Do Your Homework

What does it take to be a successful wine public relations and marketing professional? One word: Homework. “Well, duh!” you might say, but you would be amazed at how many public relations managers, executives, and coordinators forget this simple principle.

What it comes down to is laziness. These people don’t take the time to get to know who they are sending email to or calling. They will often put together a canned pitch and deliver it to everyone as if they were equals. Take for example, a conversation I had on Twitter last week with Lenn Thompson of Lenndeavors. He received wines from a winery in California I believe, for which this winery expected a review. One problem: Lenn writes exclusively about New York wines. If the person who sent these wines to Lenn would have taken 10 seconds to visit his sight and gotten to know a little about Lenn, they would have known not to send him California wine. How hard is that?

Before embarking on any campaign, whether pitching to bloggers or traditional media, do your homework. Spend a little time to view their website, read past articles, converse with them on Twitter or through email, leave comments on their blog, and just generally get to know them. Why? First, you can filter out those who you know wouldn’t be interested in what you have to pitch currently. You avoid any embarrassment from them telling you otherwise. Second, they will be much more open to hearing what you have to say if you use the more personal touch. You are much more likely to talk to someone you know rather than someone who just walks off the street. Finally, you make it much more likely to establish a relationship with this person and smooth things over for the future.

Whether it is intentional or derives from just being too busy to care, laziness is the sure “kiss of death” for the PR and marketing professional. Do your homework and the rewards will be greater in the end.

Tags: public relations, Social Media

Recently, I’ve been contacted by a few well meaning marketing folks asking me to review their wines or include info on this blog. Now, being the kind of guy I am, I would be happy to oblige them under normal circumstances. However, the fact is that in so doing, it would be a conflict of interest for me. As a wine PR and Marketing professional, I am usually the one reaching out to media and bloggers representing MY clients. It just wouldn’t be right and proper for me to show favor or disfavor to any particular wine or brand.

It got me thinking about various conversations I’ve had with other bloggers this summer, and at WBC, about blogger credibility and ethics. So, to maintain the integrity of what I hope to achieve on this blog, I’ve decided to post my own Code of Ethics. I’d like to thank Tim Elliott at Winecast for giving me the basic outline for the code.

Tags: code of ethics, credibility, ethics

Election Day 2008 is upon us. As citizens all over this great country exercise their constitutional rights to vote, the news is buzzing about possible record turn outs and long lines at polling places. There is a lot of excitement and hope for this election to change the current direction of the country and its government. A recent blog post by social media guru Tim Elliott has me thinking about how this campaign was conducted and the use of social media tools. Now, it is no secret of how I lean politically, but I’m still impressed with how the Barack Obama campaign has used Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to get their message out. If all goes as the media is predicting (I’m crossing my fingers), then Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States and a big reason for that will be the result of a well run campaign, integrating the latest in social media technologies. My, we’ve come a long way. Will politics ever be the same?

Tags: election, Microblogging, Social Media, Social Networking, Video Sharing

A week after the opening of the first North American Wine Bloggers Conference, I find myself thinking of the future of wine blogging and public relations. A lot has been written about the conference, both during and in its aftermath. It is interesting to see the diversity of writing, topics, and approaches. One thing has become evident to me: wine bloggers are NOT a homogeneous group. There are varying opinions, interests, and styles. The wine public relations and marketing professional who does not consider this will find themselves reprimanded, or worse, left out of the conversation altogether. The smart wine PR professional will recognize that the field of PR is evolving and that wine bloggers are very much going to be a part of it. Wine bloggers deserve our respect and consideration. Take the time to engage them and build relationships, and you will find that things will work out for you in the long run.

Below, you will find what I hope is a comprehensive list of postings/articles regarding the Wine Bloggers Conference from both bloggers and traditional media. This list does not include postings/articles leading up the conference, just those during and after. The list is alphabetical by blog/media and the postings listed are in reverse-chronological order. I tried to include everybody here. If you happen by and notice that it is missing anything, please let me know.

