More about me...
Author - The Wild Bunch - stories of movers and shakers in wine
Wine Writer - The Dominion Post, Christchurch Press, Waikato Times
Journalism graduate, Wellington, New Zealand
WSET Advanced Certificate in Wine & Spirits
Circle of Wine Writers member
My books...
The Wild Bunch, published by New Holland NZ, 2012
Celebrating New Zealand Wine, published by New Holland NZ, 1995
The Indispensable Wine Guide, 2008, 2007, 2006
Joelle Thomson’s Under $25, Under $20 and Under $15 Wine Guide, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999
101 Wine Tips by Joelle Thomson, 2002, published by New Holland
The Global Encyclopedia of Wine, 2000 (New Zealand section)
How the wine thing began...
In 1994, I pioneered the wine column in Capital Times newspaper; the arts weekly in Wellington and have since written extensively for and been deputy editor on many newsstand magazines and news websites in New Zealand.
For 10 years I wrote the annual wine guide Joelle Thomson's Under $15, Under $20 and Under $25 Wine Guide - winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Wine Guide in 2002 - and also Celebrating New Zealand Wine - a finalist at the 2005 Montana New Zealand Book Awards in the Lifestyle category. I am a member of the British based Circle of Wine Writers and have judged wine competitions in New Zealand and Australia. I also write for New Zealand Winegrower magazine; Off Licence News in the UK and other publications.
I also teach at the New Zealand School of Food & Wine, in Auckland, New Zealand; the school founded by Celia Hay in 1995. http://foodandwine.co.nz/
My awards...
Editor of the
winning Magazine Cover of the Year 2007 – Trade Magazines, MPA Awards, 2007 –
Progressive Building magazine, AGM Publishing.
REALNZ Runner-up Feature Writing of the Year 2007 – Trade Magazines, Progressive Building magazine, AGM
Publishing – for a feature on the refurbishment of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Auckland.
Montana New Zealand Book Awards – Finalist 2005
Lifestyle & Contemporary Culture Category – “Celebrating New Zealand Wine” by Joelle Thomson, Photography by
Andrew Coffey.
Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2002 – Winner
Best Wine Guides
in English (Rest of World) – for “Joelle Thomson’s Under $20 Wine Guide 2002/03”
edition.
Education...
Wine & Spirit Education Trust Advanced Certificate (Distinction in Tasting)
Wine & Spirit Education Trust Intermediate Certificate
Certificate in TV Production, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, 1990
Diploma in Journalism, Wellington Polytechnic, 1989
Out of office hours...
Reading, running and Riesling all keep me occupied out of office hours, as does a passion for cooking in season vegetables. The first (blue) River Cafe Cookbook is currently being thoroughly tested and so far is living up to all the hype and more. No wonder Italian vino is a constant on my kitchen bench.
Talks and tastings
The Maldives, September 2011
Joelle hosted wine tastings and dinners inThe Maldives in September this year, as well as teaching the mostly Muslim waiting staff about wine and beverages, service and the state of the wine industry today.
Medici Lectures, Martinborough, New Zealand, June 2011
Joelle tasted and talked about wine, writing, how she combines the two and takes inspiration from great writers on wine from Evelyn Waugh to Jay McInerney to Robert Farrar-Capon to her own weekly column in The Dominion Post.
Her style is informative, informal, entertaining and literary - with humour.
Contact Joelle by email: jthomson@xtra.co.nz or phone +64-21 376 786
Commendations, praise and recommendations for Joelle's talks
"I used to think wine columns were only for consumers but the interaction between you and the audience gave us a glimpse of that synergy between the wine writer and industry insiders. They need you and you reminded us of the jewels in our own backyard. We thought we couldn't afford good Martinborough Pinot Noir on a regular basis. We were wrong! The next day we bought Pencarrow Pinot Noir - excellent value for money."
Adrienne Waghorn
Martinborough resident
"As well as being very knowledgeable, Joelle treats wine as something to enjoy rather than to get too complicated about. We were treated to lovely quotes about wine from literature through the ages and Joelle had a gem of her own: She described how some wines were made to instantly please, like a young puppy licking your heels to demand attention."
Jan Vennix
Martinborough resident
"We enjoyed your global context for the NZ wine industry and the networking you do to keep up to date. It’s not the sort of thing you can google.
Adrienne Waghorn
Martinborough resident
