The Wine Bloggers Conference is Here!
Is it true that wine blogging is changing the wine writing genre?
Of course it’s true. This medium, blogging, has become the medium of choice for those that want to say something about wine. It has also attracted a notable number of traditional wine publishers as well as respected wine writers. Blog reviews of wine sell the product. Wine Blogs often break important wine-related stories. They even have the potential to set the agenda as to what is being discussed and thought out with earnest among members of the wine community.
So, it should be no surprise that Wine Bloggers from across the country will be gathering to discuss their place in the world at:
THE FIRST ANNUAL WINE BLOGGERS CONFERENCE
Organized by Open Wine Consortium and Zephyr Adventures, this first conference is set for October 24-26 in Santa Rosa, California in Sonoma County. Initial sponsors include The Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, Inertia Beverage Group, Sebastiani Vineyards, Cruvee, the Sonoma County Vintners Association, and the Sonoma Wine Grape Commission. And this is just the start
(Anyone wanting to help sponsor this Bloggers Conference, simply contact me!)
This is the first time that wine bloggers from across the country have had the opportunity to gather together. And this seems odd in a way. The wine blogging community is a somewhat tight group despite the fact that there are hundreds of us communicating with tens of thousands (millions?) of wine lovers and the wine curious.
There is a lot that wine bloggers could and will benefit from discussing face to face:
-Journalistic ethics
-Monetizing their blogs
-Strategies to expand their audience
-Using blogging to bring change to the industry
-New tools for wine bloggers
-The potential of wine blogger networks to expand an audience
-Moving from the blog format to traditional journalism
-How best to interact with publicists
-Using your blog to promote your business
-How to best communicate reviews of wine
The list is long.
I’ll most certainly be at this first Wine Bloggers Conference. My real hope is that it attracts a huge gathering of bloggers and others interested in wine blogging. I hope the event will draw attention to this new medium for wine writers. I hope it will spur wineries and others in the wine industry to think hard about the impact that blogging has on their businesses.
So, wine blogging has gone mainstream. Sigh.
Tom,
This is a good idea and a good event. I do have a few thoughts and concerns about the topics.
I think that “Credibility”, “Journalistic Ethics” and “How Best To Communicate About Wine” are the most important and most difficult issues the conference will have to deal with.
http://tinyurl.com/5awukj
Nice job scheduling a wine related conference during the harvest. That way, you’ll be sure to get only those writers who don’t have anything to do with wine production. I mean, shit, what do those guys have to say anyways?
There is another conference of wine bloggers…and it’s 2 months earlier! We’ll hopefully be sharing ideas across both conferences, and bring some internationalness to the whole world of wine blogging. Hope to make it to both!
On an unrelated front I had the opportunity to taste one of the best roses available today from Chateau d’Esclans in Provence France. Its Les Clans reminds me of a white Burgundy style wine. The person behind this new wine, Sacha Lichine is featured in the current Wine Spectator. Check it out and the wine itself!