Cortney grew up in Sausalito (Marin County), California, about an hour from Napa. Her parents were big fans of Napa Valley wines and her family
visited wine country very often. Thus, Cortney's wine education commenced at an early
age.
As a creative writing student at the University of Southern
California, she penned a weekly wine column for the USC Daily Trojan newspaper.
The idea for a weekly wine column was completely her own; Cortney wanted to learn more
about wine while honing her writing skills. As a 22-year-old “wine
columnist,” she focused on reviewing budget wines and explaining varietal
characteristics as well as exploring the nearby Santa Barbara wine country.
Since then, Cortney has held jobs at Wine Spectator Magazine,
Spruce Restaurant, Napa Wine Company, Crocker Starr Winery, Merryvale Vineyards, and Chappellet Winery. She has
experience with wine club management, customer service and hospitality, event planning,
marketing and sales, and conducting tours and tastings.
When she initially created the “Sip Swirl Savor” wine blog in 2009, it was designed as a wine tasting guide to the Napa
Valley. At the time, she was living in St. Helena and she was going wine tasting at least once a week. The blog conveyed the best winery visits
as well as the wines she tasted. The idea was to keep a record of her favorite experiences, as well as to help visitors to Napa plan their wine
tasting itinerary.
In March 2012, Cortney moved back to Marin County and she
currently resides in Corte Madera. She is no longer affiliated with a winery. She recently started her own consulting business and is available for hire as a freelance marketing and social media marketing
manager. More info about how Cortney can grow your business is on the social media services page.
Sip Swirl Savor has evolved to a more comprehensive guide
that includes wine reviews, winery visit recommendations, restaurant critiques,
and food and wine pairing suggestions. Cortney features wines from all over the world,
some of which are received as samples but most of which she has purchased.
Please follow Sip Swirl Savor on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you!
Please follow Sip Swirl Savor on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you!
