I just re-ran An Impatient Publicist©, because it’s a story for me that’s timeless, talking about how I began blogging. In one of the Facebook groups, I had a comment about my sharing how I got started, and it made me wonder how others began their own on-line publishing journeys.

I decided to ask the question, “What motivated you to start blogging?” to see what motivated other wine writers. Here are their very revealing answers, and other discoveries they’ve made along the way.

Luscious Lushes: Thea Dwelle I started my blog after being in and around the industry for 10 years; initially it was a newsletter of area events and what I was drinking, because everyone would ask me how I knew so much about wine. Then BrixChick Liza said “why don’t you start a blog” – after I encouraged her to do the same 😉 The rest is…HERstory.

Traveling Wine Chick: Elizabeth Smith My travel clients (two wineries, a wine brokerage, and a wine importer), led me to wine tasting. I’ve always loved writing. I have a travel blog and I’ve contributed to a number of travel blogs, so when I heard about the 2011 Wine Bloggers’ Conference, I decided to start writing about wine and travel together.

Wine Indulgence: Dana Rubsam Penso While studying for my sommelier exam i thought it would be best to start writing down what i tasted so as to remember it better. Also i would tell my friends back in the states what i was doing, where i was going and everyone said, wow your life is amazing you should write a book. So i thought well a book is hard but blogging is do-able so 5 years ago i started my blog and then 3 years ago my site because i wanted to educate people on the different wine areas and types in Italy too.

Vindulge Wine Blog: Mary Cressler Much like Dana I also started mine while studying for sommelier exams to document what I had been learning. I was always a very good student (when in college/grad school) so I figured it was a disciplined way to regurgitate what I was learning. Then, after I passed my exams, I didn’t want to stop writing, so I just kept going. Also, at the same time I was working as a GM for a winery, and running the winery blog, but I was tired of talking about the same winery over and over… so my own blog was my way of educating people on the wines I was actually drinking everyday and the places and people who inspired me.

Brix Chicks: BrixChick Liza Xandria and I started BrixChicks to have a place to put our pictures and stories about wine, adventure, and food as we embarked upon a journey to learn more about all three. People were always asking us for recommendations, recipes and advice and we thought, what a fun way to document our story as well as connect with others and leverage their experiences. One of the first people we were able to connect with after we started BrixChicks, was Thea Dwelle. Then we found out about the Wine Blogger Conference! Participating in that really jump started us and the rest is as Thea says, HERstory!

Dallas Wine Chick: Melanie Bianco Ofenloch I started because of the relationships that I made on Twitter. I set a lofty goal of starting a blog after reaching a certain number of followers (1,600) thinking I would never ever reach it. Well I did and Dallas Wine Chick was born. Thea Dwelle and Mary Cressler were some of the first folks who read it and gave me so much support/encouragement.

Rachel Voohees: Rachel Humphrey Voorhees I started blogging as an escape/something to do besides just be at home with my kids. I originally started only blogging about parenthood and my blog was called Mommy Needs a Vacation. However, I decided at the beginning of this year to make the switch & focus more on food & wine instead of just complaining about motherhood 🙂

My Fabulous World in Wine: Monica Mohler I’ve always had a passion for wine. I got it from my family. My passion led me to want to learn as much about wine as possible and then eventually started to collect it. One of my best friends inspired me to start my own blog and document all the things I was learning and any traveling I did. I also have to agree with Melanie Bianco Ofenloch. The relationships I started building on Twitter inspired me even more to want to write consistently. I have received a lot of encouragement from my best friend and everyone I’ve met on Twitter and the rest of the social media world. That encouragement and support inspires me to continue my learning and writing and to also be better. 🙂

TaylorEason.com: Taylor Eason After ten years of professional wine writing, I wanted a place to house my columns in a searchable format but also found myself wanting the opportunity to post personal tidbits about wine. Either shorter, edgier or not fit for print 🙂

A to Zinfandel: Kay Zink I too have always had a passion for wine, but was too busy in an IT related job to really do anything about it. When I was laid off, I thought, well, now that that’s out of the way!!! First thing I did was attend the #WBC11 – Wine Bloggers Conference – thanks to Thea Dwelle and came away with so many great ideas. I also am studying to become a sommelier, which makes the next post very interesting!

Girl with a Glass: Alana Gentry After getting married in the early 1990’s, I was a petite Martha Stewart but with less talent for crafts and more talent for wine pairing. I was equally obsessive though and paired every single night for 5 years writing extensive notes in a beautiful German-made wine database. Already a professional writer, my marketing consultant said, “You should write a blog.” You’ll see a lot of the Martha Stewart stuff in my early posts.

Cellar Mistress: Grace Hoffman In late 1999, I knew nothing about wine. I accompanied my sister to a wine tasting and felt very stupid. After that day I realized I actually liked wine and wanted to learn more. Every time I went to a tasting, I would take a lot of notes. When I joined Facebook in 2008, I found a wine review application called Wine Beagles and quickly became one of their top reviewers, posting short notes about individual wines. But I’m a storyteller and that medium wasn’t enough for me. After winning a scholarship to the Wine Bloggers Conference in 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own blog. My life completely changed after that conference. I write from the heart and make every attempt to get to know the people I write about personally. I will be starting my new life in Napa Valley at the end of this year. Blogging has done so much for me–given me confidence, opened doors, created friendships.

wannabewino: Megan Bridget Riley Kenney ~ Matt and I honeymooned in Sonoma. We were always wine drinkers, even in our early years in college, due to our fortunate position as friends to a lovely woman whose mother was a wine writer for a newspaper and used to bestow her excess samples on us. When we ventured to Sonoma and arrived home with over 12 cases of wine, the first thing I did was start Googling the tiny family wineries we had visited. I discovered that not only did many of them not have websites at the time, but that there was very little, if any, information on the wines they produced available on the internet. At the same time, my Googling led me to wine blogs. I thought to myself, “I can do this!” and several months later I hit “publish” on my first of now 1400+ posts.

wineoh.tv: Monique Soltani ~ I’ve been a broadcast journalist for over a decade. Started a weekly Wine Oh TV segment in 2007 took it all online earlier this year.

Jean Smith Wilson I just started my blog less than a year ago. I loved tweeting about wine and wine events or what I was tasting, but honestly felt ill-equipped to write about wine. I did a few articles for a website I was involved in for the local NC Wine industry so I chose to attend #WBC11 in Charlottesville and came away so motivated. I still find that I have a difficulty writing about wine itself, but love writing about the BIG picture – the people, the places, the nuances.

Lorrie’s Wine & Food World: Lorrie S. LeBeaux ~ I became a wine writer/blogger because of my love of wine, food, and writing. I also loved educating women of color in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina about wine, and how to pair wine with food. The idea of providing my readers with honest wine reviews, my original recipes, and food pairing suggestions is truly my pleasure and my passion.

Wine Harlots: Nannette Eaton~ Mine was “the economy stupid.” When the economic downturn hit, and I was struggling to find a job, I was a needy-neurotic mess. My friends and family said, “We love you…but you gotta get a hobby…how about the internet? I think there’s something called blogging.” And so it began.