Ideas, Advice, and Tips for #WBC14

TIME FOR TASTING ISOLATION BOOTHS?  

Next week the annual Wine Bloggers Conference arrives in Santa Barbara/Buellton for the 2014 event. It’s expected to be packed, similar to the crush of bloggers that were in Portland in 2012. That’s great, but the night of many wines at WBC12 in Portland was so noisy I could hardly concentrate on any of the wines presented. So I think it might be cool to see tasting isolation booths at the Wine Bloggers Conference-- small, telephone booth size chambers where one can duck in, close the door, and focus on the wine. Heck, it's a sponsorship opportunity! Allan Wright, get on this pronto--you could charge big bucks for branded tasting booths. You can thank me later. 

DO’s and DON'Ts FOR A SUCCESSFUL WBC*

* Drink, drink, drink and never spit any precious wine out. Spiting is for losers! Amirite? Right.

* Don’t bother drinking water. Wine is wet too, it will keep you hydrated just as well.

* Don’t sleep. Stay up for the entire conference. Go on, you can do it! Just like in your college days.

* Ladies: Wear really high heels, the higher the better. That way you can help aerate the soils at vineyards you visit and give the rest of us the chance to yell “Timber!" when you go crashing to the ground.

* Men: Wear White. White shirts are classy, always in fashion, and never show stains. White pants are great too. If you want to make a lasting impression show up dressed like Mr. Clean for speed tasting. Bonus points for the gold hoop earring.

* Ladies & Men: Wear feather boas at all times to garner respect and awe from fellow bloggers.

See you in Buellton.

* Advice dispensed above is for entertainment purposes only. But I mean it about the isolation booths.

Almost Quit My Blog

Almost quit my blog*

It happened just the other day

I was getting kind of bored

I had nothing left to say

But I didn't and I wonder why 

I feel like letting my wine freak flag fly

And I feel like I owe it to someone

But I'm not giving in an inch to fear 

Cos I promised myself this year 

I feel like I owe it to someone 

(* Sung to the tune of Almost Cut My Hair with apologies to David Crosby for minor lyric changes)

When I started this blog five years ago my purpose was to explore the region in which I live, the vineyards and wineries of my backyard, the Russian River Valley. My blog was a catalyst for my own exploration of wine and wine travel. I never expected it to become more than that. But things changed.

Largely due in part to my blog, I was invited to speak at wine conferences around the world about marketing, social media, writing, and wine tourism. I went from being a newbie at the 2009 Wine Bloggers Conference to a featured speaker on Creating Compelling Content at the 2013 Conference. I even won the Rhone Rangers Wine Blog contest two years in a row see here and here.

Because of my blog I got the opportunity to explore well beyond my backyard including the wine regions of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Canada {especially B.C.} and much of Washington and Oregon. I received assignments to write about wine and travel for several publications and was chosen to become a corespondent for Forbes Travel Guide covering Napa and Sonoma.

But in the midst of all this activity, my blog got left behind.

It was no longer a touchstone of exploration, but a tool to support my other writing activities. It became less spontaneous and more predictable. I no longer wrote posts for the sheer impulsive fun of it all. And slowly, without even realizing it, I squeezed the life out of my blog.

In short, my blog had become a burden.

Many past posts (all of which are fully disclosed) were the result of sponsored or comped access to events at wineries and tastings. I have never compromised my own thoughts and impressions to please anyone regardless of the circumstances, yet the pressure to maintain a high standard of quality posts, under non-implied but always hovering expectations, is exhausting.

Then last year I founded and launched a writing retreat program called Writing Between the Vines that hosts writers on vineyard properties for personal writing retreats of up to one week in length. This program was a direct result of all my travels and the people I’ve met along the way. Now that Writing Between the Vines is up and running I’m re-establishing my commitment to my own personal writing projects.

I will continue to cultivate relationships directly with wineries, wine regions, and destinations that I have an interest in writing about for this blog and other outlets. But for the time being, I'm stepping away from the majority of media invites that come barreling into my inbox while I get back to basics.

So I’m not quitting my blog after all, and like the song says, I feel like I owe it to someone--to me I guess, and especially to my sister, to keep going. I’m going to get reacquainted with it--unfiltered and unsponsored. I hope you will too. Whomever the heck you are.

Flock It To Me: Tasting Two Shepherds New Releases

My first stop prior to the official start of #WBC12 in Portland was to taste the new line up from Two Shepherds by William Allen. I sat down with William along with Chris Kern of @ForgottenGrapes  to sample the new releases. Here are verbatim, my live, unedited comments and extensive wine notes:

2011 Grenache Blanc –100% Grenache Blanc
“Mmmm. It’s so flocking good.” This wine put Mr. Allen on the map of the United States of Whatever.

