Nominated for a 2014 Wine Blog Award for "Best Overall Wine Blog", Elaine Chukan Brown of Hawk Wakawaka Wine Reviews has been recognized many times for the high quality of her prose. But she's also equally adept when given a maximum of 140 characters, as she showed when stopping by #sommchat on Twitter to field an hour's worth of questions. Here are some of the highlights.
Oh, and Elaine is also worthy of a follow on Instagram, chosen as one of 25 accounts you need for follow if you love wine. Elaine also answered some of my questions about writing, philosophy, and family in an extensive SpeakEasy interview.
Let's start from the beginning.
@SandyWasserman I started my website while working as a philo prof. My drawings kicked off my wine career, then writing #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
A natural affinity for Italy?
@m_arcon @keepercoll I am totally in love w Italy. So much life in so many of those wines. I joke Italians and Inuits are related #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
Can you be more specific?
@m_arcon @keepercoll I love Friuli. The wines there are so mineral-textural-fresh. The whites especially. #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
Not neglecting red wine, though.
@noblewines @foxenwinery I love earthy herbal aspects of CabFranc. Many still make it against that character. Fruit still popular. #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
Prose does not have a monopoly when it comes to mentors.
@SandyWasserman worked w poets Jim Simmerman, Lucille Clifton, Brenda Hillman. They changed my head around writing. #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
Wine writing like...commercial salmon fishing?
@VintageTexas So much focus + persistence goes into comm fishing. super hard work. Then you eat like life depends on it... #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
Continuing the theme:
@VintageTexas Fishing also is like grape harvest. You can't control how it happens. You just gotta do it-I get the farming pattern #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
Speaking of Sherry, did you see our roundup of a chat with the co-founder of Sherryfest, Rosemary S. Gray?
@m_arcon @keepercoll Sherryfest in SF now. Got to enjoy a 40-yr Palo Cortado from Bodegas Tradicion yesterday at a panel...#sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
Uh, I love this.
@keepercoll It made me laugh. Hawk is a long standing nickname. Wakawaka makes it work. Just like wine you need a good long finish #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
Hey Twitter, can we get a feature that allows drawing a tweet?
@parkerwong @keepercoll ..I draw by hand because world is so polished these days drawing is more raw more personal more intimate #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
Don't be hung up on rules.
@KeeperColl w food+wine pairing I start w mood. What inspires, excites, or comforts me or friends for that event/dinner/etc? #Sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
In conclusion:
@SAHMmelier Just like my wine, I want my writing w life in it. Keep zest in there. Mean what you're saying. #sommchat
— Wakawaka WineReviews (@Hawk_Wakawaka) June 18, 2014
