my life; I regularly try to take shots that are from the vantage point of the person sitting next to me.”
Nancy is actually one of the big inspirations for writing this post. Her recently published blog “This Is Why Everybody Hates You” was incredibly relatable for a wine geek like me, I was literally laughing out loud. She uses more F-bombs than any other wine blogger I know and includes A LOT of opinion. You do you, girl! She’s entertaining and passionate, and you can’t beat that.
Be sure to check out these authentic wine bloggers and let me know the accounts that have your attention.