2011 Viognier –100% Viognier
 “Oh Man! That’s nice!”  Straight up, fresh and forward--opening into a full-on Yum O'rama.

2011 Pastoral Blanc blend– 45% Roussanne, 25% Marsanne, 20% Viognier, 15% Grenache Blanc
I tell you, if Charlie Mason had access to this wine he never would have gone on a rampage. This is a wine that can soothe the savage beast. X marks the spot for balance and elegance.

Barrel Sample– 100% Grenache
To paraphrase Vincent Vega--“Godamn that’s a pretty fucking good barrel sample. I don’t know if it’s worth $5 dollars, but its pretty fucking good.”

2010 GSM --
Blastoff! Um yeah… take your protein pills and put your helmet on for this one. Ground control to Major Tom, er make that William, you’ve really made the grade here. Unfortunately the top-secret nature of this wine may have died along with Neil Armstrong that weekend. Well okay, here is the secret- 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 25% Mourvèdre • From two Vineyards: Saralee’s Vineyard, Russian River Valley. Mouvedre, Livermore.

2010 Syrah|Mourvedre--50% Syrah, 50% Mourvèdre
An 8.0 on the Richter scale of Grapeness--grab the mane on this little pony and hold or you might get bucked off from the powerful flavor.

You can find full notes and details on all the wines from Two Shepherds here.
http://twoshepherdsvineyards.com

In the meantime--Keep your dial tuned here for a flurry of new posts coming in, including all the wild wine action from #WBC12 and a full report on the Wonders of Carlton, Oregon! You don’t want to miss that. Also coming up--a peek into the deep heart of Texas wine at Messina-Hof winery.

Pardon This Blog Interuption for News and Annoucements

You may have noticed a bit of a posting gap on Come for the Wine in the last month. I usually post weekly, but I’ve been very busy working on some exciting side projects I’d like to tell you about. Most of my wine blogging friends think I’m a travel writer with a wine blog, while my travel writing friends think I’m a wine blogger who writes about travel. Well both are correct. It’s like that old Certs commercial-- “it’s two, two mints in one.” My blog focus is wine tourism so it all works out.

I have news on both sides of the travel and wine mint.
First the Travel Writing News:

I’m pleased to announce my story about the first time I visited Sicily with my mother in search of our family roots, will be in the 2012 edition of Best Women’s Travel Writing, edited by Lavinia Spalding. This is the third year in a row I’ve made the cut for the annual Best Women’s Travel Writing collections and I’m extremely grateful to be included in such a great showcase for women’s travel writing.

I’ve also been very busy editing an anthology of travel humor called Leave the Lipstick, Take the Iguana that will be out around the end of August. The collection has 33 tales that will strike your funny bone and have you shooting wine out your nose like you did back in fifth grade lunch room. See if you can spot the wine bottle and corkscrew on the cover below!

I’ll be sending out announcements when the book is released, and a schedule of reading events--so follow @leavtheiguana on twitter for news and updates.

Travel Writing Workshop in Spain:

So if all this talk of travel writing has you thinking--“Hey, maybe I should add some travel to my blog!” -- you are in luck!  This October 7-14th, Lavina Spalding and I will be leading a food, wine, and travel writing workshop called Writing Away in Spain hosted and organized by Epicurean Ways. No matter what your writing goals are, I guarantee you’ll come away from the trip with new focus and plenty of ideas. Maybe even a few drafts of articles to pitch. And we cover that in the trip--how to pitch and work with editors to get your work published. The trip includes visits to local olive oil producers and of course winemakers. Spain! Food! Wine! Writing! What more do you need to know??

Click here for the full itineary and all the details. It’s a great read!

Combined Travel and Wine News:

Two world’s are going to collide...get ready. {Photo Credit: Lily Chou}

In the next few weeks I’ll be announcing a HUGE project that will snap your head back when you hear about it. It combines my two worlds -- writing and wine in the most extrondinary way. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

Wine Tourism News:

I’m working to help promote the next Wine Tourism Conference {presented by our friends at Zephyr Adventures the hosts of our beloved Wine Bloggers Conference} that will take place in November in Santa Rosa. Last year’s Wine Tourism Conference in Napa was a great initial gathering and I met so many people that have been instrumental in many of my projects this year. If you work in the wine or tourism industries I encourage you to attend. And if you are a wine blogger, I highly recommend it for the contacts you can make and the perspective it lends on the tourism aspects of the wine industry. There will be special pricing and registration for wine bloggers who wish to attend. Follow @winetourismconf for an announcement about this soon.

