Yep. Really.
I’m crazy excited to tell you that I will soon be authoring a freelance wine column on Playboy.com.
So now you have some legitimacy behind the “I’m just going there for the articles, honey!” excuse (you’re welcome!).
The folks behind Playboy.com reached out to me many moons ago, and the whole thing has been even many more moons in the making, so I’m thrilled to be able to get started – and humbled and honored by the opportunity to work with such an amazing brand. I don’t know how long this gig will last, and the column doesn’t have an official name yet (please shout out your ideas in the comments – I’ve got a feeling those will be very entertaining!), but we have some great ideas for content, which naturally will be exploring the more sensual sides of wine.
Now, I’ve never featured beautiful nude women on 1WineDude.com (though I’ve come close!), but I suppose you could say that there’s a bit of “spiritual alignment” in my writing style and the serious-but-accessible-and-slightly-irreverent take on the subject of wine that Playboy.com was looking for. To me, it’s a bit like Forbes.com bringing on Jeff Lefevre’s smart, analytical writing style, or how the populist, grounded voice of Vinography’s Alder Yarrow fits in so well with JancisRobinson.com. So you can add one more name to the list of home-grown wine bloggers being tapped by long-standing on-line brands.
There are a few things you probably should know about this Playboy.com gig…
1) This is a freelance gig, with freelance gig pay, and I’m not an employee of Playboy. But that’s okay by me, because Playboy.com reaches several million eyeballs per month; of course, most of those eyeballs aren’t visiting to get wine recommendations, but that kind of audience volume is substantial, even if most of them are going there more for boobs than booze (I don’t know where puts me on the list of U.S. wine peeps in terms of potential reach… presumably pretty high, but I’ll let the PR people run those numbers and tell us, since they’re supposed to be doing that kind of stuff anyway :-).
2) I don’t yet know when the content will start running (and in fact, I’ve yet to create all of the content; so trust me, you will know when I know).
3) I have not met Hef (yet!). And I have not partied at The Mansion with Robert Downey, Jr. (…yet! Hey, a guy can hope, right?).
4) We’re talking Playboy.com here, and NOT Playboy the printed mag. And NO, I cannot get you free subscriptions to Playboy in either form (so you can stop typing that e-mail to me right now); though some of you in the biz may now be able to claim the subscription as a business expense (again, you’re welcome)…
5) Finally, and most importantly, I want to say… THANK YOU to YOU.
Yes, you.
I’m humbled, honored, and thrilled to have you along this crazy journey with me, and the ride is more rewarding and more fun for having you involved! I fully appreciate that many of you have been getting sick of hearing me say “big things are coming” and then delaying the announcements – all the more reason why I should be thanking you.
I don’t know if this adventure is going to end in sustainable income pooling, luxury yachts and diamond cufflinks for me, but I can promise you it is going to be quite an adventure. So please share the news as you deem fit!
And I’m looking forward to seeing many of you over at Playboy.com in the near future (for the articles of course!).
Cheers!
The Best Wine Maps in the wine biz!
Comments
mighein
Very cool. Mainstream media gig. You do good work and deserve the accolades and exposure. Keep on Sippin.
"Sippin After Dark?"
"Sex in a Bottle"
Cheers!
tampawinewoman
That's great! Congratulations to you. You have rapidly become one of my favorite wine bloggers and I will look forward to reading new content in Playboy.
Joe Herrig
Oh snap! (bringing that back) This is awesome! Congrats, Joe… you've certainly put in the "sweat equity"- so to speak- to earn this. Hope it is extremely fruitful, but fruitful in the sense that there is a low yield-per-acre of high quality fruit. Or something like that. Honestly, I'm lost on my own metaphor. Eh, hope you get to drink Corton off some boobs or something :)
@Sedimentblog
Congratulations – a gig any gentleman must envy!
1WineDude
Thanks, all! Greetings from Angers! Appreciate the luv and the clever suggestive suggestions! :).
Olivier
Joe, any chance you have an extra guest pass! ;-)
1WineDude
Olivier – let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here… ;-)
Ed Thralls Jr
Well done, Joe… it was only a matter of time because we know you've got the skillz. Wondering if I could get you to review one of our private labels in your new column: Sexy Wine Bomb (http://www.sexywinebomb.com/) ; ) < only half joking… I'll have my people call your people
Too early to come up with some witty sexy column names, but if one pops in my head, will send it your way.