1WineDude
http://1winedude.blogspot.com/2008/10/garden-party-how-to-keep-wine-blogging.html
http://1winedude.blogspot.com/2008/10/greetings-from-wbc08-or-its-10am-pt-and.html
http://1winedude.blogspot.com/2008/10/1wd-live-wbc08-live-tasting-event.html

Acan Media
http://acanmedia.com/2008/10/28/social-media-for-wineries-2/

Another Wine Blog
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/859
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/818
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/799
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/697
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/690
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/686
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/681
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/671
http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/668

Anything Wine
http://anythingwine.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/wine-bloggers-conference-2008-3-of-my-favorites/
http://anythingwine.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/from-the-wine-bloggers-conference-my-thoughts-on-crediblity/
http://anythingwine.wordpress.com/2008/10/29/wine-bloggers-conference-day-3-pictorial/
http://anythingwine.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/wine-bloggers-conference-day-2-pictorial/
http://anythingwine.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/wine-bloggers-conference-day-1-pictorial/
http://anythingwine.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/live-blogging-from-the-wine-bloggers-conference-2008/

Appellation Feiring
http://www.alicefeiring.com/feiringsquad/000521.html

Art Predator
http://artpredator.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/my-morning-wine/
http://artpredator.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/wifi-on-the-bus-only-in-america/
http://artpredator.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/art-predator-drinks-up-1st-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://artpredator.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/biodynamic-mostly-organic-quivira/
http://artpredator.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/blog-tips-2-conferences-2-continents/
http://artpredator.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/wine-wine-wine-alice-feiring-too/
http://artpredator.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/sharing-the-wealth-the-owc-way-part-1/

California Life
http://winedivergirl.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/a-world-the-size-of-my-laptop/
http://winedivergirl.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/wine-bloggers-conference-live/
http://winedivergirl.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/speed-wine-tasting-for-bloggers-whoosh/

Caveman Wines
http://cavemanwines.com/blog/2008/10/28/the-wine-blogger-unconference/
http://cavemanwines.com/blog/2008/10/28/watch-out-mr-parker-alice-feiring-is-on-a-mission/
http://cavemanwines.com/blog/2008/10/27/wine-bloggers-conference-breakout-sessions/
http://cavemanwines.com/blog/2008/10/25/what-i-learned-from-gary-vaynerchuk-wbc/
http://cavemanwines.com/blog/2008/10/25/blind-tasting-challenge-at-wbc-08/
http://cavemanwines.com/blog/2008/10/24/live-blogging-from-wbc-08/

Cellarette
http://cellarette.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/bloggers-off-and-running/

Cheapwineratings.com
http://cheapwineratings.com/2008/11/07/wine-blog-credibility-why-debate-it/
http://cheapwineratings.com/2008/11/05/advertising-and-wine-blogs/
http://cheapwineratings.com/2008/10/24/live-blogging-wine-tasting-at-the-wine-bloggers-conference/

Corkheads

http://www.ibabuzz.com/corkheads/2008/10/28/wine-writer-vs-wine-blogger/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/corkheads/2008/10/27/five-things-i-learned-at-the-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://www.ibabuzz.com/corkheads/2008/10/24/live-blogging-from-wine-bloggers-conference/

Cork Savvy
http://mobile.corksavvy.com/savvy-reporter/articles/wine-bloggers-conference-2008

Creative Loafing
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/omnivore/2008/10/30/guest-blogger-lessons-from-the-wine-bloggers-conference/

Daedalus Howell
http://daedalushowell.com/wordpress/?p=491&owa_from=feed&owa_sid=

Dirty South Wine
http://www.dirtysouthwine.com/my_weblog/wine-bloggers-conference/
http://www.dirtysouthwine.com/my_weblog/2008/10/mini-recap-wine-bloggers-conference-and-fancy-dancin.html
http://www.dirtysouthwine.com/my_weblog/2008/10/grimace-says-sleep-is-for-the-weak-wine-bloggers-conference-day-1.html