And Now Back to Wine Blogging:
This Sunday I’m off to Penticton for an early preview of the Okanagan region of B.C. , Canada, where the 2013 Wine Bloggers Conference will be held --so stay tuned for a full report.

In fact stay tuned for EVERYTHING. Theres lot’s of great stuff coming up in the next few weeks here on Come for the Wine including a visit to Messina Hof winery in Texas for harvest, (yikes, Texas in August) and of course 2012 Wine Blogger's Conference in Portland.  Hope to see you there.

Cheers--

Mini-Tour of Willamette Valley

The Magic Bus

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Pre-WBC event tour the Willamette valley by Lynette Shaw of Soléna Estate. I’ve been on several of these type of events and I must say this trip knocked all the rest out of the park on the sheer fun meter, plus it did not hurt that the winery’s we visited were top notch as well.

To start the day off in style, we climbed aboard the flashy red double-decker bus from Portland. It was the maiden voyage for this little cutie and I hope we did not jinx it. The bus, a 1959 vintage had been completely restored and outfitted as a deluxe party bus complete with leather lounge banquets up top and a bar area down below. The view from the top deck was exceptional for taking in all those beautiful Willamette valley vistas. Adding to the thrill of the ride were the Voodoo Donuts a Portland gastronomic icon. Although I must admit those donuts looked more like hood ornaments than anything edible. Maybe they were "Mt. Hood" ornaments (Yuk Yuk).

Our first stop was Soléna located in Yamhill, Oregon. From the innovate design of the winery to the story of the “wedding gift grapes” there was a lot to take in. Danielle and Laurent Montalieu, the winery owners, greeted us. Laurent is the chief winemaker at Soléna. We also met Bruno Corneaux one of their winemakers from Grand Cru Estates.

Laurent and Danielle have one of the most unique stories I’ve heard about how they got the estate going. In lieu of traditional wedding gifts the couple asked for vine stock and received enough to plant their wedding vineyard. So where do you register for something like that? Crate and Wine Barrel? Nice way to start a marriage. But dare I ask what happens in the event of a divorce? Is Oregon a community property state? Lets hope one buys out the other and no ripping out of vines occurs. (just kidding, they seem very happy)

The Montalieu's are especially enthusiastic about their land. Laurent prides himself as being very hands on with the ability to take to the tractor and tend to the vines as needed. His daily immersion into the vineyard keeps him close to the changes that are occurring and alerts him to opportunities as well; such as planting on angles according to the declination of the sun for greater yields in the short but intense growing season.

One thing I’ve learned from visiting wineries is that you better love being out in the dirt as much as in the cellar if you want to make great wine.

After a tour of the open pavilion style tank room, built to have the flexibility of use, we adjourned to the cellar for some barrel tasting from vineyards located in the Willamette valley sub AVA’s: Hyland from McMinnville, Guadalupe-- Dundee Hills, Thistle –Dundee Hills, Monks Gate- Yamhill-Carlton District and Kalita – Dundee hills.

This was not your typical barrel tasting. It was a virtual “barrel buffet” in which we were all presented with our own personal thief’s and given free reign to taste and sample as we liked. I liked this unhurried approach to barrel tasting. Like hummingbirds with glass proboscises we dipped in and out of the samples at our own pace. I found it really gave you a chance to think about each sample and go back to compare and contrast among the barrels.

I liked the Hyland, Guadalupe, and Thistle, most, all of which feature volcanic soil. I liked this open tasting concept very much and it helped me to set the particular AVA’s in my mind and palate. I was struck by how vast the differences were between barrels.

We had a regal luncheon with food pairings created by chef Matthew Howard for each of the wines. It’s hard not to come away from something like this without a halo effect of affection, but I felt by tasting the barrel samples I got a good hit on the foundation of the wine they are making without the fancy package. Pairing the wines with food added dimension to the experience and for my goldilocks palate it was just right.

Next the bus grinded some gears up more picture perfect roads to Soter Vineyards. I just loved the look of this place--a simple rustic barn open on both sides to the most stunning views of the surrounding valley. Well, a simple rustic $7 million dollar barn probably, but who tallies theses things anyway. The impression was priceless. On arrival Courtney Sheilds handed us a glass of 2005 Brut Rose and led us to the tasting tables where we were able to sample the following:

2008 North Valley Pinot Noir

2006 Beacon Hill Pinot Noir

2007 Mineral Springs Ranch Pinot Noir

I preferred the 08 North Valley Pinot over the others which were both high point generating wines from Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate. I liked the body of the North Valley and it’s scent was filled with dark plum and earthy notes with and a bit sage and dust. Once again I find when placed sided by side I often favor the younger wines. Not to say that the Beacon Hill and Mineral Springs were not standouts as well, but my palate belongs to the Soter North Valley.

