Aside from my passion for bringing dynamite wine, food and travel tips to people around the world, I also provide strategic marketing and writing services. The right marketing collateral is an important part of making a lasting impression with your customers and helping your business to achieve its goals into the future.
As a professional writer
, I will save you hours of time and deliver writing that will lure your customers towards your products and offerings. With today’s ever changing culture, I can help you increase sales by delivering the right message clearly and quickly.
I bring to you 20+ years of professional writing expertise. My degree in play writing helped me achieve the honor of five of my plays being professionally produced. I also attended the Masters in Teaching Writing program, at California State University, Humboldt to increase my exposure to various writing styles.
In 1992, combining my love of writing with business, I founded The Gentry Agency. The Gentry Agency provided marketing, sales strategies, product development and written communication services to over 100 companies worldwide.
Pairing and learning about wine since 2000 (more details here); blogging since 2005.
Writing and strategic marketing services for wine trade companies:
- Engaging stories/features/content for websites, newsletters & emails
- Update content on technical sheets, bottle and label images, etc. (print and online)
- Write POS materials and edit regional guides
- Edit native language to English materials/web sites
- Effectively differentiate your business from your competitor
- Executive Correspondence
For writing samples or to discuss your project, contact Alana (at) girlwithaglass.com You can also connect with me via LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
pretty cool Alana
Thanks Michael!
Alana –
I love it! Thank you so much for sharing that you do this blog. I’m a novice in the wine department but trying to learn more – I suspect your blog will help. Now if only I can do away with the dreary New England weather (of course, that’s helped tremendously by a good bottle!)!
Keep up the great work!
Thanks Andrea! I hope you will come back often and find simple tips to learn more! You Go Girl!
Alana,
I work with your sister in-law Kimm. (She’s a great gal.) She just showed me your site. It’s awesome and very informative. My husband and I are wine enthusiats or should I say we’re tasters. We enjoy learning about different kinds of wines and visiting vineyards. I’m sure we’ll learn a lot more by visiting your site regulary.
Nice job, thanks!!
Hey Sista!!
I’ll have to try those Ice Wine pairings. I was back in Michigan last month and tried to get to Lemon Creek Winery for their Ice Wine, but the snow kept me away!! I’ll have to order on line
Cheers!!
Thanks for writing Harriet! I’d love to hear about your wine experiences. I’m happy to further explore the cork question with you. Comment on the post and I’ll reply. What do you think about screw tops and synthetics?
I just shared your blog with my bosses wife. She wants to know how you feel about synthetic corks vs cork corks. Also how do you feel about screw on tops?
Oh good question! May I refer you to my blog?
I think this link will take you there. http://girlwithaglass.com/blog/?p=37
Saving the Portugal Cork Forests is a great thing to do for many, many reasons.
Overall I despair at screw tops and won’t buy a lot of wines because of them. They not only lack cachet they are not recyclable and create pollution when they are made. I’ll buy a rose for a picnic and that’s all. (Can hardly find a New Zealand wine with cork anymore!)
I don’t like the synthetic corks for the same reason but I’ll tell you the vast majority of everyday wines have synthetic corks.
I get a bad bottle from natural corks way too often but I often blame it on the way the wine was treated before I bought it, e.g., oxygen got into to it because it wasn’t kept cool enough or on its side. These wines are more often from South American or France. I have to be careful where I buy the wines. You can always return them and hope they have another one you can try.
Since I am not a collector (I’m an every-night pairer), a corked bottle doesn’t kill me because I don’t lay down my wine for 20 years.
Hi Alana,
Thanks for sharing your site with me the other day while you were in the salon. I poked around a bit and can’t wait to spend more time reading through it. You really know what your talking about and I am impressed! Your site is now in “my favs”, I’ll come back often!
Good job!
Carrie
Face Value Salon
Thanks so much for poking around Carrie!
Let’s take the Roadster out to some wineries soon. Email me…I need to go to Lynmar to pick up some wine. They have a complimentary wine and food pairing for members called the Lynmar Experience. I’m dying to go…daylight savings ends soon…yeah…a beautiful sunny Spring afternoon would be awesome.
Hi Alana!
