Tom Cannavan
Encyclopedia
Tom Cannavan is a Scottish
author
and a wine
journalist
. He is considered a pioneer presence on internet of the British wine writing establishment.
, New Wave
, Funk
and Soul
. A promising early career was marked by recording, touring with The Human League
in UK and Europe, leading to some John Peel
sessions.
Paul Morley
in NME
picked them as “band most likely to…” in 1980, and they were noted as the “best gig of 1980” in Sounds
.
in his book The Wine Buyer's Guide.
Cannavan has published the book The Good Web Guide to Wine (2000) and is a contributor to the annual publications Which? Wine Guide and The Wine Report. He has also contributed to publications such as The Sunday Times
, The Independent
, The World of Fine Wine
, Decanter
and GrapesTALK.
In September 2008, Cannavan won International Online Writer of the Year at the Louis Roederer
awards for his website. Upon accepting the award Cannavan joked, "I deserve it, I work bloody hard". Also in September 2008 Cannavan was one of five UK wine writers to launch The Wine Gang, an online wine ratings magazine for the UK. The other members of The Wine Gang are Anthony Rose
, Joanna Simon
, Jane Parkinson and David Williams. The Wine Gang also hold live wine tasting events and festivals.
Cannavan has previously appeared on STV's The Hour programme as their resident wine expert, between 2009 and 2011, when the show came to an end.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and a wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He is considered a pioneer presence on internet of the British wine writing establishment.
Biography
In his youth Tom had a foretaste of fame as lead vocalist and guitarist in the budding band Restricted Code. He co-wrote (in partnership with his schoolmate Frank Quadrelli) all the songs for this relatively successful band, drawing on influences from PunkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. A promising early career was marked by recording, touring with The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
in UK and Europe, leading to some John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
sessions.
Paul Morley
Paul Morley
Paul Morley is an English journalist, who wrote for the New Musical Express from 1977 to 1983, during one of its most successful periods, and has since written for a wide range of publications...
in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
picked them as “band most likely to…” in 1980, and they were noted as the “best gig of 1980” in Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
.
Career
Cannavan has run the website Wine-pages.com since November 1995, widely considered one of the best sites on wine, which received a recommendation by Robert ParkerRobert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter The Wine Advocate, with his particular stylistic preferences and notetaking vocabulary, have become very influential in American wine buying and are...
in his book The Wine Buyer's Guide.
Cannavan has published the book The Good Web Guide to Wine (2000) and is a contributor to the annual publications Which? Wine Guide and The Wine Report. He has also contributed to publications such as The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, The World of Fine Wine
The World of Fine Wine
The World of Fine Wine, abbreviated WFW, is a British quarterly publication for wine enthusiasts and collectors. Published by Quarto Magazines Ltd, the first issue was released in June 2004. It has been described as "an up-market Decanter, with longer, more in-depth features, more credible tastings...
, Decanter
Decanter (magazine)
Decanter is an up market magazine on wine and spirits, published in over 90 countries on a monthly basis. The magazine content includes news from the industry, vintage guides and wine recommendations. Decanter organizes the annual Decanter World Wine Awards.-Wine Ratings:Decanter employs a 1 to 5...
and GrapesTALK.
In September 2008, Cannavan won International Online Writer of the Year at the Louis Roederer
Louis Roederer
Louis Roederer is a producer of champagne based in Reims, France. Founded in 1776, it was inherited and renamed by Louis Roederer in 1833, and is noted as the producer of the luxury champagne Cristal.-History:...
awards for his website. Upon accepting the award Cannavan joked, "I deserve it, I work bloody hard". Also in September 2008 Cannavan was one of five UK wine writers to launch The Wine Gang, an online wine ratings magazine for the UK. The other members of The Wine Gang are Anthony Rose
Anthony Rose
Anthony Rose is a British wine journalist known for his column in The Independent. He also contributes to publications such as Wine & Spirit, Decanter and The World of Fine Wine...
, Joanna Simon
Joanna Simon (wine)
Joanna Simon is a British author and wine journalist known for her column in The Sunday Times from 1987 to 2009. She has also columns in Style Magazine, has previously worked as editor of the consumer magazine Wine and Wine & Spirit, occasionally contributes to publications such as Wine & Spirit,...
, Jane Parkinson and David Williams. The Wine Gang also hold live wine tasting events and festivals.
Cannavan has previously appeared on STV's The Hour programme as their resident wine expert, between 2009 and 2011, when the show came to an end.
Awards
- 2008: Louis Roederer International Online Wine Writer of the Year
- 2010: Wine Journalist of the Year, Portuguese Wine Awards