Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyssa Hurvitz.
Hi Lyssa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I first fell in love with wine when I was studying abroad in Florence one summer in college. Since then, over the past eight years, I had become increasingly interested in the world of wine and how complex it is. Late in 2018, I decided to create an Instagram account, meant to just be personal, where I could take photos of the wines I was trying and do my own little reviews. My intention was just to use it to connect with other wine lovers and get recommendations for wines I should be trying. I also wanted to challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone because I was buying the same bottles of wine every week!
Within about a month or two, I had quickly discovered that there was a niche community on social media of wine-lovers and bloggers. I have had the opportunity to meet so many people from around the country who love wine and even made some fantastic friendships through this community! My favorite thing to do now is to help bring visibility to small wine producers that you wouldn’t be able to find at the grocery store. This journey has also encouraged me to expand my wine knowledge; last year, I completed WSET 2 with distinction, and I plan to continue my wine education!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s definitely one of those things where you get out of it what you put into it. As my account has grown, so has the amount of time I need to dedicate to creating content and engaging with an audience. I’m occasionally taking sponsored partnerships, which are a lot of work as well, so balancing my account with my full-time day job in the Publishing industry has sometimes been a struggle. Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed or uninspired, I try to step away from it for a beat and think about what kind of content I can create that will help other people discover great wines.
Late in 2020, my Fiancé and I decided to pack up our lives in Los Angeles and move to Orlando. I’d say the transition from moving to Florida has been a struggle in itself, as it’s much more difficult to get to wine country from here! I’ve channeled that energy into trying to incorporate more local Orlando businesses into my content creation now and have been enjoying featuring restaurants when I can.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
By day I work in publicity for a Publishing house, but when I’m not working my day job, I’m often focusing on my wine blog. I create most of my content for Instagram, which has a lot of pros and cons, but I’m generally a very visual person so that platform felt like it made the most sense for me. I try to be as honest as I can about the wines I try, and I really love to bring attention to small production wineries that you can’t find on shelves anywhere. That’s where the real magic in wine is.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
If you like wine but aren’t sure how to expand your palate, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram, @wishesandwine. I’m always happy to help make recommendations at any budget. At the end of the day, wine is only good if you like it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wishesandwine.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/wishesandwine
