Jancis Robinson 2024 Wine Writing Competition – Big Old Bottle

Back in June, I entered the Jancis Robinson 2024 Wine Writing Competition. Jancis Robinson is a world-renowned wine author and educator based in London. The theme was “Your Most Memorable Wine Moment,” and I knew exactly what I would write about: the large-format bottle of Bordeaux, called a methuselah, that I had for my 50th birthday and the process of opening it. Entries were due June 19th. Shortly after, I learned there were 214 entries, the most they had ever had. When I saw that, I thought there was no way I would ever get mine published. In August, they started publishing four to five contest entries weekly on the website. These would be the semi-finalists chosen by Jancis Robinson and her team. Every week I checked the list, and my entry wasn’t there, so by the end of August I concluded my story had not been chosen. But then today, September 5, 2024, I was looking at the list again, and much to my surprise, shock, and amazement, there it was: “A Big Birthday Deserved a Big Bottle” by Susan Richards. I am thrilled and honored to be one of the 60 semi-finalists in the competition. Although I did not make it to the final 20 for the competition win, this is one of the most exciting achievements in my wine writing career. Below is the link to the story. I hope you’ll read it and enjoy a tale of a wine moment I will never forget. WWC24 – A big birthday deserved a big bottle, by Susan Richards | JancisRobinson.com