The atmosphere at Soter is very relaxing. Off to the side of the building I noticed the remnants of their hay bale Stonehenge; part of a celebration they had for the solstice. I get the feeling Soter is a more-fun-than-meets-the-eye kind of place. I felt a great sense of well-being on their land, and Mr. Soter seems to be one of the happiest wine guys I’ve ever met. There is something special in the air and in the soil up there at Soter. Go check it out.

Back on the bus we took a few pokes at the now half congealed Voodoo Donuts and next thing we knew we were at Anne Amie in Carleton.

The winery at Anne Amie looks like it could be the HQ for Swiss Miss. It’s a little bit Tyrolean. But the wines we tasted were far from the “braids and hot coco” esthetic the building might imply.

Wine maker Thomas Houseman has taken an interesting path to become a winemaker He was formerly a modern dancer. But as he says--art is art in whatever form you seek to create it. I was disappointed he did not do a few plie’s or rond de jambe’s in the barrel room or at the very least give us some Fosse “jazz hands” to spice things up, but the wine was jazzy enough, especially that Muller Thurgau, which for the rest of the day had me thinking of that movie Bad Santa where the kids name was Thurman Merman. (Don’t ask. Just know we all must seek to make sense of the world.) Anyway, we got to try some Pinot barrel samples with Thomas and based on what I tasted I think the Anne Amie Pinot's are worth waiting for.

The level of hospitality we experienced from all the wineries was exceptional and I can’t thank Lynette enough for organizing it all and also thanks to Thea @winebratsf for hooking me up. If the Pre-WBC was as far as I got on the road to the Walla Walla, Washington and the WBC, I would have gone home very happy indeed.

As always, it's the people in the group that really make or break it, and the biggest bonus of the trip was meeting new wine peeps with varied interests, backgrounds, and above all great sense of humor. Many of these folks have written about the trip more eloquently and in greater depth than I, so you might want to check out these posts as well:

http://www.vinotology.com/2010/07/willamette-details-post.html

http://lusciouslushes.com/2010/07/im-gone-to-ore-gon/

http://sticksforksfingers.blogspot.com/2010/06/pre-wine-bloggers-conference-petite.html

http://www.suburbanwino.com/2010/07/oh-places-youll-go.html

http://www.dallaswinechick.com/my-pre-wbc-conference-love-affair-with-oregon-wines/

The TSA Took My TorkScrew Away (Sung to the tune of the Ramones hit “The KKK Took My Baby Away”)

I only fly carry-on, never check bags even if I’m going away for a month. So I’m pretty clear on what can make it through the TSA check. But I had no idea the seemingly innocuous “TorkScrew” would cause so much trouble.

I was given a TorkScrew at #WBC10 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla by Neil Klindworth (@Torkscrew on twitter). The TorkScrew is a cork screw for opening screw caps on wine bottles. As Neil said; it “...adds some romance to the twist off.” Okay. I’ll go for that. I’m willing to try novel things. After all, in a moment of weakness, I did once buy one of those motion sensor talking trouts from Wall Mart.

Anyway, I gladly accepted the TorkScrew from Neil and went about my merry WBC way. I never really looked at it all that closely, I figured it was just a magnetic twist off device. I threw it in the bottom of my bag and forgot about it.

Fast forward to PDX. I had a 6 am flight to SFO and the TSA line was packed at 5:30 am. I’d removed any last bottles of wine, even gave one to the desk clerk at Aloft in PDX, and gave away my traditional corkscrews as well. But I’d completely forgot about the TorkScrew that was hiding in the corner of my carry-on.

Into the conveyor went my bag, but out the other side it did not come.

Next thing I know I’m being pulled aside and asked to open my bag.

The latex gloved agent delicately picked around my wine stained clothing and then plucked the TorkScrew triumphantly from it’s hiding place like Little Jack Horner pulling out a plum.

“What is this?”

“Um... It’s a TorkScrew.”

“A what?”

“TorkScrew sir. Says right there on the package.”

“And what’s it for?”

“It’s for opening wine bottles with twist off caps. Someone I just met gave it to me.”

As soon as I said that, I knew I was in trouble and never going to see the TorkScrew again.

“A stranger gave you this?”

“Um, well, sort of. I guess you could call him a new friend I had not met yet. But theoretically stranger would be correct.”

