Why wine blogging is important

Blogging is often considered the current accepted form of narcissism. While I don't totally disagree with this estimation, blogging has become a vital part of our niche culture. As we become more niche and specialized, blogging carries more of a voice. In the world of wine, blogging has certainly taken hold. In fact, you're reading a wine blog right now. For me, it's good to have a creative release, even if no one reads it. Opinions are important in my business, and this helps me to flesh out my thoughts on complex and what I think are interesting perspectives.
More important for me to write, is for me to read. I try to keep up with some of the more important wine (and food and marketing) blogs on a regular basis. This keeps me abreast of developments within my industry. The more I read and listen, the quicker I can recognize emerging regions, techniques, and trends. This is crucial for what I do. It allows me to remain competitive from a seemingly non-vital part of the country (NW Ohio).
This week, I came across a winery that I had never before heard of, while reading a blog. I was fascinated by their approach to filling a big need in the market, as well as their attention to quality. I googled them, contacted them via their website, and have received comments back from 2 of the owners. I will speak with them next week about ampelography, and what they are doing, and whether it is a good fit. Blogging is helping me to do business. It doesn't replace many of the aspects of the traditional way of doing wine business, but it certainly complements it. Recognizing this is a crucial aspect to Wine Web 2.0, accessing and reacting to information faster than was previously possible.