Jamie Knee, Petite Wine Traveler, Wins Wine Travel Awards 2025–2026 Top Wine & Food Influencer
Why This Wine Travel Awards Recognition Matters to Me
By Jamie Knee
Jamie Knee, Petite Wine Traveler, Wine Travel Awards Winner
I am deeply honored to share that I have been named 2025–2026 Top Wine & Food Influencer, The Brightest Journey at the Wine Travel Awards.
This recognition means a great deal to me, not simply because of the title itself, but because of what it represents.
Over the last several years, I have dedicated so much of my work to helping people see wine travel differently. Not only as tasting rooms and beautiful vineyards, but as one of the most powerful intersections of culture, hospitality, food, place, heritage, and human connection. Furthermore, I have long believed that wine travel is not a niche corner of the industry. It is one of the most meaningful ways people come to understand a destination.
That belief has guided everything I have built through Petite Wine Traveler.
Friends toasting with wine outdoors in a sunny enotourism landscape with Jamie Knee.
For me, wine has never been only about what is in the glass. It has always been about where that glass can take you. Into a region, a story, a deeper understanding of people, traditions, land, and local identity. That is why I created and continue to build around the idea that wine is a passport.
It is a passport to wine country. A passport to culture. And a passport to memory, belonging, beauty, and experience.
This award matters to me because it feels like a meaningful affirmation of that vision.
So much of my work has been about showing that enotourism is not only about tasting wine. It is about supporting local communities. It is also about telling producers’ stories with care, and it’s about encouraging travelers to return to wine country with curiosity and intention. Additionally, it is about helping wineries, hotels, tourism boards, and luxury brands connect with people in ways that feel emotional, memorable, and lasting. That kind of storytelling matters.
It matters for destinations trying to reach the right audience, for wineries hoping to deepen engagement, and for hospitality brands seeking meaningful cultural alignment. It matters for an industry that is increasingly shaped by experience, education, and connection.
I think that is one reason this recognition feels so personal to me.
I have poured so much heart into this work. This includes the writing, the presenting, the speaking, the traveling, the studying, the conversations, and the storytelling. Above all, it includes the belief that wine travel deserves to be taken seriously as a powerful cultural and economic force. To have that recognized by a global initiative dedicated to wine tourism feels incredibly encouraging.
It reminds me that this work has value, that this direction matters, and that I should keep going.
I am also especially grateful because this recognition comes at a time when I feel deeply committed to continuing to grow Petite Wine Traveler as a wine travel media platform. I see it as a voice for enotourism, and as a bridge between audiences and the world’s wine regions.
I will continue writing stories that bring people closer to a place, to present and speak about how wine can transform the way we experience travel. My goal is to continue helping destinations, wineries, and hospitality brands understand that wine is not simply a product. In addition, wine and wine travel are two of the most beautiful and effective ways to make a place memorable. That is what this award represents to me.
Jamie Knee Enotourism Voice and Wine Presenter
Not an ending. Not a title to sit beside my name. But a call forward.
For me, this is a reminder to keep building. To keep telling stories and creating connections. And to keep helping people see where wine can take them.
Wine as a Passport
I am deeply grateful to the Wine Travel Awards, to the judges, and to the global wine tourism community for this honor. I am also grateful to everyone who has supported my work, read my stories, invited me into regions, welcomed me to tables, and believed in the vision I have been building.
The brightest journey, for me, has always been about helping people understand that wine opens the world.
And I am only just getting started.
With gratitude,
Jamie Knee
Petite Wine Traveler
Through Petite Wine Traveler, I write, speak, and present for the wine and travel world, partnering with destinations, wineries, hotels, and hospitality brands to tell stories that bring people closer to place through culture, beauty, and the glass.