“Here in the airport he gave you this?”

“Ah no! It was in Walla Walla. At a wine bloggers conference.”

“M’am this has a knife on it and I’m sorry, but you cannot carry this on board.”

“It does? Let me see that.” And indeed it did have a foil cutter and traditional corkscew on it as well. “Hey that’s cool huh?” I said.

The TSA agent took back the TorkScrew and directed me to a secondary screening area. Next I got “wanded” and then was free to go. I have a feeling someone in Portland is going to get a very groovy TorkScrew as a gift very soon. If you want one too you can track down that agent or go here.

The Accidental Wine Blogger

NOTE: I cut this section below from my post on the Wines of Burgundy because it did not seem relevant to the story. But then this morning I awoke to see twitter all a twitter about the latest wine blogger bashing. So I thought I’d include it here separate from the original post:

I guess this goes without saying that I write these posts for my own enjoyment and don’t expect to influence anyone about anything, but I think any journey worth taking is also one worth sharing. I say this because I got a “Who do I think I am?” response from a person at the Burgundy event when I told them I have a wine blog. I responded to them by saying --“Why do you care what I write unless you believe it in some way diminishes what you do? I don’t let anyone define me so why would you?” The person just stared at me.

It’s not like anyone but my friends and family are reading this? Right? Anyway I thought it was funny and I suggested they actually read my blog so they could rest assured I was not someone to fear, nor was I corrupting or influencing the wine buying public. Hey, we’ve got Wine Spectator for that. Just kidding. I subscribe to WS and find it very entertaining and informative. I’m not dissing them. Cue Rodney King—”Can’t we all get along…?”

Full Disclosure: Last year I moved to Sonoma County and decided to learn about the vineyards that are all around me. Through twitter I met some local people and attended a live twitter tasting at Estate in Sonoma. I had a great time and became friends with many of the people I met there. Although I am mostly a travel writer, I started my “wine blog” a year ago because I wanted to attend the Wine Blogger Conference in Santa Rosa and you had to have a blog to register. So overnight I became a wine blogger. The title of my blog, Come for the Wine, is actually taken from the title of my book about my adventures (and major misadventures) when I lived in Italy and the full title is Come for the Wine, Stay for the Surgery. (Although it might as well be titled: Eat Red Meat. Drink Red Wine.)

After I started the blog I really embraced the oppourtunity to learn all about all aspects of wine in the area I live. In the process I’ve met some life long friends and had more fun than I could imagine thanks to the generosity of the local wine blogging community. I don’t write reviews really, I just write about what I find interesting and fun. But it never ceases to amaze me how hopped up people can get over wine bloggers. My experience noted above was kind of a shocker. I don’t take my self that seriously so I was surprised anyone else would. But I do take learning seriously and I learned a tremendous amount in the last year because of my blog. In one year I’ve been to tastings both live and on twitter, picked grapes at crush, visited crush pads at the peak of harvest, toured wineries and vineyards, blended a bottle of Cabernet, learned about the scents in wine and wine barrels, tested different types of wine glasses, met winemakers and sampled a lot of great wine. Having a blog gives me a chance to filter and distill what I experience and an outlet to share it with anyone who is interested.

So am I a wine blogger? I don’t know. I think of myself as a writer (a travel writer mostly) with a blog, and right now it happens to be about wine. But if I keep this up I might have to admit that yes I am a wine blogger --The Accidental Wine Blogger. Hey maybe that should be the new name for my blog!

Wines of Portugal - Spotlight on Quevedo

I'm still catching up with posts from WBC09. But this one is long over due.

On Saturday evening at the WBC09 there was a tasting of the Wines of Portugal sponsored by Vini Portugal. Prior to the event I met Oscar Quevedo and Nadia Adria on the bus, and I was eager to sample the Quevedo wines and learn more about their winery. Oscar and his accomplice Nadia perfectly reflect the young, hip, new generation that Quevedo seeks to reach as they position Port as an accessible every day wine.

Although the Quevedo winery was founded in 1991, Oscars Quevedo’s ancestors have worked in the Duoro river valley in Portugal and produced red wines and Port from port grapes of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, and Tinta Barroca for several generations.

Both sides of Oscar's family (His father and his mothers side Guilhar-Morias) have been in the port business for over 130 years. So you might expect that Oscar's career path was pre-ordained to join the family business. But Oscar followed his own interests and decided to study finance and economics. After he received his degree, he worked as an investment banker in Spain and Geneva. It is only recently that the lure of family tradition won out, and Oscar joined Quevedo as their Marketing Ambassador and Export manager.

