One of my greatest joys, as a more seasoned veteran of wine, is to have watched the next generation of writers slowly rising to a “cream of the crop” level. I’m impressed when I see the same joie de vivre that I had when I began. Coupled with great writing skills, a desire to be true to one’s own self, while being true to everything that she or he has learned along the way, it’s just very gratifying.
I’m pleased to present someone so excellent at what she’s doing that she didn’t “get” my attention; her writing just “grabbed” it. It wasn’t simply and slowly noticing her, it was like a blot of lightening. I really enjoy having someone like this as a resource on my wine blog writing page…
Meet Cathy Huyghe (pronounced HOY-huh), contributor to Forbes
Cathy Huyghe’s desire to write about wine comes in some serious layers.
- First, she starts with her primary passions… wine and writing.
- This is followed by her desire to completely understand what she’s going to be writing, so she researches.
- To augment her process, she just co-founded a new tech startup called Enolytics.
- This company helps bring the power of big data to the wine industry, which also includes Cathy.
- Now, she’s prepared to write scientifically speaking about real time issues.
- She’s a natural born leader, who’s shaping the future, while living in and writing about the now.
Writing about wine today, in this analytical manner, means that she’s delivering the facts… Remember Joe Friday’s “Just the facts, Mam?” Yeah… Cathy’s a journalist, and that’s what I’m talking about.
I asked Cathy my usual set of questions for wine writers. The answers are always fun. Enjoy her responses, and then you’ll also see what I’ve spotted… A super star. You can finish this story by clicking on the video below, after the Q&A. It will really put you in touch with Cathy’s sensibilities.
Writer Profile questions
[Q] Many wine writers also have a day job. If wine isn’t your job, what is and for whom?
[Cathy] When I first started writing about wine, I was working on a project in the Middle East for the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. After that, I started a digital media company (Red White Boston) for the wine industry. I’ve also worked at a marketing agency and I’ve
[Q] When did you start writing about wine?
[Cathy] About ten years ago, when I was a new parent to twin boys.
[Q] What prompted you to start writing about wine?
[Cathy] I wrote about this “beginning” in the Introduction to my book, Hungry for Wine: Seeing the World through the Lens of a Wine Glass: “Wine opened the path to getting to know people better. Sip by sip, my interest deepened. Not my knowledge, necessarily – it would be a few months before I enrolled in actual coursework about tasting and analyzing wine. But I was laying the foundation with interest, layer upon layer of it, and lots of questions.”
[Q] What aspect(s) of wine do you most enjoy covering?
[Cathy] Definitely the narratives, and using “non-academic” language to talk about wine. Writing for Forbes in particular has helped me to use topics that an audience is already interested in – like business, innovation, politics, and technology – as a “bridge” to talking about wine. I try to meet my readers where they already are.
[Q] How has your job changed since you’ve started?
[Cathy] I love it even more!
[Q] What’s the most memorable wine you’ve ever tasted?
[Cathy] The 2005 Trimbach Muscat is particularly memorable, since it was the first wine to really turn my head. It made me get wine, and made me understand what all the fuss is about.
[Q] What’s your favorite variety?
[Cathy] The one that’s in my glass.
[Q] Do you believe that there are better quality, lower priced wines today, than in past vintages?
[Cathy] I like to think that wine is improving all the time. As technology improves, it’s becoming harder to make bad wine, and that’s something that certainly lines up in the consumer’s favor.
[Q] What’s your favorite innovation in the wine industry over the past few years?
[Cathy] Innovations in digital technology have been game-changers, in my opinion, for the wine industry. It’s incredibly exciting to see!
[Q] What’s your favorite food and wine pairing?
[Cathy] The one I have at home, at my kitchen table, sitting down with people I love.
[Q] What are your interests outside of the wine business?
[Cathy] I’m a wife, parent, and daughter, and the people in those circles definitely qualify as “interests!” I’m also a certified yoga teacher. The best days also include meditation, reading, and walking with Coco, my Bernese Mountain Dog.
[Q] Who inspires you (wine business or outside of it, doesn’t matter)?
[Cathy] I derive inspiration from so many people. Places, too. But especially ideas. I’m pretty sure I could almost survive on ideas alone!
[Q] What single project or task would you consider your most significant accomplishment in your career to date?
[Cathy] I try hard to produce quality content on a frequent basis. That’s easier than it sounds!
[Q] For what would you like to be remembered?
[Cathy] As the writer who showed up, and said the things that needed to be said. I’d also like to be remembered as someone who takes risks. Who truly listens. Who sees people. Who encourages and mentors other people to be the writer (and maybe the person) that they were put on this earth to be.
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