1WineDude
Ed – when does Sex Buh-Ohmb come out? ;-) Thanks!
Ed Thralls Jr
There are many ways the Sex Bomb comes out, Joe, but that's not important now ; )
the wine has been out since early 2010… we were just on KSRO (local Sonoma radio) last night… it's targeting the popular red-blend category, 2nd in growth recently behind only Moscato I believe… more mainstream obviously, not meant for us wine geeks per se… has a pretty rabid following
Benjamin Simons
Congrats on the well deserved opportunity. It's great to see all of your hard work paying off with a nice mainstream writing gig.
1WineDude
Thanks, Benjamin- and everyone! Really appreciate the support!
Jeff
Well done, Joe.
Not only am I stoked for you, but I'm also happy that the wine word is spreading into media outlets that you might not expect.
BTW, Kona Carmack from '96 is my all-time favorite Playmate.
1WineDude
Thanks, Jeff – appreciate it! Great choice, by the way :).
Adam Lee
Congrats Joe. Time to write a column on all of us who've had our labels banned in Alabama!
Adam Lee
Siduri Wines
1WineDude
Thanks, Adam – Ha! Not a bad idea there! :)
@reneewinerd
Nice! Sounds like things are working out great for you! Good Luck! And I am sure you will have fun:)
1WineDude
@reneewinerd- thanks! Yeah, will be fun to let loose on some of the sensual wine topics, even stuff that I thought twice about putting out there on 1WD (if you can believe that! :). Cheers!
KJKarl
YEEHAW!!! Congratulations!
1WineDude
KJKarl- thanks!!
RandyHall
Straight up cool, Joe! All of your friends at Wine Biz Radio are thrilled for you (well, I'm putting words in Kaz and Christophe's mouths, but what's new there)!
Start setting up a photo album for all the photos with the stars! Only a matter of time!
Alder
Congrats. The mansion isn't everything it's cracked up to be, though it is certainly worth visiting once, just to cross it off the list, so to speak. My votes for column titles:
Stuck in the Bottle
A Perfect Vacuum
Aphrodisia (or, Aphro-dude-sia)
Fluids
Happy Hour
Drippings
etc. etc.
1WineDude
Alder – HA! Love them. And thanks! :)
art predator
Haha–Aphro-dude-sia !! Perfect!
1WineDude
Yeah, that one *is* really good. :)
@girlwithaglass
I keep thinking about Pinotage from Silkbush Mountain Vineyard, paired with a Ladies from South Africa theme. (Your editors are going to love what you bring to the party.)
1WineDude
@girlwithaglass :) Thanks!
Tom
Congratulations! As a gay man, it has been a while since I've looked at the magazine online or otherwise, but way back there used to be useful information on food and drink in there. I still have old copies of Playboy's cookbook and bar guide, both of them useful and well-written. I'm glad to see they're taking an interest in wine, which wasn't something they did back in the old days (yet something else we can blame on Blue Nun!)
1WineDude
Tom – Ah, blame it all on the Nuns! ;-) Thanks!
Lenn Thompson
Congratulations, little big man. A fun gig for sure and I'm sure you'll do well. Will have to explain to Nena why I'm subscribing :)
1WineDude
Thanks, Lenn – means a lot to me! No worries, I can explain to Nena that you are gonna be going there for the articles!!! :)
art predator
How very exciting, Joe! Congratulations! I hope this brings you lots of wonderful new opportunities! And gee, I'll be able to say that I knew him back in the day!
1WineDude
Thanks, Gwendolyn! No worries, I can't get too big, I am only like 5'5″ after all! :)
Patrick Llerena Cruz
Real happy for you, Dude! You are one of the hardest working men in this biz & deserve a lot of respect.
Cheers!
1WineDude
Thanks, Patrick!
Joel Ohmart
Congratulations, that’s one small step for blogs, one giant leap for Dude's kind (there seems to be an echo emanating from the intertubes today). I have always viewed Playboy as one of the "classier" magazines/sites of its kind, and with its long standing pedigree it is nice to see they are stepping up that class factor with an interest in vino and what you have to say about it. I sincerely hope this is the first of a long list of gigs from reputable brands who have their finger on the proverbial pulse of the newfangled wine industry.