I have been awol from my computer lately, my mom has been in Italy, and I’ve been taking care of business at the salon, her house and my house!
There is a great little place to eat in Sebastopol called Elmo’s Steakhouse, it is on your way to Forestville. My favorite things to order are either the scallops or the portabella mushroom dish, they are wonderful! You’ll have to try it sometime, only thing is they do not have a huge wine selection, so maybe bring your own? Certain times of the year they don’t have a corkage charge, but I’d call ahead to find out when that is (I can’t recall when it is!).
Have a great day!
Carrie
Hi Carrie,
I haven’t been to Elmo’s, thanks for the tip! I’d love to try it. I lived in Sebastopal part-time as a kid, love the area!
Hi!
This weekend we went to K&L Bistro in Sebastopol, have you been there? It was so good and I can’t wait to go back. We ordered a “03 cab from Just Nat. I wish I could find it because I really enjoyed it. Got any leads on it?
Thanks!
Carrie
I can’t find Just Nat as the vintner anywhere. Do you have any other info, like what state/country/appellation? Was Just Nat the popular name? Like Earthquake is the popular name of a Petite Syrah but the producer is Michael-David Vineyards.
And thanks for the K&L lead, I’m keeping a list!
I looked for it too, because I really enjoyed it and wanted to pick-up some for home, but I have had no luck. Looks like I’m going to have to make another trip to K&L and order a bottle again! Darn!
Hey look who made it to girlwithaglass.com. I look forward to working on some new pairings and some fun times. Hope to see you again soon.
-Ali’s B/f… Justin
Welcome Justin! And thanks for bringing that big bottle of Justin wine to Thanksgiving! Always fun hangin’ with you two, can’t what to do it again!
Hi Alana,
Very nice website! I had dinner last night with your sister, Rebecca, and two other friends up here in the mountains – four girls with glasses!
We shared a bottle of a nice little organic Viognier from Paso – Vin Fuzion’s Archangel. It’s herb infused with Angelica Archangelica. Interesting.
I’m glad Rebecca mentioned your website – I’ll be a frequent visitor.
Thank you Nanci! I’m so glad you found me! That Viognier sounds intriguing. I’ll have to look it up. Have a fab holiday!
Hi, Alana.
Great blog, thanks! I recently discovered your blog from a list I received from the Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa. I’m organizing a series of Spanish wine tastings in San Francisco specifically for bloggers. Would love to have you. If you’re interested, please drop me a line with your email address and I’ll be glad to give you further details.
Best,
Jamie Abbott
Hi there! I am here in the Paso Robles/Templeton regions. I hook people up with little known tastingrooms and other interesting activities that are specifically matched to their desires or personalities. Ann from 1801 first in Napa gave me the website address and here I am! We had a blast when they were down visiting! Please feel free to check out my website or contact me personally to discuss your next visit!
Hi Alana,
I’m redoing my website, and plan to have a section that lists a few of my favorite sites and blogs. I’ll be sure to add yours! Fun stuff! Makes me want to knock off from my writing work day early and have a nice glass of chilled rose made from pinot noir. Thanks for sharing! Marni
Thank you, Alana! I just received my half dozen bottles of Cameron Hughes wines for my Mother’s Day. I am thrilled and you are absolutely a great daughter!!!
Hi Alana!
Just met your friends Erik & Brent here at my wine bar – wine shop, SIP! Mendocino in Hopland. Erik mentioned I should check out your site and perhaps some day we can connect for some fun sipping!
Love your site, your style, and your happy, healthy approach to life. As my store’s slogan says “Where Good Friends and Great Wines Come Together” …stop by some time for a SIP!
Bernadette
Aren’t Erik & Brent wonderful? Thx for checking out the site. Can’t wait to go to SIP. I’ll be going that way in July when I go to a fund raiser at my ala mater HSU!
Alana,
If you visit Virginia, I’d love it if you would stop by Keswick Vineyards and meet our winemaker, Stephen Barnard (from S. Africa). He’s making a statement with several varietals including Viognier, Cabernet Sav., Petite Verdot, Chambourcin, Touriga, Verdejo, and Cab Franc. Check out the website: keswickvineyards.com
Cheers,
Geri
I look forward to it Geri!