Balancing Art and Integrity in Wine Writing with Tom Kline

Send us Fan MailTom Kline writes about wine. He has written for publications including Decanter Magazine, Wine Spectator, Halliday Magazine, Winepilot, and the much-loved Gourmet Traveler Wine of happy memory. Yet most recently Tom has embraced the challenge of writing as the Australian contributor to Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy, Jasper Morris MW’s online database dedicated to showcasing the very best of Burgundy to an audience of Burgundy tragics. According to Tom, Jasper senses the importance of identifying and presenting real alternatives to Burgundy given the practical realities that make Burgundy inaccessible to many. This is the perfect assignment for Tom. A clear brief to cover the very best of pinot noir and chardonnay across the Australian landscape, while affording Tom the scope and creativity to project his own voice and style through his work. You can clearly see this in Tom's recent reports on Mount Mary, Bannockburn and less recently on Giaconda.Tom’s childhood was spent in North East Victoria’s pristine wine country, his father working for Brown Brother’s and Tom absorbing a love of wine by osmosis. Yet, Tom’s first passion was music. I have discovered a link between wine and creativity, particularly music. Tom Kline is no different. Tom eventually discovered that wine writing afforded him both increased stability and an avenue through which to channel his natural creativity.In our conversation, Tom and I discussed his recent work and more generally the role that wine writers play in an industry in a state of flux while also touching on the responsibility that attaches to being part of the cohort of opinion leaders who influence consumer perceptions and decision making. Tom’s approach to this is simple, though no doubt difficult. Mold your own distinct and independent voice, then scrupulously work to maintain it. Tom shares a trove of insights in this conversation which was as fascinating as it was enjoyable to engage in. A huge thanks to Tom for joining me.Support the show