Domaine547
http://domaine547.com/2008/10/24/wine-bloggers-conference-live-blogging/

Drink Charitably
http://drinkcharitably.com/2008/10/inspired-bythe-wine-blogger-conference/

Dr. Vino
http://www.drvino.com/2008/10/28/tell-us-about-your-wine-blog-and-the-wbc-elevator-pitch/

EnoBytes
http://enobytes.org/wine_blog/2008/10/22/kickn-it-at-kick-ranch-wbc-bloggers-unite/

Family, Love, Wine
http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2008/11/10/bringing-the-wines-of-new-york-to-the-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/how-do-i-feel-about-finger-lakes-wine-country-after-visiting-sonoma/
http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2008/11/01/wine-bloggers-conference-report-our-vineyard-walk-at-michel-schlumberger/
http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/wine-bloggers-conference-in-sonoma-an-online-community-connects-and-demonstrates-the-collaborative-nature-of-social-networking/
http://familylovewine.wordpress.com/2008/10/23/getting-ready-for-wine-bloggers-conference-this-weekend/

Fermentation
http://fermentation.typepad.com/fermentation/2008/10/the-battle-for-wine-and-how-i-learned-to-love-alice-feiring.html
http://fermentation.typepad.com/fermentation/2008/10/13-things-i-learned-at-the-wine-bloggers-conference.html
http://fermentation.typepad.com/fermentation/2008/10/on-the-eve-of-the-first-wine-bloggers-conference.html

Good Grape
http://www.goodgrape.com/index.php/site/vin_de_napkin_wine_bloggers_conference/

Good Wines Under $20
http://goodwineunder20.blogspot.com/2008/10/fall-in-russian-river-valley.html

Hamptons.com
http://www.hamptons.com/detail.ihtml?id=5328&apid=10857&sid=5&cid=101&hm=0&iv=0&townflag=

Ken’s Wine Guide
http://kenswineguide.com/blog/?p=38
http://kenswineguide.com/blog/?p=37
http://kenswineguide.com/blog/?p=36

Kilted Blog
http://chrismbutts.blogspot.com/2008/10/blind-tasting.html

Lenndeavors
http://lennthompson.typepad.com/lenndevours/2008/10/wine-bloggers-conference-2008-view-from-the-top-of-rockaway-vineyard.html
http://lennthompson.typepad.com/lenndevours/2008/10/wine-bloggers-conference-2008-reactions-to-new-york-wines.html
http://lennthompson.typepad.com/lenndevours/2008/10/wine-bloggers-conference-2008-more-from-jim-murphy.html
http://lennthompson.typepad.com/lenndevours/2008/10/wine-bloggers-conference-2008-some-pictures.html

Luscious Lushes
http://www.lusciouslushes.com/2008/10/wine-bloggers-conferenece-day-3-recap.html
http://www.lusciouslushes.com/2008/10/wine-bloggers-conferenece-day-2-recap.html
http://www.lusciouslushes.com/2008/10/wine-bloggers-conferenece-day-1-recap.html
http://www.lusciouslushes.com/2008/10/live-tasting-session-from-wbc.html

Millennial Wino
http://millennialwino.blogspot.com/2008/10/final-round-of-competition.html
http://millennialwino.blogspot.com/2008/10/wine-blogger-conference-2008-day-1.html

mydailywine
http://www.mydailywine.com/2008/10/fire-starter.html
http://www.mydailywine.com/2008/10/live-from-wine-bloggers-conference.html

MyVineSpace
http://www.myvinespace.com/profiles/blogs/10-things-i-learned-at-the-wbc

My Wine Education
http://www.wine-girl.net/2008/10/photos-wine-blo.html
http://www.wine-girl.net/2008/10/wine-blogger-co.html

New Wine Consumer
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WineLoversPageShoe/~3/436068787/TS-158043.mp3

Oenophilia
http://oenophilia.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/wbc-what-a-day-and-that-was-only-the-1st-half-day/

