One of the questions that I ask myself about blogging is whether or not to include personal information here, or just to stick to wine.
I think a bit of personal material is good. It helps you understand more about where I’m coming from. It;s important to understand a bit about the author if you are to be able to interpret the writing properly. Context is important in wine, and I reckon it’s important for bloggers to be open and ‘knowable’ in their writing.
Besides, if you just come here for the wine, you can filter out all the personal stuff. Just indulge me, and ignore it.
With this in mind, a little about the weekend. It’s the last weekend before older son returns to boarding school. Things have been mixed over the last two weeks. That we have survived it, more-or-less intact, is a positive sign. But it’s still pretty tricky, with conflict rippling below the surface. Having said that, we went down to the golf range together yesterday and hit some balls (he’s pictured above: I’m trying to encourage the boys to take to golf, because it would be great to play with them – automatic pass out), and the weather has been fantastic, which always makes things seem much brighter.
And there was the football. It went badly for City, who lost in the last few seconds to Utd. And then Chelsea managed to lose to Spurs, which is bad news for City in their pursuit of fourth place. It is going to be an exciting end to the season.
8 Comments on Should wine blogs be just about wine? Is personal stuff appropriate?
It’s good you include personal stuff as it means you’re not just tasting notes and photos of wine bottles. If others don’t like it then they can skip over it – it’s not as if they have to read it.
In answer to your query, I think that it is more interesting to read a blog with some personal info in it than one that is only about wine. ( Besides, I especially liked hearing about Rosie and her puppies.)
For blogs to be relevant they need to have an element of the personal – otherwise I would just read a magazine or the main site. I was surprised a few posts ago when you commented on being stressed and a few people complained about being too personal. This insight into your emotional state helps us understand your tasting notes more completely, as well as giving the readers a sense of “ownership” of the site. Anyone who believes you can leave your emotions at the door of the tasting room is kidding themselves. One of the many great aspects of wine is that it is not cut and dry, and that our response to a wine is influenced by our mental state. I would much rather you taste my wine after City wins, the sun is shining and kids are well quiet.
Jamie,
I think you should just post whatever you feel like. Presumably your readers can decide if this is warrented and worth reading.
Much much more interesting with personal stuff. Like with me, a taxi firm in Scotland forwarded their landline to my mobile and then went away for the weekend. So I got 20 missed calls on Friday night from p*ssed people trying to get home in Nairn. More interesting than a tasting note!
Yeah – I think a bit of personal stuff now and again is good. Makes you seem human. And personally as an ex-pat Brit, I enjoy small insights into UK living from time to time.
At the end of the day, you wouldn’t have so many readers if they didn’t like your blog.
lucky boy not to be away from the Country – although with some of the places you have been this year it could be worse – as no doubt freelance = no holiday/sickness pay !!
I will be good and avoid any reference to the footy, aside from fantastic header and no doubt special to Scholes as a true Manc.
Picture of your son is a good one and a nice ‘finish’ on this shot – perhaps when you took the pic you were thinking of the day job.
Re relationship with son, I guess it’s difficult on both sides. From personal experiences, the combo of hormones, attitude and desire to be different from one’s parents can lead to tense situations but these mend themselves in due course. I don’t know your total history Jamie but I think from a blog some time recently you are circa 43 so young enough to remember like me, being a bit of a teenage idiot – bet you were a punk also !! Stick with it and soon he’ll be loving Pinot, Radio 4 and Gardening – at least you have the golf as a bond as 4-5 hours = loads of oppos for de-pressurised chats !
Intriguing response from Ben there…