Greetings from Mary Mihaly, aka BigSexyReds.com. I’m a career writer and editor who loves wine and decided to learn about it (and write about it, and drink it).

Once I started, I couldn’t get enough. So far, I have a CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine) certification from the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) and a Level 3/Advanced certificate from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET). Not enough vino mumbo-jumbo for you? I’m now studying for my CSS (Certified Specialist of Spirits) certification from SWE, and probably will begin a Spanish Wine Scholar program next year. Then no more pencils, no more books…I think. I feel a little insecure when I’m not reading up on this stuff.

Before the wine world swept me up, I spent several decades as a magazine writer and book author, specializing in travel and health, visiting 61 countries (so far) on assignment: I’ve seen bulrushes on the Nile (they look just like the illustrations in your Sunday School book), climbed part of the Great Wall, and knew just enough Russian to find a restroom in Uzbekistan. And I gladly walked two miles round-trip to find a wine store in Brussels; all they seemed to care about is beer!

Over the years, articles about my travels (and other subjects) appeared in some of the country’s biggest publications, including Playboy, Reader’s Digest, Family Circle, Continental, Seventeen, House Beautiful and dozens more – 600+ articles, and about 15 books if you count my ghostwriting projects.

And now I’ve turned to wine, the subject I love most. That includes wine travel, and you’ll see some of that on the blog from time to time, too. In the “day job” – writing and editing – one of my more delicious gigs is Editor of TheWineBuzz, Ohio’s only statewide wine, spirits and beer magazine.

BigSexyReds will (usually) publish twice a week, most likely on Monday and Thursday. I won’t focus exclusively on the big, sexy red wines that I love; I’ll write about whites, too, and at times will dabble in spirits. After all, most wine drinkers I know enjoy the hard stuff, too, from time to time.

My promise to readers and followers: we’ll play around (because wine is fun, yes?) but  each post will contain real, useful information. You’ll always find a takeaway. And while we’re here to learn, you won’t find wine snobs here.

Speaking of followers: did you notice that little “Follow” tab in the lower right-hand corner of your screen? If you click on it and register (quick, easy), BigSexyReds will land in your email box whenever I post. You won’t have to visit this site again.

And please, leave comments! I want to hear your questions, ideas, how things happen in your wine world. I have only one ground rule: be nice. Snippy, snotty remarks will get the poster banished. We’re here to learn about wine together and support each other.

Thanks for joining us – happy sipping!