Michael Cervin
Featured Journalist
By Maralyn D. Hill
M
ichael Cervin and I met in
2009 while attending a
conference. We have since
been on several press trips
and conferences and have
served together on a board. So,
interviewing Michael is more like
interviewing a longtime business
friend than a new acquaintance. He’s
an accomplished author and wine
writer, diligent about getting his
thoughts down while they are fresh,
working out, and having fun.
Maralyn: How did you discover your
love of wine, which led to travel?
Michael: Curiously, I discovered my
love of wine when I moved to Santa
Barbara and ended up working
weekends at a wine tasting room.
The winemaker was available and
helpful to me, and I ended up giving
winery tours and became fascinated
by the process of grapes turning
into wine. As for travel, I had no
concept I’d end up writing travel
books. I was heading to Germany on
a wine-specific trip and I asked the
newspaper I wrote for if they would
want a wine-travel article. To my
surprise, they said yes, and
everything literally snowballed from
there. The point being, you never
know where the path will take you.
But as long as you are willing to take
step after step on an uncertain road,
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you might find yourself in territory
you never expected.
water each day, which helps with
mental acuity.
photography should inspire people to
explore far beyond their boundaries.
Maralyn: Are you more passionate
about writing or photography?
Michael: Whereas I started writing
early. I received my first check when
I was just 14 years old for a poem I
wrote before I ever picked up a
camera. Of late, the challenge,
patience and often immediacy of
photography have captivated me.
The old proverb of a picture being
worth a thousand words is
absolutely true. But for me, you
can’t have one without the other; a
camera and a pen are a mighty
combination.
Maralyn: Where is your favorite
place to travel?
Michael: Though I’ll travel anywhere
in the U.S., I adore New Mexico
because of its food and amazing
history and the Columbia River
Gorge outside of Portland for its
sheer diversity and beauty.
Internationally, I am in love with
Switzerland and Austria.
Fortunately, I get sent to places I
never expected, and any new place
we travel to means a new learning
opportunity.
Maralyn: What is one of your
favorite experiences while
traveling?
Michael: I was fortunate to visit the
Great Wall of China. I was a guest of
the Chinese government, and so my
guides were always with me. But
when we arrived at a portion of the
Wall, about two hours outside of
Beijing, they let me roam free. As I
ascended the wall, the throngs of
people were intense. To my right was
the popular part, and a literal wall of
people were slowly moving in that
direction. To my left was less
crowded, but steep and uneven,
though still crowded. I went left and
walked and walked and walked.
Eventually, I was one of only a few
people on a desolate portion of the
Wall. Alone and nearly isolated, it
was a memorable experience, as I
could see portions of the wall
snaking out across the mountains,
away from the throngs of tourists.
Alone with my thoughts, I was able
to get into a groove, a subject I later
recounted on my global travel blog.
Maralyn: What is your writing
process?
Michael: Mornings are most
productive for me. I aim to be at my
desk by 6 a.m. After a few hours, I’ll
work out (run, cycle or power-walk).
Then it’s back to my desk until
noon-ish. After a lunch break, it’s
back to work until around dinner
time, when I make dinner for my wife
(which also provides a creative
outlet). My wife works evenings, so
it’s often back to the desk until 9
p.m. or so. Throughout the day, I take
about four 10-minute breaks, where
I get outside and walk and stretch.
And I routinely consume two liters of
Maralyn: If you could be anyone
else, who would it be?
Michael: Not to sound trite, but I
have no interest in being someone
else. Being me is already a fulltime
job, and I still have so much to learn
to become a better version of myself
all the time.
Maralyn: What motivates you to be
a luxury journalist?
Michael: Much of that motivation
comes from the desire to let people
know some of the places they may
not have ever thought of in their
travel plans. Not everyone has the
means to travel, nor to travel at the
luxury level, and travel writing and
Maralyn: Tell us about a favorite
dish from your travels.
Michael: I don’t usually have a
favorite anything. But I vividly