Rebecca Ritz Launches “Grapes, Hops and Stops”
Southern Illinois graphic artist and Midwest Wine Press columnist Rebecca Ritz has launched a new website, “Grapes, Hops and Stops: Touring the Best of the Midwest.” “We’re covering wineries and breweries within about 5 hours of the St. Louis metro area,” Ritz said. “Our goal is to increase the amount of people who drink local and promote local businesses that sell wine or beer related products.”
“There are good consumer wine and beer sites focused on Michigan, but none in the Missouri & Illinois area. Plus, while researching other wine bloggers across the U.S., I found most to be written by men,” she said.
Ritz said that her goal is to make wine less intimidating for women and to educate them on the huge variety of wine in the Midwest. Women are most often the ones buying wine and are not necessarily swayed by a wine rating number, she said. Instead women often shop based on a recommendation from a friend, blog or social media. “We want to be the source for women on what to drink and where to stay, whether it’s a romantic weekend for two or a girls weekend getaway,” Ritz concluded.
