(Winemag) - When my husband and I, along with our baby and pup, moved from Australia to the small city of Kingston in New York’s Hudson Valley, we knew no one. We faced the usual challenges as we hunted for friends, jobs and childcare, but we gradually adjusted.

Still, a void remained. I was missing a wine community. After all, wine is a social endeavor. However remarkable the liquid in your glass, wine becomes infinitely more enjoyable when shared with those who not only appreciate its beauty, but recognize its cultural and historic significance and sense of place. In short, wine geeks need other wine geeks.