Summary:

Wine and drinks writing is a highly coveted career choice, yet one of the most challenging to break into. It is also a particularly challenging one for both newcomers and seasoned professionals alike to maintain as a financially sustainable full-time profession.

In this session, wine and drinks journalist Jacopo Mazzeo will highlight the skill sets required to kick start a writing career while explaining how to develop it into a financially viable business. Jacopo will be exploring the different professional paths and certifications that can open doors to wine and drinks writing; discussing the actual writing process (from developing a feature idea to researching, pitching, and filing); touching on people, time, and travel management; and describing the changing landscape of the wine and drinks writing profession.

Presenter: Jacopo Mazzeo 

Jacopo Mazzeo is an award-winning wine and drinks journalist, photographer, and consultant based in the UK. He regularly contributes to leading drinks publications including Wine Enthusiast, Whisky Magazine, Decanter, SevenFifty Daily, and Good Beer Hunting.

He consults market research firms and private clients on consumer trends; gives drinks masterclasses and tutors tastings; and judges international wine, beer, and spirits competitions including the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, the International Beer Challenge, and the World Whiskies Awards.

Before he embraced full-time journalism, he worked as a sommelier, studied musicology at the University of Bologna (Italy), and took a PhD at the University of Southampton (UK).

Jacopo was recently awarded the title of Best Beer & Food Writer 2022 by the North American Guild of Beer Writers, while his 2021 wine book Come Riconoscere i Vini (published in Italian), won the prestigious Bancarella della Cucina Selezione prize.

Website JacopoMazzeo.com