Ideas:
"Devine Nectar"
"Seduction in a bottle"
"Ambrosia in a bottle"
“Playboy’s Vinos Protrusion" (too much? Or perhaps too male?)
"Liquid Love"
Ideas for first article titles:
"Before you go south on the best, you must first sample the best (vino, not other women) (or the rest?)"
"Love for wine and the seductive divine"
"Liquid sex, how wine may lead to the vinous truth" (don’t know what direction I would go with this one)
1WineDude
Thanks, Joel! And love those suggestions! Damn, you people are clever…
@worldwineevents
Nice Joe. If you do need to go visit the mansion, I will chaperon and keep you out of trouble, eh?
EVO
1WineDude
EVO – thanks; agreed! ;-)
doug
One Wine Boob (II love the Party Jokes and Connie Kreski
1WineDude
Doug – ah, about time somebody went there! :)
Randy Caparoso
I'll refrain from the usual jokes, but congrats, Joe!
1WineDude
Thanks, Randy! I find your classy use of self-restraint a bit disappointing, but I can live with it. :)
tim mcdonald
Congrats Joe, well deserved and they need you!
1WineDude
Thanks, Tim – not sure I would go so far as to say that they need me, but I'm thrilled that the 1WD voice (turned up a notch or two) will fit in with what they have planned. Cheers!
Rick Kushman
Congratulations, Joe. It's a great break for a really good, really hard working guy. Are they going to show pictures of the bottles topless?
1WineDude
Thanks, Rick – really appreciate that! All bottles will be topless. Wait.. ok maybe they won't be… :)
1WineDude
I should note that at a natural wines bar in Angers this week we saw an empty bottle (a magnum, of course! :) that had a stylized black and white photo of a topless woman wearing a coat… Does that one count as a topless bottle? :)
Rick Kushman
It might. Maybe they'll just take out the corks.
1WineDude
Rick -ha!
@DirtyandRowdy
Congrats Joe! This is awesome in so many ways!
1WineDude
Thanks, Dirty!
Melissa Dobson
Congrats, hugs & best wishes…very exciting stuff Joe!
1WineDude
Thanks, Melissa!
Jeff Stai
Congratulations your Dudeship! Well deserved!! Question – do you know yet if your content will be behind the pay wall?
As far as a name goes, the first name that popped into my head was "1HornyDude" but maybe that's not appropriate even if true…. However, "The Dude's Wine Grotto" seems to tie in well. Or perhaps "Wine, Disrobed".
Whatever you do, have fun and try to remember all of us little people!
1WineDude
Thanks, Jeff. Not sure yet, will let u know. Disrobed… Love it!!!
Tamara Belgard
Congrats Joe!! This is an incredible opportunity for a very deserving dude. If you ever happen to need a guest contributor or provocative ideas, I might be able to help ;)
A few thoughts on names:
Popping Corks
1WinePlayer
WinePlay
1WineDude
Thanks, Tamara! 1wineplayah? :)
Mia Malm
Way to go, Dude! So happy to see your bold venture into full time wine writing so * ahem * amply? rewarded. Since you asked, Cision says that playboy.com gets 1.87 unique visitors per month and Compete says 2.46 million — the truth is probably somewhere in between. Not too shabby! As for column names…the mind boggles…then goes immediately to the gutter!
1WineDude
Thanks, Mia! I think the actual numbers are higher than that, but who knows :). More things to come!
Louise Hurren
Well I guess this is where I come over as the humo(u)rless Brit, the voice in the wilderness, the woman who isn't getting enough (let me reassure you right there…) but: are you serious? I am so surprised, and disappointed. I guess I don't know you very well (read: at all). Sorry I can't be more enthusiastic. I love to see people succeed, and as as a self-employed mother of two and breadwinner, I know how tempting it is to take a gig just for the money. So I reckon you've done just that. Your choice.
1WineDude
Louise – the gig doesn't pay a ton, money is not the reason. I will be working with an iconic brand with huge reach, THAT is the reason. I can respect you saying you don't like it on grounds that you dislike the brand, but not that I'm doing it for money because it's patently not the case. Thank you for chiming in and for the comment – things won't change on 1WD all that much so I hope you'll come back to visit and contribute your thoughts here. Cheers!
Debbie Gioquindo
Congrats Joe!
1WineDude
Thanks, Debbie!
