It all began with a blog about wine that evolved into a blog about the wine region I live and grew up in – The Hudson River Valley AVA, known today as Hudson Valley Wine Country.
Let me go farther back – I moved to the region in 1972, graduated from Roy C Ketcham High School and spent the next four years at SUNY College @ Buffalo studying Business and Marketing. After graduating I came back to the Hudson Valley and worked for Grey Advertising, a start up TV station, and local radio station,. I met my husband, we married and have two beautiful children. That is when the fun begins.
In 1990 got into the travel business and in 1995 I started my own home based travel agency. (Personal Touch Travel) That was before working at home was the norm. It is here where I combined my love of travel and wine. I began to specialize in sending people to the wine regions of the world and created Exclusive Wine Vacations and that led to my blog – Hudson Valley Wine Goddess.
Hudson Valley Wine Goddess began as a blog to educate people about wine that evolved into educating you about Hudson Valley Wine Country. Somebody asked me one day if all I drink is Hudson Valley Wine. Well – I drink all kinds of wine, red, white, semi sweet, sparkling, ice wine. I always keep an open mind and enjoy trying new wines. In December 2010 I completed and passed the Society of Wine Educators Certified Specialist of Wine course and now can proudly say I am a “Certified Specialist of Wine.”
Recently there have been some turn of events in my life that made me realize there is so much more to share with you. So I am coming full circle and have changed the direction of my blog. I will focus on and highlight the Hudson Valley, but I will also share with you all the other wonderful and maybe not so wonderful wine along with the wine regions I will visit.
Behind every blog there is a day job. Well, there was a day job until February 11, 2011. At the point in time my position at the Health Care Insurance Company I was working for was eliminated in a re-structuring. I am currently seeking full time employment in marketing and emerging media but have also launched my own consulting company Debbie Gioquindo Emerging Media & PR to help small businesses with marketing, emerging media and public relations. When I am not busy with that, I am educating you on wine.