Prince of Wine
http://www.princeofwine.com/gary-vaynerchuck-of-wine-library-tv/
http://www.princeofwine.com/carica-winery-terroir-in-sonoma/
http://www.princeofwine.com/wine-bloggers-conference-speed-dating/

Reign of Terrior
http://reignofterroir.com/2008/10/27/hiking-rockaway-vineyard-with-doug-mcilroy/

Seattle Wine Blog
http://seattlewineblogger.blogspot.com/2008/11/beginning-of-end.html
http://seattlewineblogger.blogspot.com/2008/10/wine-bloggers-weekend-wbc-08.html

shana; not out on VHS yet
http://shanaray.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/images-from-the-wine-blogging-conference/

Smells Like Grape
http://smellslikegrape.blogspot.com/2008/10/gary-v-upstaged-at-wbc.html
http://smellslikegrape.blogspot.com/2008/10/home-from-wbc.html
http://smellslikegrape.blogspot.com/2008/10/saralees-vineyard-russian-river-valley.html

Snooth
http://blog.snooth.com/2008/10/27/wine-bloggers-conference-snooth-presentation/
http://blog.snooth.com/2008/10/24/wine-bloggers-conference-tasting-insanity/

Steve Heimoff
http://steveheimoff.com/?p=892

Stormhoek
http://www.stormhoek.com/blog/index.php/2008/11/11/its-not-what-you-make-its-what-you-stand-for/
http://www.stormhoek.com/blog/index.php/2008/10/26/news-flash-wine-bloggers-go-bloggy/

StrumErika.com
http://www.strumerika.com/2008/10/26/wbc-live-blogging-what-we-tasted/
http://www.strumerika.com/2008/10/24/wine-bloggers-conference-here-i-come/

The Stew
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2008/10/wine-bloggers-t.html

Tempranillo Tango
http://coralmustang.blogspot.com/2008/10/blogging-and-wine-wbc-2008.html

Unreserved
http://blog.winemag.com/steve/2008/10/27/so-what-did-i-learn-at-the-wine-bloggers-conference/

Vine Views
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/11/wbc-and-sonoma-summary-post.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/11/wbc-sonoma-trip-conclusion-at-the-vintners-inn.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/wbc-sonoma-visit-to-benziger.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/wbc-unconference-round-up.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/unconference-2-should-wine-bloggers-use-a-ratings-system.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/unconference-1-should-wine-bloggers-write-negative-reviews.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/wbc-breakout-2-blogging-for-your-business.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/wbc-breakout-increasing-blog-readership.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/wbc-vineyard-walk-at-alexander-valley-vineyards.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/wbc-dinner-at-sebastiani.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/live-blogging-from-sonoma.html
http://vineviews.grandcruclasses.com/2008/10/wbc-welcoming-lunch-at-kick-range-vineyards.html

Vineyard Adventures
http://www.vineyardadventures.com/?p=29
http://www.vineyardadventures.com/?p=23

Vinikitas
http://www.vinikitas.com/media/essays-/28-the-business-of-wine/202-generation-transformation

Vinography
http://www.vinography.com/archives/2008/10/is_there_any_point_to_negative.html
http://www.vinography.com/archives/2008/10/a_conference_for_wine_bloggers.html

Vinomadic
http://vinomadic.blogspot.com/2008/10/wine-bloggers-conference-day-one.html

Vintage Texas
http://vintagetexas.com/blog/?p=82
http://vintagetexas.com/blog/?cat=24

Vintwined
http://vintwined.blogspot.com/2008/10/wbc-is-overrats.html

Wannabe Wino
http://wannabewino.com/2008/11/18/hi-nice-to-meet-you-hi-nice-to-meet-you-hi/
http://wannabewino.com/2008/10/28/pictures-pictures-everywhere/

What a Trip
http://www.nancydbrown.com/journal/2008/10/24/north-american-wine-blogging-conference-one-wine-at-a-time.html

Wilma’s Wine World
http://www.wilmaswineworld.com/2008/10/wine-bloggers-unite.html

