Good things come to those who wait. We had originally planned to relaunch Spanish Wine Lover in time for the website's 10th anniversary in September 2014. We had to postpone the date but the delay has allowed us to start the New Year with exciting news.
If you are reading this, wine lovers, you are already browsing the new website. It may be a bit slow initially as hundreds of URLs are being redirected to optimise content for both users and search engines. We kindly ask for your patience during this process and would also be very grateful if you could report any problems you come across while navigating the site.
Faster access to our content
The benefits of the relaunch are significant, especially in terms of the improved browsing experience. Over the past decade, we have published nearly 700 articles and around 500 producer reviews and tasting notes in two languages. The site's main browser works like Google, quickly responding to your queries.
You can also browse articles by category with just a click. These include section names (Wineries to Watch, Recommended Wines, Interviews, etc.) and regions in the case of wineries. Categories are easy to identify --they are highlighted in pink. They also appear in the right-hand columns of the Articles and Wineries sections if you are browsing the site on your computer.
Automatic language change
In the updated Spanish Wine Lover site, you can switch effortlessly between Spanish and English on any page, without returning to the homepage. Many of our readers use the site to improve their wine-related vocabulary in English and this feature makes it easier to compare the two versions. Most importantly, users are free to browse as they wish: stay in one language or the other, switch between them... In addition, search results now display articles in both languages, so everyone can choose their preferred language.
Restructured sections
To simplify navigation, the Discover, Learn and Enjoy sections have now been merged into a single section. Articles are now grouped under three categories: Features (the combination of the previous sections), Wines (weekly recommendations) and In Brief (short pieces previously published only on social media). This streamlined structure makes it easier to access the information you need .
Improved Agenda and Addresses
One of our primary goals at Spanish Wine Lover is to provide useful resources for wine lovers. As part of this commitment, we have introduced significant updates to our Agenda and Addresses sections. The monthly tastings agenda, previously published as an article, is now a standalone interactive section. It can be browsed by specific days and is not limited to a single month, offering greater flexibility for readers to plan ahead.
The Addresses section has been transformed into a map featuring our favourite wine shops, bars and restaurants. Each entry includes a brief description highlighting its main features. We are also working on a search tool to filter by region and type of business. And we welcome your contributions and suggestions.
Most popular
A new feature that we particularly like is the real-time counter that tracks the most-read articles on the website. Active since 1st January, it provides insights into organic traffic, the primary source of visitors to Spanish Wine Lover.
We owe a great deal of thanks to Miquel Sintes, a specialist in SEO and website development, for the technical improvements. Working from his office in Mallorca, he has been key in shaping this new chapter of Spanish Wine Lover.
Tasting notes
We must admit that this section has seen fewer updates. As we are first and foremost journalists, we are more passionate about a good story than spend our time assigning scores and writing tasting notes. However, we are refining the layout and plan to add new wines regularly in the future. For now, we have adopted the 100-point scoring system pioneered by Robert Parker.
Philosophy and monetisation
This is a topic we don't want to avoid. First, let's be clear. Today it is impossible to make a living writing about wine, unless you are a staff writer for a major publication (there is perhaps only one such person now in Spain).
We detail this in the Who We Are section. The website is funded by advertising, banner links, sponsored spaces and the reports we will soon be offering. Our advertisers, primarily wineries, have been vital in sustaining this project all these years.
The most prominent among our advertisers are large wineries. Over the years, they have understood that, as a wine publication, we cover all kinds of stories about the industry: spotting emerging trends, highlighting new producers –many of the small-scale- to championing younger generations and offering critical yet constructive points of view.
This commitment to independence is why every Spanish Wine Lover article reflects the independent opinions of its authors. We do not accept paid or branded content. This is our red line.
Both Yolanda Ortiz de Arri and Amaya Cervera have other professional commitments outside the site, as detailed in the Who We Are section. Sometimes this involves providing services to wine companies, such as being a member of a tasting committee or conducting a tasting for a generic body or association. While potential conflicts of interest are sometimes unavoidable, we try to manage them with the utmost professionalism to maintain our independence.
And we count on you, wine lovers, for feedback and suggestions. Without you, Spanish Wine Lover would not exist. Thank you for accompanying us over these 10 years —here's to a new chapter together!
Author
Amaya Cervera
A wine journalist with almost 30 years' experience, she is the founder of the award-winning Spanish Wine Lover website. In 2023, she won the National Gastronomy Award for Gastronomic Communication
Author
Yolanda Ortiz de Arri
A journalist with over 25 years' experience in national and international media. WSET3, wine educator and translator
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