Keith Herndon and Charlotte Varnum win two Taste Awards, finalists for four others

Grady faculty Keith Herndon and Charlotte Varnum won two Taste Awards this year and were finalists in four other categories for work on their wine book and podcast.

“Wine Conversations: Exploring Meaning, Mystery and Myth” was named a Special Achievement Winner in the 17th Annual Taste Awards for Best Interactive E-Book.

One of Herndon’s original photos – Perfect Pairing – published in the book was a winner in the Taste Photography Awards. 

Season five of the “Wines We Drink” podcast, which based its 12 episodes on material from the book, was recognized as a finalist in four award categories: Best Lifestyle Podcast, Best Food or Drink Podcast, Best Reality Series and Best Drink or Beverage Program. 

The awards’ organizer, the Academy of Media Tastemakers, describes the Taste Awards as “the Oscars of Food, Fashion and Lifestyle Media.” 

“It is incredibly gratifying to have our work recognized by the Taste Awards,” Herndon said. “We get a lot of personal satisfaction from this work, but this national recognition makes it even more special for us.”

This year’s red-carpet ceremony scheduled for the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, California, was postponed indefinitely due to an ongoing labor strike by Writers Guild staff, but Varnum said that did not diminish the enthusiasm for this year’s recognition.

“While we would have loved to celebrate on the red carpet again this year, we are beyond thrilled to have been honored for our work across platforms this year,” Varnum said “Five years into producing this podcast, we have reached more people with these wine conversations than we ever thought possible.” 

Herndon produced the “Wine Conversations” book as its author and interviewer with Varnum serving as editor. The book, which features 16 interviews with prominent wine industry experts, was published in print in February 2025 and the interactive edition followed in September. Innovative Ink, an imprint of Kendall Hunt, was the publisher. Alexis Derickson, a Grady master’s degree student in journalism, was the book’s copy editor.

Two years ago, the “Wines We Drink” podcast won Taste Awards for Best Food or Drink Podcast and Best Lifestyle podcast, which Herndon and Varnum credited as providing the credibility needed to bring their book project to life.

“The Taste Awards mean so much to us,” Herndon said. “They have become our calling card after four awards in three years!”

Season six of “Wines We Drink” will launch June 3, and the pair will begin work on their next wine book later this year.

Author: Keith Herndon, klhern@uga.edu