Wine Biz Radio
http://winebizradio.com/articles/winebizradio-20081031/

Wine Blog
http://wine-blog.org/?p=1349
http://wine-blog.org/?p=1194

Wine Brands
http://www.winebrandsblog.com/2008/11/results-of-survey-on-wine-bloggers.html

Wine Camp
http://www.winecampblog.com/journal/2008/11/4/wbc-08-its-a-new-dawngood-morning-people.html

Wine Case
http://winecase.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/california-taste-the-same/
http://winecase.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/a-few-tasting-notes-from-the-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://winecase.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/blogging-live-from-santa-rosa-ca/

Wine Clubbie
http://wineclubbie.blogspot.com/2008/10/inside-look-at-michel-schlumberger.html
http://wineclubbie.blogspot.com/2008/10/live-blogging-from-first-ever-wine.html

Wine Egghead
http://winefactsblog.com/2008/10/25/wine-10-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://winefactsblog.com/2008/10/25/wine-9-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://winefactsblog.com/2008/10/25/wine-8-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://winefactsblog.com/2008/10/25/wine-7-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://winefactsblog.com/2008/10/25/wine-6-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://winefactsblog.com/2008/10/25/wine-5-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://winefactsblog.com/2008/10/24/wine-4-wine-bloggers-conference-08/
http://winefactsblog.com/2008/10/24/wine-3-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://winefactsblog.com/2008/10/24/wine-2-wine-bloggers-conference-08/

Wine Enabler
http://wineenabler.com/sensing-revolution-at-the-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://wineenabler.com/recap-of-the-first-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://wineenabler.com/speed-tasting-at-the-wine-bloggers-conference/

Winehiker Witiculture
http://www.californiawinehikes.com/winehiker/1/the-wineries-of-kick-ranch/
http://www.californiawinehikes.com/winehiker/1/the-wine-bloggers-conference-2008-is-affixed-to-my-head/

Wine Life Today
http://www.winelifetoday.com/2008/10/dont-call-it-a-wrap-up-just-a-point-in-time/

WineLog
http://www.winelog.net/blog/2008/11/03/post-wbc-na-2008-the-wine-spies-party/
http://www.winelog.net/blog/2008/10/31/wbc-na-2008-day-3-brief-precap/
http://www.winelog.net/blog/2008/10/25/wbc-na-2008-day-2-brief-precap/
http://www.winelog.net/blog/2008/10/24/wbc-na-2008-blind-tasting-challenge/
http://www.winelog.net/blog/2008/10/24/wbc-na-2008-live-wineblogging/

Wine Lover’s Journal
http://loveswine.blogspot.com/2008/10/benefits-galore-from-wine-bloggers.html
http://loveswine.blogspot.com/2008/10/wbc-russian-river-valley-hike.html
http://loveswine.blogspot.com/2008/10/reds-are-beating-whites-three-to-one.html
http://loveswine.blogspot.com/2008/10/jerseyites-stick-to-gether.html
http://loveswine.blogspot.com/2008/10/crazy-pace-continues.html
http://loveswine.blogspot.com/2008/10/more-wine-blogging.html
http://loveswine.blogspot.com/2008/10/holy-overwhelmed-connection-batman.html

Wine Peeps
http://winepeeps.com/2008/11/10/new-zealand-wine-new-release-tasting/
http://winepeeps.com/2008/11/05/vineyard-walk-at-michel-schlumberger/
http://winepeeps.com/2008/10/29/highlights-from-the-wine-bloggers-conference/
http://winepeeps.com/2008/10/24/live-from-the-wine-bloggers-conference/

Wine Questers
http://winequesters.com/blog/archives/75
http://winequesters.com/blog/archives/54

Wine Scholarship
http://winescholarship.com/2008/10/24/live-wine-blogging-session-at-wbc/

