A certified Italian Wine Scholar and creator of the popular “Grapefully Yours” Wine Blog, Jim Campanini has authored more than 500 columns on wine, food, and travel – many of them published as “The Wine Novice” in The Lowell Sun, Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise and Boston Herald.

Campanini is a former longtime editor of The Sun, where he garnered numerous editorial writing and journalism honors over his 30-year career at the newspaper. He is a two-time Rogers Award winner, given to the top editorial on a local subject as judged by the New England Newspaper Association. In 2012, Jim became the first journalist in The Sun’s then 137-year history to be awarded a Yankee Quill award for outstanding lifetime achievement in New England journalism. The honor also carried induction into The Academy of New England Journalists.

Since retiring from The Sun in 2018, Jim has followed his passion exploring wine regions in the United States and across the globe.

His travels have taken him to California’s Napa and Sonoma valleys, Washington State’s Columbia Valley and Walla Walla regions, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and New York’s Finger Lakes region. Abroad, he’s visited wineries in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal.

In 2019, Jim established Pergola Communications, which provides social messaging and consulting services to corporate clients and individuals. That same year, Gov. Charlie Baker appointed him to the Board of Trustees at Middlesex Community College where he serves to this day.

A resident of Lowell, Jim lives in the Belvidere neighborhood with his Wine Goddess wife, Mary Lee.

Why Jim Joined InsideLowell:
“What’s not to like about InsideLowell? Teddy is taking this digital experience to the moon and I want be onboard for the ride. Maybe there are vineyards on the dark side of moon. Who knows? Seriously, it’s a great opportunity to breathe new life and spirit into Lowell with other fine contributors. If you like wine, or are curious about it,  InsideLowell.com is the place to be.”