Oscar travels the U.S. and Europe promoting their brand with seminars and tastings to show the range of the wines. Part of his mission is to introduce new audiences to the wonders of port, and change the perception of Port as something only enjoyed after meals with dessert and a cigar.

One of the challenges of Port is that you sometimes have to wait 30 years to really appreciate it. So Oscar suggests Quevedo Porto Rose, as a great wine to drink in cocktails with a spritz of soda water or twist of lemon, and a nice introduction to Port without the wait.

Surprisingly, it in the U.S. that Oscar has found some of the most knowledgeable Port enthusiasts. Michael Wangbickler is one example of such an enthusiast, and his blog The Tawny Times can be found here.

Oscar views bloggers as well as traditional media as the key to spreading his message and uses many tools of social media including twitter to increase the brands reach. Quevedo's comprehensive web site is a great place to learn more about their history and wines and it includes short videos of the current harvest and wine making process. You can also follow Quevedo on twitter at @Quevedo and Oscar at @oscarswine. But the perfect place to start might just be with a glass of Quevedo Special Reserve Tawny Port. Afterwards, let Oscar know what you think!

Travel In A Bottle

After WBC09 I started thinking about the wine blogosphere and where I fit in on the scale of things. I’m not really a nuts and bolts wine blogger reporting on what I find ‘on the nose and in the mouth’. There are plenty of folks who do that on a regular basis and way better than I can. I know it’s a crucial aspect of conveying the expression of a wine to readers through a common language. But I find it almost too clinical, as if I’m reading chart notes written by a doctor—Patient Male 32, presented with shallow breathing and dilated pupils. Placed patient on IV drip of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cab Franc-Petite Verdot with infusion of black cherries and hints of smoky mushrooms. Vitals improved. Recommend two year rest in French Oak barrels.

For me, a post consisting of only facts and figures is a boring read. I enjoy reading blogs that give me something beyond the basics and hopefully some insight to the personality of the blogger. I relate more to a story about the wine. After all, what goes on in your palate may not happen on mine. So while I appreciate the efforts of others to describe and rate wines, it's something I do very little of.

My approach to writing about wine is similar to writing about travel. I try to illuminate the small details or moments that are often overlooked and instead of writing lists of restaurants, hotels and must-see sights, I try to capture the character of a place or culture through a narrative that is entertaining yet still informative. I think there is room out there for both type of approaches.

Wine to me is an experience of a time and place. It's travel in a bottle, an adventure without leaving home. Your trip begins with the label, and right from the very first glass you are on a journey; each sip represents the land and the people who made it.

Nothing triggers travel memories stronger for me than a glass of wine from a region I have visited. From Cava in Barcelona, to Sangiovese in Tuscany, wines are like vacation snapshots I store in my palate album. And for regions I have not traveled to, such as Chile, I consider the wine as pre-trip research.

So instead of asking “What do you want to drink tonight? I ask “Where do you want to go tonight?" Perhaps you will go to Spain, Italy, France, or Chile. Or maybe you will stay closer to home. One of my favorite destinations is right in my backyard—the Russian River Valley

I want to read about your journey. So pack light and let me know where the next bottle you open takes you. And don’t forget to send me a postcard.

The Secret Sherry Society

I’m always a sucker for a slick bit of creative design and The Secret Sherry Society caught my attention right away. The Sponsors room at WBC09 was full of handsome marketing materials, but their elegant black and white invitations and colorful stacks of coasters were a standout.

The campaign seeks to bring awareness of the category of Sherry to a new and younger audience. The lead piece, a private invitation, was designed with a black ribbon and “sealed” with the stamp of the Secret Sherry Society. A custom thumb drive was attached to the ribbon.

The envelope contained an invitation to join the secret society. Playing on the fact that Sherry is an oft time over looked wine, the campaign promises members an inside track to “wines best kept secret”. Pretty clever if nobody knows about Sherry than maybe build on that fact to create an aura of exclusiveness –the secret society. The invitation mentions special events for members and hints at “black arts”.

The thumb drive contains a brief introduction to the Secret Society where all members are encouraged to have aliases and wear disguises. That’s it on the thumb drive. From there you are directed to the web site. It seemed a bit of a let down since the premise was so promising but there was nothing more to interact with on the drive so off I went to the web site.

The web site opens up with the standard age verification and then “blindfolds you” before you proceed. The whole thing has a very Baby Did A Bad Bad thing feel to it and looks a bit like the set from Eyes Wide Shut. Heck, who knew Sherry was so kinky?

There are rooms to explore each highlighting an aspect of sherry such as history, growing regions, and varietals. Yes, Margaret, there are different kinds of Sherry out there. Who Knew?

