We are overjoyed to announce today the arrival of our first guest blogger: Maggie Bernat Smith. Formerly a wine writer for the Chicago Examiner, we profiled Maggie’s work in a post a few months back. Since then, she’s moved to Napa to pursue further adventures in wine – and we’re happy to have her sharing her experiences here!

For a full bio, read on:

Maggie Bernat Smith began her love of wine at 20 years old with her first taste of Franzia white zinfandel, which she proudly admits. “I think Franzia started America’s love affair with wine as an ‘every day’ beverage – instead of something just for fancy dinners,” she says.  She traveled to wine regions around the world to explore the different cultures, native grape varietals, viticulture and varietal expression.  She decided to make wine her career 5 years ago and quickly moved up in the industry: her work has been featured in Today’s Chicago Woman, the Chicago Reader and The Wall Street Journal for her food and wine pairing expertise. As wine buyer for Just Grapes in Downtown Chicago, she diligently hand-selected each wine and gained quite a following for her “easy speak” – a non-intimidating language she brings to her wine writing. “There is so much wine information out there and so much of it is dry, confusing, and for people that already have an education about wine,” says Maggie. “I want to bring wine knowledge to the masses because the more people understand the beverage the more enjoyable it becomes.” She has recently moved to the Napa Valley to further her career and continue her education on this magical beverage.