Wink Lorch

Current

Owner, writer and editor at Wine Travel Guides
Freelance wine writer and educator at Wink Lorch

Past

Wine Lecturer at Wine and Spirit Education Trust
Freelance editor and proof-reader at Mitchell Beazley
Freelance editor and researcher at Websters International

Freelance Public Relations at Buckingham Vintners
Owner at The Wine Connection
Management Trainee and Sales/Marketing Administrator at Grants of St James's

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Education

Wine & Spirit Education Trust

Recommended

3 people have recommended Wink

Connections

297 connections

Industry

Leisure, Travel & Tourism

Wink Lorch’s Summary

I am an experienced freelance wine writer, educator and editor and have worked in the wine industry for many years. In 2007 I launched Wine Travel Guides, a website with on-line travel guides to wine regions - the guides are ideal for independent travellers to plan their own private wine tour.

Currently Wine Travel Guides covers all major French wine regions plus Tuscany in Italy and Rioja in France. The guides have been free to view since the end of October 2009. Printable PDF guides may be purchased single or as a full access annual Gold membership. In future advertising and sponsorship will be accepted on the site, whilst retaining complete independence of our recommendations on the guides.

I'm looking for partnerships with travel companies who would be interested in personalised itineraries based on our guides or having white-labelled PDF guides. My goal is to achieve a level of income to enable the site to be expanded on a regular basis to cover wine regions around the world.

Wink Lorch’s Specialties:

Wines of the world, especially wines from France (notably the obscure Jura and Savoie regions) and South American wine countries; the growth of wine tourism around the world; travel guides for wine lovers. Social media - I'm a big twitter user.
Increasingly, I seem to have become a minor expert in the use of Twitter and other social networks for business.

Wink Lorch’s Experience

Owner, writer and editor

Wine Travel Guides

(Privately Held; Myself Only; Online Media industry)

2006 — Present (3 years )

I own the Wine Travel Guides website which offers on-line travel guides for wine lovers. I manage every side of it from commissioning writers to editing and marketing the site. I also write the guides to the wine regions of Jura and Savoie. The site went live in May 2007.
Freelance wine writer and educator

Wink Lorch

(Privately Held; Myself Only; Wine and Spirits industry)

1988 — Present (21 years )

I write for the annual guide Tom Stevenson's Wine Report on the wines of Jura and Savoie and contribute to www.wine-pages.com and other magazines, books and websites.
I also offer entertaining wine presentations and tastings for corporate and private groups.
Wine Lecturer

Wine and Spirit Education Trust

(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Wine and Spirits industry)

1992 — 2006 (14 years )

As a freelance, I lectured for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust's Diploma courses around the UK, specializing initially in the Loire Valley and subsequently on Sparkling Wines and then wines from North America, South America and South Africa. I also occasionally lectured at their Intermediate and Higher Certificate levels. I also edited and wrote course materials.
Freelance editor and proof-reader

Mitchell Beazley

(Public Company; 11-50 employees; Publishing industry)

1995 — 2005 (10 years )

I worked for Mitchell Beazley as an editor and proof-reader on several wine books.
Freelance editor and researcher

Websters International

(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Publishing industry)

1989 — 2004 (15 years )

I worked on several wine book projects with Websters, publishers of Oz Clarke's books, most notably Oz Clarke's Wine Atlas where I was responsible for the map information.
Freelance Public Relations

Buckingham Vintners

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Wine and Spirits industry)

1991 — 1995 (4 years )

I was involved in doing PR for the launch and first two trading years of the Roberson wine shop in Kensington, London owned by Cliff Roberson of Buckingham Vintners (now Buckingham-Schenk). I subsequently managed the public relations for one of the first Chilean wineries on the UK market, Vina San Pedro for whom Buckingham Vintners were agents.
Owner

The Wine Connection

(Privately Held; Myself Only; Wine and Spirits industry)

1982 — 1988 (6 years )

The Wine Connection sourced wines and sold them directly to consumers.
Management Trainee and Sales/Marketing Administrator

Grants of St James's

(Public Company; 51-200 employees; Wine and Spirits industry)

1979 — 1982 (3 years )

Following a management trainee programme, I worked for one of the company's subsidiaries in sales and marketing.