By Carl Giavanti
Carmelo Giardina is a former journalism graduate and now marketing and PR professional working with major clients that include Red Bull, Miller-Coors, Bacardi, Southern Comfort and others. He began writing about wine as a freelance writer for a luxury lifestyle publication within the Greater Toronto Area in 2017. Since then, a variety of publications spread across Canada have featured his writing on wine and spirits. In addition to being the lead writer and principal editor for VineRoutes, Carmelo is the brand’s point person for strategic partnerships, content development and brand expansion.
How did you come to wine and to wine writing?
Growing up, wine was something that was always on the table in my family. My father made wine in the garage and basement when I was a kid, as did my uncles, and even though I wasn’t drinking wine at that time, it was unquestionably part of my culture. As I got older, after finishing journalism studies in college, I began visiting wineries in Niagara (which is close to home for me) and got more and more into the nuances of wine culture and learning about the different varieties and styles of wine. I became a novice collector of wine, focusing mainly on finding quality value wines or diamonds in the rough. Fast forward to 2017, and I was asked to take over as wine and spirits writer for a top lifestyle publication. I jumped at the opportunity. It gave me a real excuse to go out and learn even more about the places and people behind the scenes, and to soak up all their stories.
What led to your founding VineRoutes? What future plans can you share?
VineRoutes was essentially born out of wanting a platform to house all of the freelance content I had been writing. Because I own all of my own content, I wanted a website that I could manage myself and upload all of my writing to. And because visiting wine country is something I love to do regularly, it would let me freely write articles to my own website without any constraints.
We launched VineRoutes in February of 2020, just before COVID-19 would have us all locked down. It was originally planned to just be a casual blog site that would get updated a couple times per month. As a result of the lockdown measures and us all having been hunkered down, I decided to keep writing and wrote almost every day. The website began to really grow and establish a readership very quickly. As a result, I decided that VineRoutes could be bigger than what was intended and began to shift the brand into more of a magazine publication, eventually becoming a place for a community of writers to share their work.
Do you engage staff columnists or freelancers? What are the advantages of both?
Our contributors are all freelance, and we have some writers contributing anywhere from three to as many as 10 features per year. As we know, it’s not easy to make a living as a writer, unless you’re writing for multiple publications. We just don’t have the budget to say to someone ‘hey, we want you to write for us, but we want VineRoutes to be the only publication you write for.’ That wouldn’t be fair. So, our freelance agreements allow our writers to write for other publications — as long as the stories aren’t identical, of course.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
Aside from originally wanting a career as a film producer (and having produced a short film that was entered in the Cannes Film Festival back in 2016), I’d say that most are surprised to learn that despite having an appreciation for the finer things in life (aka: Scotch and other whiskies, top spirits, and all types and styles of wine), I’m not much of a drinker. I don’t drink a lot — I taste a lot. I think there’s a real difference between the two.
What haven’t you done, that you’d like to do?
Visit Bordeaux. My wife tells me we’ll go for my 50th birthday in a few years.
What’s the best Vineroutes story you have written?
This is, of course, a hard one to answer. But I’d say that one of my favorite stories I have written was one I wrote after visiting Portugal, and the Douro Valley, back in 2022. Story Link: https://vineroutes.com/quinta-do-bomfim/
Visiting this place really let me flex my journalistic muscles. I toured, tasted, asked questions, did the research and really learned a lot about Port and the specific places of the Douro Valley. It was a cool experience, and this story reminds me not only of one of my most favorite places to visit, but of an unforgettable experience.
If you weren’t writing about wine for a living, what would you be doing?
Probably trying to figure out a way to make my career in marketing and project management much more exciting.
Can you describe your approach to wine writing and/or doing wine reviews?
The best way to write is to have the experience first. If I’m writing about a winemaker, for example, I prefer to meet them at the winery (if possible) and taste their wines with them, having them speak about the process and share the story behind their product. These experiences seem to translate better when needing to write the story. Obviously, this can’t always be the way we do it, but establishing some form of a connection (maybe it’s through a Zoom chat while tasting wine) is paramount to gaining proper insight.
Does VineRoutes work on an editorial schedule and/or develop story ideas as they come up?
We try our best to work off an editorial schedule — as any magazine would. Our writers generally know what features they’re working on months in advance. However, sometimes things pop up and it’s good to know that many of our writers are eager to pivot and take on a story that wasn’t necessarily planned for in advance.
What’s your policy and experience with freelance story pitches?
I’m open to receiving and listening to any story pitch.
Do you consider yourself or VineRoutes an Influencer? What’s the difference today between a writer and an influencer in your opinion?
I think that’s as great a question, as it is a tough one to answer in just a few words. Ultimately, I think any writer whose work is featured on a platform (website, social media, newsletter) is an influencer. If our intent is to have people read our work, then we’re influencers. There is, perhaps, a dotted line that’s been drawn between writers who write for a publication and those who simply post their work to social media. I think we’re all sharing a common goal, which is to get eyes on our work so we can feel that what we’re presenting to people holds some value. Beyond that, there are definitely certain differences and intricacies of social influencers and journalists. But that’s probably a very long discussion.
What advantages are there in working directly with winery publicists?
Streamlined information. Usually we get what we need — and fairly quickly (whether it be key information, photographs etc). Working with publicity teams does have its clear-cut advantages.
What frustrates you most about working on winery stories and/or wine reviews?
Not having all of the information in front of me (ie: spec notes, other detailed information that helps provide context). Without these pieces, it’s just another wine, and plain wine reviewing is just so subjective.
If you take days off, how do you spend them?
I love traveling. But if I’m staying close to home, I do like playing golf, tinkering around in my backyard or garage, maybe visiting a restaurant I haven’t been to yet.
What is your most memorable wine or wine tasting experience?
No specific wine stands out for me as being the most memorable wine, but I’d say that my favourite all-time tasting experience has been tasting Port in the Douro. I’ve been three times now, and each time has been absolutely magical. If you’ve been, you know what I’m talking about.
Do you have a favorite wine and food pairing?
Pasta Ragu with just about any bottle of Italian red or a nice Ontario Cabernet Franc.
Carl Giavanti
Carl Giavanti is a Winery Publicist in his 16th year of consulting. Carl has been in business marketing and public relations for over 30 years; his background in tech, marketing and project management informs his role as a publicist and wine writer. Clients are or have been in Willamette Valley, Napa Valley, and Columbia Valley https://carlgiavanticonsulting.com/ He also writes for several wine and travel publications https://linktr.ee/carlgiavanti
