Wine Trail Traveler

Date Founded

Wine Trail Traveler was established in January 2007. The idea of writing about wineries and creating learning modules developed during 2006. The tipping point came as Terry and Kathy Sullivan discussed visiting wineries with a professional. He mentioned that he would like to visit wineries but did not know what to do or how to go about it. This statement created the spark to design the website for Wine Trail Traveler.

Early on, the website had articles about visiting wineries, a simple learning section and an opinion section on wine related topics. As the site grew, a daily blog was created and a recipe section was added. The recipe section has grown to over 200 recipes that use wine as an ingredient. Three additional websites spun off the Wine Trail Traveler site. In 2008 the companion lodging website was established, in 2009 the companion winemaking website was launched and in 2012 the campanion food website debuted.

Mission Statement

The mission of Wine Trail Traveler is to inspire and inform others to develop an appreciation of the wine culture by visiting wineries and vineyards. The Wine Trail Traveler website is a winery and vineyard virtual visitor center.

Terry and Kathy Sullivan Owners

After a 34-year career in education teaching elementary school students through university graduate school students, Terry began a new career as a travel writer specializing in the wine industry. Kathy was a home/hospital teacher working with special needs students in Howard County. Taking thousands of photographs and writing articles, Terry and Kathy visited wineries and vineyards in the Toscano, Umbria and Campania regions of Italy, southeast England and Wales, New Zealand, Canada and numerous states in the United States including: California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. As of March 2032, the couple have visited and written about more than 900 wineries/vineyards.

Formal wine education includes the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Intermediate Certificate. However in 2009 the direction of wine education shifted to making wine. While taking online winemaking courses through Washington State University, Terry and Kathy also crafted a barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon at Vint Hill Craft Winery in Virginia, and worked with a group to make a barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon at Tin Lizzie Wineworks in Maryland. During Spring 2010 they helped to plant an experimental vineyard at Tin Lizzie Wineworks. Currently they crafted a barrel of 2012 Atlas Peak AVA Cabernet Sauvignon at Tin Lizzie Wineworks.

Presentations

Beginning in 2012, the Sullivans started making presentations at wine-related conferences. At the 2012 International Wine Tourism Conference in Perugia, Italy, Terry, presented "Best practices for increasing traffic to wine regions."

During 2013, Terry is presenting at the Eastern Winery Exposition and a week later both Terry & Kathy are presenting at the International Wine Tourism Conference in Zagreb, Croatia.

Wine Trail Traveler Staff

Terry Sullivan
co-owner, writer, photographer, web page design

Kathy Sullivan
co-owner, writer, editor

Meghan Neumeier
writer
Meghan has an M.A. in theological studies from the University of Dayton and a B.A. in English from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Her column entitled “ Wine and the Bible” discusses connections between wine, the Bible, and Christianity.

Guest Writers

Erin Sullivan
Erin K Sullivn is an actress and mixologist living in Ney York City. Her interest in wine dates to her college years when she spent a semester in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Ronald Rens
Dutch born Ronald Rens lives and works at Chateau Coulon Laurensac near Bordeaux in France. With his wife he runs The Bordeaux Wine Experience, a company that specializes in luxury wine and culinary tours in the Bordeaux region and is generally considered as the leading Bordeaux wine tour company.