A resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Laurie Daniel has been a journalist for 30 years. Although she grew up in wine-deprived surroundings in the Midwest, she quickly developed an interest in wine after she moved to California. Her weekly wine column is published in several California newspapers, including the San Jose Mercury News, and her work has appeared in magazines such as Food & Wine, Wine Country Living, Wines & Vines, Drinks and the Wine Enthusiast.