There’s little joy in the glass tonight, for today we lost a friend. Jeremy Pringle, fellow blogger (winewilleatitself.com); writer; ‘dilettante wine punk’ and mate was sadly, suddenly, found dead in his home.
Gutted.
JP and I first connected a little over five years ago. Back then I had just started this blog, and Jeremy and I were just each others fans. He would comment on my post, I’d ask him why he didn’t start his own blog, and we’d all nod sagely about the joy of wine.
On a whim, JP sent me a bottle of his favourite wine – the 2006 Curly Flat Pinot. I didn’t ask for it, he just sent it because he loved it. No desires, just keen to share the vinous joy. In turn, that started a chain of bottle swaps, often betting over the AFL (Jeremy was a Brisbane Lions fan) and any excuse really to trade wines we loved.
It didn’t take long before Jeremy had his blog (I won’t take any credit – a sheer weight of others pushed him to do it) and quickly we were more than just fans and now comrades – both pushing out the wine blogger boat and rowing furiously against the tide of ‘old media’ sniping.
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| THAT table. JP in picture, boor to my left… |
That camaraderie was cemented at a wine media trip about three years ago, when Jeremy and I found ourselves on a table with one of the most obnoxious wine boors of the wine industry – both trying to defend the notions of what a good and bad wine entails in the face of someone who believed they knew everything.
The real joy, though, came from disagreeing with Jeremy – he loved a spirited discussion, had strong opinions that he didn’t mind voicing and was willing to respect well formed responses. Not seeing eye-to-eye with Jeremy meant an enjoyable debate and I liked the stirring (even if he could be frustrating).
In more recent times, I think Jeremy overtook myself in the wine writing game, turning his skill of language, philosophy (he marked university papers for a while there) and music (he also taught a little music on the side) into well crafted prose both for his own website and in more traditional, long form print media articles.
Blog traffic was on the up, his writing skills were fully appreciated. He was kicking goals and on the rise.
For all that success, sadly Jeremy and I share one thing in common that I wish we didn’t – we’ve both struggled with our personal demons. I was lucky to slay most of mine some years ago, yet JP had been dogged by the darkness only recently – to the point where he had withdrawn from social media and put his blog on hiatus in a bid to right everything again.
I conversed, in a staccato of overly short DMs, with JP only a week or so ago. He seemed clear in thought, acknowledging that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and keen to not let this dog-eat-dog wine industry (it’s vicious. With the worst often coming from wine writers themselves) take him down. I only wish I had of pushed more and eked more out of him at the time.
Regrets, I’ve had a few…
Regardless, enough dark thoughts, let us praise the man who is gone. Gone, not forgotten, and with much in his wake.
See you mate.
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7 Comments
No words tonight. ~Neala
Well said AG. A spirit that I'll miss greatly for a number of reasons. It's a much poorer place without JP.
I've never met Jeremy in person, but have often exchanged thoughts, and I once sent him a book I thought he'd like (by Max Lake). I was just about to send him another … I should have made an effort to meet him. I kind of thought it would be inevitable. Just goes to show that you shouldn't leave things like that to chance.
His 'hiatus' a week or so or whatever it was ago kind of alerted me to something being awry, and I almost sent him an email to the effect of "don't be doing that pulling up stumps shit again" (as he's done before). Regrets. Yep. Even a bit of survivor guilt.
People often say to me "why don't you have a wine website?", but I always think to myself that I'm interested in heaps of things, I don't have the absolute whatever it is (so often called 'passion') that Jeremy had. That's what's needed. He's the sort of person who SHOULD be writing about wine. And you too, of course, Andrew, for different reasons. Yours and Jeremy's are really the only two blog-like sites that I visit on a frequent basis.
MichaelC
Thanks Michael. I love Max Lake's books too. He was another interesting character actually, old Max. Lively mind right to the end.
I think JP would have liked him…
That is both very sad and unexpected news. My condolences.
Absolutely gutted.
Every once in a while I would jump on the same thread on ‘wine will eat itself’ and discuss Boireann wine with Jeremy and others. I had a Boireann tonight and was just on his blog wondering why I couldn’t post comments.
I am now in shock, I never met Jeremy but his thoughts and attitude were just wonderful.
Condolences to family and friends he will be missed.
Condolences. Lovely words Andrew. Wish I was in on that bottle swapping! As MichaelC says above – I also nearly contacted him re the hiatus but …