Join me in Rioja for Everyday Drinking's Writing Boot Camp
A creative week to level up your writing and tasting, October 11-17 in Logroño, Spain.
Join me and a small group of fellow writers in Rioja this fall for an exciting week devoted to writing, creativity, and taste! From October 11-17, I will lead a group of no more than six people in an immersive, all-inclusive experience to improve your drinks writing and your tasting. We’ll spend our mornings workshopping your writing, our afternoons visiting Rioja’s top wineries, and our evenings and mealtimes experiencing the vibrant city of Logroño, its amazing restaurants and tapas (aka pintxos) scene.
This immersive program is for people who want to take their writing and tasting skills to the next level. If you write (or aspire to write) about wine, spirits, food, travel—whether professionally or personally—this course is for you. Are you an aspiring journalist, essayist, or tastemaker? Are you a sommelier or bartender who wants to expand into creating content? Are you looking to supplement what you’ve learned in your WSET courses? Do you work in wine communications, marketing for a drinks company, or publish a newsletter for an importer, shop, winery, or distillery? Are you an influencer who wants to write? Well, this experience is for you. We will explore all aspects of writing about taste, which is quite different than other genres. I have years of experience teaching coaching, editing, and publishing emerging writers, and look forward to sharing that experience with you.
This is not a run-of-the-mill “writers retreat” where you’re trapped in some farmhouse for a week, vaguely “being creative.” The focus here is on developing your work, based on your goals. You will get plenty of feedback, both from our group, and one-on-one with me. Every day, there will be group exercises and tastings, as well as time to work on your personal writing (which we will discuss 1:1 before, during, and after the workshop experience).
Oh, and by the way, we’re going to have a lot of fun, too, experiencing one of the world’s great wine regions. With my access, you’ll be tasting at some of Rioja’s top wineries, places you likely wouldn’t be able to visit on your own. I’ll show you my favorite spots in Logroño and the Rioja countryside, and there will be plenty of free time for rest and pleasure.
Please share this with anyone in your life who might be interested! And if you’re a company, organization, or benefactor interested in supporting a fellowship for a deserving writer, please see below and get in touch.
Everyday Drinking’s Writing Boot Camp
7 days/6 nights (arrive October 11, depart October 17)
What’s included?
Daily group writing workshops with me
One-on-one editing and coaching session (as well as intro and follow-up sessions before and after the trip)
Convenient hotel accommodations in Logroño’s city center (six nights)
All meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including wine), including several lunches at great Rioja restaurants, dinner in a wine cellar, guided tapas tours.
Rioja winery visits every day, including transportation
Private tastings every day
Private ground transfers to/from Logroño train station
How much does this cost?
$5,100 per person, single occupancy. Right now, through May 30, I’m offering an early-bird discount at $4,800 per person, single occupancy. A non-refundable deposit of $1,200 is due upon acceptance into the program. The remaining balance is due by August 15, 2026.
How do I apply?
Please click on this form to submit your application. Don’t be intimidated, this is a super easy form, and really just a way of helping us get to know you a little. Admission to the program will be on a rolling basis, and I will contact you with details and full itinerary within a few days of applying. Once accepted, you will have five days to make your non-refundable deposit.
How many participants will there be?
The group will include no more than six writers, to ensure maximum attention to your writing goals.
What’s not included?
Transportation to/from Logroño, Spain. (I can help with your travel planning, if needed. I can also help with suggestions if you would like to extend your trip a few days).
How can I support a deserving writer to attend?
If you’re a company, organization, or benefactor who would like to sponsor a fellowship for a writer to attend the Everyday Drinking Boot Camp, please get in touch with me directly to discuss: jason@jasonwilson.com
What if I have more questions?
Just DM me here on Substack or email me at jason@jasonwilson.com
What is Rioja (and Logroño) like?
Hopefully, a major draw of this program is Rioja itself. To learn more about the region and the city of Logroño, you can check out my travel pieces here:
Who are you?
I’m Jason Wilson, nice to meet you. I’m the creator of the influential newsletter, Everyday Drinking (which was awarded Substack’s Food Writing fellowship in 2022). I’m also the author of three drinks books: Godforsaken Grapes, Boozehound, and The Cider Revival. Anthony Bourdain called Boozehound “superbly informative, entertaining, and yet deeply subversive.” The New York Times named Godforaken Grapes one of “best wine books of 2018” and The Cider Revival one of “the best wine books of 2019.”
I’ve been a drinks columnist for the Washington Post, critic for Vinous, contributing writer for Wine Enthusiast, senior correspondent for New Wine Review, dining columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Magazine, and even the beer columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. My work has appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, Travel + Leisure, Food + Wine, AFAR, Conde Nast Traveler, and many other publications. For 22 years, I was the series editor of The Best American Travel Writing anthology. I have taught writing and wine workshops for many years, including at the university level.