Wine Sleuth’s Weblog
http://winesleuth.wordpress.com/2008/11/12/english-sparkling-balfour-extra-brut-rose/
http://winesleuth.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/kickin-it-at-kick-ranch-vineyards/
http://winesleuth.wordpress.com/2008/11/04/rockaway-vineyard-walk-at-the-wbc/
http://winesleuth.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/california-dreamin-the-us-winebloggers-conference-08/
http://winesleuth.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/wine-speed-dating-at-the-uswbc/

Wine Sooth
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/25/nawbc-live-blogging-post-10/
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/24/nawbc-live-blogging-post-9/
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/24/nawbc-live-blogging-post-8/
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/24/nawbc-live-blogging-post-7/
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/24/nawbc-live-blogging-post-6/
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/24/nawbc-live-blogging-post-5/
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/24/nawbc-live-blogging-post-4/
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/24/nawbc-live-blogging-post-3/
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/24/nawbc-live-blogging-post-2/
http://www.redwinebuzz.com/winesooth/2008/10/24/nawbc-live-blogging-post-1/

Tags: Blogs, wine bloggers conference

The final day (Sunday, October 26) of the Wine Bloggers Conference began with what was billed as an unconference. What is an unconference? Here is how the Moderator Michelle Lentz of My Wine Education describes it:

Two things usually happen when I attend a conference. The thing I wanted to hear about / discuss isn’t on the agenda and my brain is overwhelmed with everything I did learn. The Unconference will help you with both of those.

Unconferences are a hybrid of a teach-in and a jam session, with a little show-and-tell mixed in. The agenda isn’t determined until the opening day of the event. Everyone who shows up is a potential speaker, and those who don’t speak contribute by posting photos, blog entries, podcasts, and video clips of the proceedings. The important part is that all those gathered will have the opportunity to put conference sessions on the agenda. No session will be voted off or ‘won’t happen’ for some other reason. All sessions are welcome.

You do not need to do preparation in order to convene a session. If you get an idea the day of the event, call a session.

The activity was lightly attended, probably because the concept was little abstract. In fact, I found this exercise to be one of the most rewarding of the whole conference. The topics were decided by the group and Michelle wrote them on a whiteboard. Each topic was discussed at a specific table. For 15 minutes we would discuss, then move to whichever other table we were interested in. I attended three of the discussions and here were some of the key points of the discussion.

Negative reviews of wine
Some argued that bloggers have an obligation to say what they think. Good or bad. Withholding these reviews may be a disservice to the reader. Most bloggers, however, do not post negative reviews. Why? First, reviews are subjective, so most are disinclined to stick their necks out. Second, it can take more time to include negative reviews along with positives, because there is a lot of bad wine out there. Third, reviews of a wine are temporal. They are a snapshot of what the wine is like at the moment of the review. The wine will change over time and will definitely be different with the next vintage.

Also, some argued that readers may not remember negative reviews at all, just positive ones.

So, what are some standards bloggers should follow?

• It is a personal choice. Be honest with your audience with how you review/score.
• Don’t make it personal. There is a difference between being critical of the wine, and lashing out at winemaker or winery.
• Tone down language. Instead of writing “I don’t like this wine,” write “Not my style.”
• Consider a panel of judges. If you all agree on a wine, it becomes less subjective.

Wine 2.0 2009
This session was led by Abdi Humphreys of Wine 2.0. It was really less of a discussion and more of a presentation. There will be 14 Wine 2.0 events nationally in 2009. The Annual Expo will be held in San Francisco on April 2, 2009. The general format is an educational component in the monring, a trade portion in the afternoon, and a consumer portion in the evening. Abdi was looking for ideas on how to better include bloggers in these events. We didn’t really come to any great conclusions. I suggested that they create a blogger advisory group to discuss how these events can benefit bloggers.

Twitter
This ended up being an educational session for those at the table who were unfamiliar with Twitter. Rather than rehash it here, I will refer you to my lesson on Microblogging.

In addition to these topics, I overheard a few other topics at different tables. It sounded as if there were lively and constructive discussions at each one. I look forward to trying this again at some future event.

Tags: Microblogging, reviews, unconference, wine 2.0, wine bloggers conference