DoctorWine turns 10

Ten years has passed since DoctorWine made its debut on the Web. There were some hiccups at first but these were smoothed out accompanied by a growing interest on the part of you readers.

When exactly ten years ago I left Gambero Rosso, after more than 24 years, many people told me I was crazy. Leaving a position like that, with its national journalists’ contract, was certainly a leap after all those years. But the desire to start over and embark on a new adventure was too strong. The idea of doing something that was more focused on wine, which has always been my passion, the awareness that a certain era was over and the need for new challenges were reasons enough for me.

DoctorWine made its debut on the Web several months later. At first there were a few hiccups, since we weren’t experts on this venue, but as our confidence grew our ability to communicate became more efficient. Our small group was a “pirate ship”, as Stefano Bonilli loved to describe Gambero Rosso when it started, and not a “battleship”. Our writing style was educational, proposed by people who were competent and wanted to and still want to explain technical arguments in an understandable way. Many tastings, many editorials and many stories.

DoctorWine focused and continues to focus on wine, where we wrote and continue to write about many producers, often tiny ones, and where we practiced and continue to practice intellectual honesty, or at least try to. Many things have changed over the past ten years. For sure, I would have liked to celebrate this milestone at a happier moment and we will certainly do so once this pandemic nightmare is over. But we will do so always in a moderate and restrained manner because the memory of what is going on now will stay with us for many years to come.

Nevertheless, ten years are ten years and when I think back over them I think we can say that our work has left a small mark on the world of wine. Over the past year, which was also very difficult for us, we embarked on new initiatives, new ways to talk about wine, producing videos and new publications. Despite this horrible moment, we are trying to do this with dignity and efficiency and the number of our online readers, the sales of our publications and the modest amount of advertising we have been able to capture have been of some comfort. Much in the same way as we are comforted by the enthusiasm of those who work with us, who do put their heart and soul into overcoming any obstacle, doing things that go far beyond what could be considered “normal”.

And so, to celebrate DoctorWine’s first ten years without fanfare or being too self-referential, we would first like to thank everyone, all our collaborators, even those who are no longer on the team, and the readers who follow us and intervene using the social media, even those who criticize us. And we invite you all to open a bottle of the wine of your choice to toast this birthday. All of us here will be doing this and we’d like to think you will also, with simplicity and without exaggeration, as always.

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