Happy Birthday, Brunello Bombshell!

88 posts, one year, and so much gratitude.

On October 31, 2023, I dove into writing the weekly newsletter I’d always wanted to see. The first edition of Brunello Bombshell was an extension of the earliest wine and movie pairings I started doing on Instagram during the pandemic, but with some additional wine news highlights and a few of my favorite things thrown in with some more personal writing. 

And now look where we are. Brunello Bombshell has grown in ways I could never have fathomed. 

What was once one really lengthy email a week is now two posts and a podcast(!) every week. Wine and movie pairings are still the cornerstone of this blog every Friday, but I’ve really enjoyed sharing my monthly watch lists, my latest reading material, and more personal essays with you. 

The wine news section of that original newsletter is now a weekly wine news podcast that is available to anyone casually scrolling for wine news. The Wine Press is a dream come true for me - as a wine student, and part of a community of Bay Area sommeliers, there’s a lot of moaning and groaning about a lack of solid wine news resources. So I decided to create one. It’s informed the way I see the beverage world, it’s definitely aided in my own wine studies, and I get to play investigative journalist every week with stories that I find pressing. 

I want to take a second to thank you, the reader, for your continued support of all things Brunello Bombshell. This has been a crazy year of transformation for me, personally and professionally, and I’ve realized through the process of writing Brunello Bombshell that I really really enjoy this work. None of it would be possible without your kind words, your sense of community, and the growth rate for this blog. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all. 

Below I’m including links to some highlighted posts from the past year (and yes, paid subscribers will see my personal favorites below the paywall). But before I do that, I want to shout out some fellow Substackers who have been incredibly supportive of Brunello Bombshell. Check out all my Recommendations on the BB home page, with an extra special thank you to the following writers:

• James Lees
  from Balls On Film

• Beth Lisogorsky
  from Beth’s TV and Film Recommendations

• Dave Baxter
  and
  Dallas Miller
  from Wine And…

• Kate Reuschel
  from Survives On Wine

• Dino Corvino
  from Skateboards on their Altar

• Jonathan Ytreberg
  from The Oscar Project

• Mirijam Stewart
  from Iggy’s Book Shellf

• Brian Lund
  from The Anecdote

I’m really looking forward to celebrating some more big milestones in the future, including my 100th post. And who knows? Brunello Bombshell may become its own little wine and entertainment-centric media empire. For now, I’m raising my glass of Brunello to toast all of you for joining me along the ride. Cheers to one year, and so much more Brunello Bombshell in years to come!

Highlighted Posts from Brunello Bombshell’s First Year

My First Post: Edition 1.1 (Oct. 31, 2023)

My First Paid Subscriber: Wine and Movie Pairing: American Zin and American Fiction (Dec. 30, 2024)

My First Podcast: The Wine Press: The New Wave of Wine Drinkers (Jun. 25, 2024)

Most Popular Post: For Love of “Forks” (Jul. 9, 2024)

Most Popular Wine and Movie Pairing: Amity Island Loves Ameztoi (Jul. 5, 2024)

My Favorite Post: How I Became A Sommelier (Part One) (Jul. 24, 2024)