Food Studies Conference: The First Newspaper Wine Editor, Ruth Ellen Church
I am virtually presenting a paper for the Food Studies Conference next fall: “The First Lady of Wine Journalism: Ruth Ellen Church.” I just received the email acceptance and am looking forward to talking about the wine coverage in the women’s pages.
The first person to write a wine column for an American newspaper was Ruth Ellen Church, the Chicago Tribune food editor who often used the pen name of Mary Meade. Her column began in 1962. Initially, she traveled through Europe to learn about wine. In 1963 she published the cookbook, The American Guide to Wines which included an introduction by esteemed food writer Morrison Wood. She later wrote a book documenting the wines of the Midwest. In 1992, the Midwest International Wine Exposition began giving the Ruth Ellen Church Award for best wine journalists. Material for the paper comes from her columns and her cookbooks, as well as her materials found in the papers of Associated Press food editor Cecily Brownstone at the Fales Library at New York University.
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