In the founders portrait gallery you can click on the paintings and get a quick synopsis of the different styles of Sherry. Like Moscatel, Oloroso and Fino. There is also an extensive list of cocktail recipes that look worth trying.

The final room takes you to the guest book for sign up and since the whole society is Secret you are prompted to take an alias and then upload a photo and obscure your true identity with various props like a diving bell or a eye patch. Pretty cute and fun to play with.

I have not had sherry since my mom made Coq Au Vin and I use to sneak a few sips . So I tried the Tio Pepe Palomino Fino (15% alcohol) by Gonzalez Byass of Spain. It was light and dry and much more balanced than I expected it to be. This was not my Mothers' Sherry for sure. I could see pairing this with crabcakes or a cucumber salad.

I think Sherry deserves a second look on my part and I'm interested to try the other styles and blog about it in future posts. In the meantime I’ve joined the society and anxious to see where it all goes. I would like to recommend that the Wine Blogging Wednesday group devote a month to blogging about Sherry if they haven’t already. I think it would be interesting to get the impressions of the bloggers on Sherry like we did with the Sake assignment.

Diary of a WBC Newbie

Diary of a WBC Newbie (Noobie to you)

Between all the pre-conference hype, the advice on how to survive and the crazy rumors, I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first Wine Bloggers Conference. Here are excerpts from the notes I took during the three-day odyssey.

Summary Consumption Stats: 260 wines, 13 bottles of water, 9 varieties of cheese, 7 cookies, 3 brownies, 2 cupcakes, and 1 rubber chicken. -- Headaches: 0 (yay)

Day 1

I arrived at the Flamingo and the joint was jumping! You could feel the energy in the room and it was not just from all the cell phones and laptops. It was genuine excitement. Everyone looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. A function of having met most only via twitter and seeing a room full of life size avatar heads was disconcerting.

I took a quick spin through the sponsor room and tasted all the Bonny Doon offerings with Randall Ghram, chatted with the Secret Sherry Society and tried some Rockpile Zin! I met Lee Hodo of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers group, and then voted for tattoo boy @mwangbickler

Next it was off to the speed tasting event and at first I thought this is insane, but then I got into the rhythm of it all and liked it very much.

After that I wandered around the pool area looking for an outlet to plug in my iphone and recharge it and myself!

The Grand Tasting of Sonoma Wines poolside was very nice but a little cramped in the set up. Very difficult to see beyond the crush of bodies.

Time for Dinner with more interesting wines and Lot 39 and the Cline Mourvedré made a reappearance from the speed tasting.

Russian River Valley Wine Growers hosted an after party, but once again the room was very packed and hard to get around. I was able to get a Kolwalski farms cookie that was like a perfect piece of the universe in cookie form. I think there was another private round of tastings after that but I snagged another cookie and headed home.

Day 2

Holy Crap! I set my alarm for 7:30 PM instead of AM and I missed the bus to Napa. Off to a very bad start! Recruited my husband to drive me to CIA and got there in the nick of time. Didn’t miss a thing. One bonus of having an event at CIA is the food. I had some very tasty little mini scones that were 98 points of yummy!

1^st keynote Barry Schuler – Barry rocks it. If you have any background in the dot-com world or experience working with VC’s in general you’d realize Mr. Schuler knows what he’s talking about even if he’s telling you nobody knows what’s going to happen next. I got the feeling that much of what he said flew right over the heads of the young-uns in the audience. I’ve launched a few big name brands in my day like Travelocity and OpenTable and Schuler is spot on when he says—“This is a unique moment in time. Out of great meltdowns come the next big thing.”

I think it’s critical that you identify how to use the next new technology to take you to the crest of the next wave. You don’t want to ride any one wave too long and get beached, or worse yet, miss your moment to catch the next big thing wave coming off the horizon. So Pay Attention! But despite constant change the primary message has not varied in the last 20 years:

Content is King. --1990

Content is King. --2002

Content is King, Community is Queen, Search is Lord & Master. -- Marcy Gordon, 2009

(You can quote me for this rally cry of the moment!)

I think Bloggers that have a “the world is my oyster attitude and screw the old guard” sensibility are going to be in for rude awakening when all the professionally trained wine writers and journalists that have been (and will be) displaced by the print media meltdown come breathing down their necks and eat their lunch! Get ready. Many of them are already here and more will follow like the great wash of immigrants getting off the boats at Ellis Island. They might not be as tech savvy and down with the latest trends and apps as you, but they will figure it out or pay someone to figure it out for them.

