About Opening a Bottle
Opening a Bottle is a tribute to the world's most interesting wines and the clever people who make them — a place devoted to wine education, context-rich reviews, gorgeous photos, thought-provoking columns, and compelling online events.
This website's focus is primarily on Italian wine because I have traveled there extensively and have the deepest contacts with that industry. But I also lean towards France and Austria due to their multifaceted winemaking history and stunning consistency. Bottomline: I follow my palate and write about only the most compelling wines. There are no stinkers here.
About the wine reviews ...
Only wines that are worth your time and covered here. Once you see how I write, you'll understand: if I cannot answer the question "why does this wine matter?" then it doesn't earn inclusion. I am upfront about my tastes and I drink wine the way you drink wine — with context in mind, not points.
Reviews are accessible for paying subscribers.
About the wine articles ...
The world of wine is far too complex and nuanced for skim-the-surface, generalist coverage. This is a niche site focused on wine education and compelling stories with some of the richest original wine photography you'll see anywhere. If you especially love Italian wine — and how could you not? — then you will find thousands of compelling pages to peruse here.
About the wine events ...
Opening a Bottle is more than just a digital magazine — it is a place of community where subscribers can join regular live online events to dive more deeply into their passion.
Some events are classes, some are Q-and-As, some are interviews with leading figures in the wine industry ... but within these forums you'll find a welcoming environment and the highest possible standards for presentation design.
And if you miss one, there is always a recording in the online event archive.
About subscriptions ...
I cannot do this without your support.
Subscribe today to unlock hundreds of pages of compelling paywall content including my curated list of Essential Winemakers in Italy, the latest Tasting Reports for best buys, the 100 Wines to Admire, and the archive of recorded classes and live events.
Individual subscriptions are just $49/year, which is insanely cheap given the work that goes into Opening a Bottle.
Sound like your kinda place? Welcome.
You can opt-in for our monthly email to stay on top of new content and upcoming events. But go a step further: become a paying subscriber and get full access to the entire site, and skip the hassle of paying ticket prices for our monthly virtual tastings.
Kevin Day
Editor-in-Chief
Kevin Day is a wine writer and photographer and the founder of Opening a Bottle. He has passed the Wine Scholar Guild's Italian Wine Scholar™ and French Wine Scholar™ exams, both with Highest Honors. He continues to be a member of this wine-education organization and writes for them periodically.
In 2019, Kevin was shortlisted as the "Emerging Wine Writer of the Year" by the Louis Roederer Wine Writers' Awards. He has also been twice nominated for the Millesima Blog Awards in the Wine Reporter category. Opening a Bottle was also nominated for "Best Individual Blog" by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in 2019, and Kevin again acknowledged by the IACP as a Finalist in the Best Narrative Beverage Writing category in 2024. He is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers.
Kevin has been a regular contributor to SevenFifty Daily as well. His feature on Timorasso was the most-read wine article of 2020 on the site. He is based in Denver, Colorado, where he conducts his monthly online wine classes with subscribers, and where he lives with his wife, Hailey and two daughters.
Scott Thomas
Sommelier / Educator
Scott Thomas is a wine culturalist, educator and sommelier with a 20-year career in the wine industry spanning fine dining, distribution and education. He is the founder of Grappolo Food and Wine School, a Denver-based academy offering immersive wine travel, wine events and structured courses, including the VIA's Italian Wine Maestro certification. His passion for Italian wines grew during his two years in Piedmont and Tuscany, where he earned a Master's in Wine Culture from Slow Food's University of Gastronomic Sciences and gained practical experience in the vineyards of Chianti Classico. Scott's professional credentials include Italian Wine Ambassador and Certified Italian Wine Educator, Certified Wine Educator, WSET III, Certified Sommelier, and official Orvieto and Langhe Wine Ambassador.
Anna Savino
Educator / Contributor - Piedmont
Originally from Napa, Anna Savino has now lived in Piemonte wine country of Italy for the last 20 years where she conducts specialized wine tours in the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato through her business ItaliAnna Wine Tours. She also curates very special Piemontese wines through her Barolo Wine Club. Anna learned the craft at G.D. Vajra winery in Barolo for 2 years while passionately visiting every winery she could and completing two levels of the Italian Sommelier Association. She continued her studies with highest honors of WSET2 as well as the Italian Wine Scholar program with merit. She leads educational tours for the Napa Valley Wine Academy, offers local guided tastings and has been featured in the Forbes article “Touring With The Pros in Piemonte." Her Italian-American background and love for Piemontese wine has kept her in Italy and she loves sharing this passion with wine lovers from all over the world.
Kymberly Wroble
Contributor - Health & Wellness
Kymberly Wroble has more than 15 years of experience as a Registered Dietitian, bringing together her expertise in food, nutrition, wine, and wellness. In addition to her nutrition expertise, Kymberly has a passion for wine, which is evident in her active role as the President of the American Wine Society’s Chicago Chapter. Since December 2021, she has held this role in which she coordinates and leads social wine events that elevate wine education and enrich member experiences.
Kymberly frequently lends her expertise to Kevin through a series of interviews focused on wine through the lens of health and wellness. She is currently the Non-Commercial Business Solutions Specialist at Gordon Food Service.
Website Design & Development
Hailey Day
Website Designer / Developer
Hailey Day is the founder of HeyDay Creative, a small digital design agency based in Denver, Colorado, and has been the lead architect and designer of Opening a Bottle since its 2016 redesign. Her 20-year career as a digital artist has encompassed an unexpectedly diverse range of assignments — everything from designing a logo for a NASA satellite (that went into orbit), to forensic animation of industrial accidents, to book design and layout.
When she is not exercising her boundless creativity, she is likely gardening or cooking up something delicious to go with the many wines she and her husband, Kevin, taste throughout the year.
Illustrators
Chris Gregori
Illustrator / Artist
Chris Gregori is a Denver-based illustrator and designer who partners with agencies and brands, big and small, to work as an extension of their creative teams and bring visions to life. His clients include PetSmart, Visit Denver, PeopleForBikes, Only Natural Pet, On Tour Brewing, and many others. Currently available for freelance or just to get out and eat some pizza.
Margaret McLain
Illustrator / Artist
Margaret McLain, lives in the mountains of Colorado. In her spare time, she is a prolific and busy artist: constantly taking art classes to learn new things, doodling in front of the television, embroidering jean jackets and painting in watercolor, carving and pressing prints, and working on commissions in many of these mediums.
Margie’s creative journey began early. One of her first memories was figuring out how to draw noses. In high school, she designed and illustrated all the posters for the plays, and illustrated for the literary magazine and yearbook which she continued to do into at Colby College. All of this while maintaining a lively studio practice. Knowing that she wanted a creative job, no matter the industry, she turned to the copywriting, designing and art direction in marketing. Her passion is, and will continue to be, illustration and creation.
Hernán Sosa
Illustrator / Artist
Hernán Sosa is an art director and illustrator with extensive experience in publishing, branding, illustration and web design.
Exploring different creative endeavors through design and illustration has allowed him to work on a diverse array of projects: from destination and travel marketing, publishing a multitude of magazines and guides, to illustrating children's books and working with art galleries.
He lives in Colorado and is passionate about drawing, playing chess and coaching youth soccer.