Sam Dependahl
Congratulations! You’ve worked hard for this and I think Playboy made a great choice. My suggestion for the column title is “Dude After Dark.”
1WineDude
Thanks Sam – great title :).
@QuitWINEing
Joe!
The wait is finally over! You make all of us bloggers proud! You're proof that hard work can pay off! I think your style of writing is perfect for the Mag and I know all the readers are going to love you just like we do!
Better than Sex
Boobs and Booze…I really like this one:)~
ChEErS!
-Court
1WineDude
QW – ha!!! Thanks so much! Just to make sure we're clear, my gig is the online version only. Cheers!
@QuitWINEing
We are all very clear! Either way, you're contributing to the magazine…online or not and that's huge! Enjoy it!
Wine Harlots
Congrats!
How about, "The Dude Abides" or is that a better title for High Times?
All the best,
Nannette Eaton
1WineDude
Thanks, Nannette! Love it but the Coen bros might not be so keen on me using that :).
Wine Harlots
Oh, Joe.
That's what the high-priced Playboy lawyers are for!
Kristi
Ha! This is so amazing for you! Congrats :)
1WineDude
Thanks, Kristi.
BCD
I didn't read through all the comments so I apologize if something similar has already been mentioned, but what about "Protected (or Unprotected) Secs"
1WineDude
Thanks, BCD – a little esoteric but soooo good!
@mariepayton
I guess this is what happens when you start using edible underwear in your tasting notes – congrats! My vote goes to "wine, disrobed" as suggested above. Wishing you continued success!
1WineDude
Marie – ha!!!! Thanks!
@mroconnell
hahah, wow, congratulations. So what wines pair well with bunnies? :DDD
1WineDude
Bubbly I'm guessing. :). Thnx!
1WineDude
:)
Lori
Congratulations Joe ! This sounds like fun – and a great opportunity. Good luck !!!
Kimberly
Let me be one of many to congratulate you Joe!! But if you want to meet Heff, you better do it soon!! Last time I was at the Mansion he was rather frail and having a hard time walking on his own.
BrainWines
Congrats Joe! I'll DM you some ridiculous column name suggestions. I'm stoked for you!
Harvey Posert
Congratulations; you might revisit their spread on "Girls of the Napa Valley."
My column suggestion, "Call me a cab!"
1WineDude
Thanks again, all!!
Denise
This is such a great accomplishment. Congratulations! How did you you start your blog and get to this point in your blogging career?
1WineDude
Thanks, Denise – that's a topic for an entire educational series, I think :). Short answer is “hard work, making the best content I could, and perseverance.” :)
@zodot
How awesome is that, Joe? Congrats on the opportunity. I wonder if you'll get an invite to Heff's grotto? Or better yet, his wine cellar… ;)
1WineDude
Thanks, zodot – the Grotto wine digs would be more interesting for a nerd like me, actually! ;-) Cheers!
martindredmond
Joe – Congrats on thr new gig! very cool!
1WineDude
Thanks, Martin!
Anthony Ianni
Shall I warm up the Bentley Mr. Roberts?
1WineDude
Yes, and make sure the tank is full! :)
johnkow
Nice coupe there Joe, Congrats!
1WineDude
Thanks, John!
@NapaValleyChick
Congrats! I love the idea of "Wine Disrobed!" Suggestive but not too much!
johnkow
Once again, nice job Joe, look forward to the new forum.
1WineDude
@NapaValleyChick – Ha! Thanks :).
johnkow
Should bring new meaning to Naked Chardonnay, nice job!
1WineDude
Ha! Thanks John – looks like you “won,” by the way, being the 100th comment! Free ebook coming our way! Cheers!
1WineDude
A family member sent this to me – had to share it! :)
Your wine runs cold
your blog's been sold
your wine bottle's a centerfold
To the tune of the J. Geils Band's song from Freeze Frame, of course ;-).
Red Wine Diva
AH – you made it past the "100 Comment" mark – good for you. I saw your post on FB and just wanted to help out. Congrats on the new gig! I said when 2012 started that BIG things were on the way and that it was going to be a "really good year" (kind of like a fine wine)! Good luck, Joe – and don't forget the little people!!!! :-)
1WineDude
Thanks, RWD!
Geoff
Joe Robert's Wined Down
1WineDude
Geoff – good one.