In order to be prepared-- follow Jim Gordons' advice. If you can take only one thing away from what Jim said it should be this –Become a better writer. Get yourself some mad skilz -pronto. Journalists and professional food, wine, travel and lifestyle writers already have the credibility and skills he outlined. Bloggers will need them too. If content is king, then the narrative form is it's throne. At least until video blogs kick in. (but remember narrative, meaning content, still counts in video too)

Talks over. Now on to the bus for an all day extravaganza of wine, wine, and more wine.

1^st stop Ehlers Estate for a tour of the vineyard and lunch under the olive trees. The 1886 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was a highlight.

Next we take the magic bus for a long trek out and up to Cain for a blind tasting with Cain and Chateau Boswell wines. We tried to determine what factors of the land we could be detected in each and how they related to one another. Some of the discussion was frankly beyond my grasp. But the more hip to the drift folks in the room seemed to get a lot out of it.

On the wild drive down the windy road to Quintessa, a few folks got car/bus sick and had to bail off the bus. Yikes!

At Quintessa I got a glass of Illumination Sauvignon Blanc as ammunition for the grand tasting down in the tank room. Unfortunately on the metal catwalk above the tanks I got my heel caught in the grate. Help! I had a bag across my shoulder, a wine glass in one hand, a spit cup and iPhone in the other, and could not free myself. Thank god a winery person came across me and helped me out, otherwise I might still be stuck up there like a roach in a roach motel unable to check out. Despite my predicament I still had the wherewithal to snap a picture of the scene below me.

The Napa Valley Vinters Grand tasting was astounding especially for a person new to the whole experience. But after being stuck in place for 10 minutes up above, I had to make up for lost time and speed through the room before we were put back on the bus. I just made a beeline for the most expensive wines I could find and never get to drink. I also cornered a few experienced bloggers and got their opinions on what I should try. Good idea because without this consultation I may have missed the Spottswoode (Thanks @winedog!)

Back on the bus and off to Gargiulo for dinner. Gargiulo was picture perfect nesteled in a beautiful corner of the valley located off the end of Oakville Cross Road. They make Italian varietals and one of my favorites, Sangiviose. We were greeted with a Rosato di Sangiovese and it was delightful. We dined alfresco on the edge of the vineyard and drank Aprile Super Oakville Blend --97% Sangiovese and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon that was in the style of a Super Tuscan red. Loved that wine and wanted to take it home with me.

Hated to leave Gargiulo but I’ll be back.

Back on the bus and on to the Wines of Portugal tasting sponsored by Vin Portugal. I met one of the winemakers Oscar Quevedo, of Quevedo Port Wine, on the bus and will be posting a special feature about him on this blog in a few weeks.

I enjoyed tasting all the wines of Portugal before the rest of the crowd arrived and all the air got sucked out of the room. Hard to be short in a crowd scene. Something I’m sure Mr. Twisted Oak has never experienced in his life. There ought to be a law against being that tall. Really, it’s just not right.

I skipped the after after parties and went home. I’m too new a noobie to be able to taste/drink all night long no matter how much I spit.

Day 3 --Break out session time.

I was quite impressed with the content of these sessions. All were quite good. I attend the FaceBook Twitter session with Janet Fouts , followed by Monetization of your Blog by Tim Lemke.

After the breakout sessions we tasted some wines of Washington for the Walla Walla Bing Bang Here We All Come Thang ® kick off promotion. I loved the graphic design and layout of the map they handed out—well done Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance. Then it was off to Dry Creek Vineyard for another stellar lunch and eight great wines by Dry Creek Rued and Gustafason. They even had a bloggers lounge set up under the trees. Nice touch.

Afterwards my bus went to the tip top of the ridge for a death march in the heat all around Montemaggiore. We got the low down on bio dynamics and got to touch the cow sacred horn. Later we saw the compost tea machine and it made wonder what exactly is in Peets Coffee. After we tasted the wine we tried the olive oil. One taste and I bought a bottle on the spot. This was rich, spicy, and unfiltered olive oil, very much like my grandfather in Sicily use to make. They don't produce much so if you like and appreciate fine olive oil I suggest you get a move on and buy some before I go back and buy the rest.

So thats it. Three jam-packed days of wine, dine, and more wine. I survived with out scratch, and I never even got a headache once! Must have been all the hydrating. I met some incredible people that I know I will be seeing again very soon. And best of all I have a ton of new story ideas and angles to work on for my blog and other writing assignments.

Kudos to Joel Vincent and Zephyr Wine Adventures Alan & Reno I was wowed out of my mind and my expectations were way way exceeded. Thank you very much.