Friday Foodie Feature

TGIF everyone! Are you ready for the weekend? I am ready to be on a Provincetown beach and later eating lobster and drinking wine, yes I am. This has not been my favorite week ever, so let’s hope that the weekend makes up for it!

Today I am SO excited to feature a wine writer as my Friday Foodie Feature. I have been looking to add more wine to my blog, and Mark from WineLife 365 is one of my favorites. His responses to the Friday Foodie Feature interview are funny and honest, and Mark’s site offers great wine reviews, events, and other wine related fun, so definitely check it out.

Thanks, Mark! 🙂

How long have you been blogging?

I started WineLife365.com in January 2009.  However, I must admit that my desire to start a blog began during the summer of 2007.  When I first mentioned the idea to my wife, she told me that I was coo coo for cocoa puffs…and I still have the email to prove it!  I’m not quite sure what she thinks of my state of mind now, but she hasn’t kicked me to the curb yet!

What is your favorite thing about blogging? Least favorite?

I genuinely appreciate all of the comments and interaction that I’ve had with so many great people.  It’s an amazing thing to meet people from all walks of life that share the same passion!  But if I have to pick something specific that is a favorite of mine, its doing contests/giveaways on my FaceBook page!  I would love to do at least one per week if I could.  It’s great to get samples or invitations to events, but it’s even better to share them!

My least favorite thing about blogging is experiencing “technical difficulties”.  It’s challenging enough coming up with engaging and thoughtful material, the last thing I want to deal with is trying to figure out why my computer is experiencing a complete meltdown, why my camera isn’t working, or why I can’t get any computer time in my house.  Two desktops and a laptop, yet it seems as if they are always being monopolized by my wife, kids or cats!  Ok – maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but thank goodness for a notebook and pen!

What has been your most fun blog post to write?

That’s an easy one to answer.  I’m a goofy goober at heart and I love injecting a little humor whenever possible into each post that I write.  My absolute favorite blog post to date has been “Germans are the Best”.  It was an “epic” blog post of sorts that combined elements of everything I love – family, friends, food, wine and storytelling.

Where do you see your blog this time next year?

I’ll be completely honest with you – I have no clue.  My plan is to continue to grow, meet new people, and learn new things that I can share with others, all while keeping things light, fun, and approachable.  I hope WineLife365.com is a reflection of this and that people will continue to visit and share their thoughts and experiences.

Is there anything else about your blogging experience you would like to share?

Yes.  It’s a whole lot of work!  Before I started, I truly had no idea how much work it would be.  Besides trying to come up with interesting content, most bloggers spend an enormous amount of time designing and updating their website, or doing things behind the scenes to try and drive traffic to their site.  I’ve learned so much in a year and a half.  How naïve I was to think that I would just start writing and people would find me!  There’s so much to do if you’re looking for more than an alternate medium for “talking to yourself”.  🙂  Unfortunately, the technical things I just mentioned posed a problem for me:  I don’t have the patience for it and I’m really not interested in doing it.  Fortunately, my wife is the yin to my yang – she loves all of the technical aspects of blogging, but hates writing.  With that said, having a tech wiz who happens to be your best friend, spouse, mother to your children, in addition to being 100% supportive is a pretty amazing thing.  Without her hard work, my WineLife365 dream would not be possible!

You too could be a Friday Foodie Feature! Email me: traveleatlove (@) gmail.com.