We were recently in Washington Wine Country scouting the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference Pre & Post Conference Excursions and we are thoroughly impressed. Considering the distance some of you will be traveling to attend the conference and explore the region, we think adding the Pre & Post Conference Excursions to your itinerary is a very good idea. Even if you are from the area, we assure both excursions will offer a unique and premier introduction to each AVA.  As of today, there are already close to 50 bloggers attending the Pre-Conference Excursion to Yakima Valley and 40 will be enjoying the vineyards and wines of Red Mountain for the Post-Conference Excursion. Incidentally, there are now over 210 registered participants for the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference with space for 300 and we have a little over three months to go.

First, we spent some time with Barbara Glover of Wine Yakima Valley. We met Barb at DuBrul Vineyard where she introduced us to Hugh and Kathy Shiels. Hugh and Kathy are close to this land and they promptly showed us around their beautiful vineyards and shared the history of the valley and its terroir. Afterwards, Barb took us to Prosser’s, Vinters Village where we discussed the Yakima Valley Wines Grand Tasting Event that will take place here on the Pre-Conference Excursion. It was here that we ran into Dick Boushey of Boushey Vineyards. Determining it was time for lunch, we invited Dick to join us and he suggested we meet him at the local brewery for some food and conversation. Dick first started experimenting with grapes here in 1977 and proved to be a wealth of information. Everyone in the valley proved to be well-versed in wine, grape growing, their own history and the terroir. It was a great visit.

After that, we traveled to the Red Mountain AVA and met up with Heather Unwin of Terra Blanca Winery and Estate Vineyards and also of the AVA. Heather’s energy and passion for the region and its wine was apparent from the get-go and immediately she thought it would be a good idea to travel around the AVA to meet a few of the folks we will be visiting on the Post-Conference Excursion. Right away the small size of the Red Mountain AVA becomes very clear but what it lacks in size is made up for by the terroir, climate, grape growers, wine makers, the wine and the view! From the deck of Col Solare with Wendi Warner, the tasting room manager, we determined that we needed to get out and walk through these scenic vineyards across this “shining hill”. From Col Solare to Hedges Family Estate, the vineyard walk traverses Red Mountain itself. Following the walk we sat down with Jim Holmes who first bought 80 acres of desert on Red Mountain in 1972 and planted grapes there three years later; winemaker and owner of Terra Blanca, Keith Pilgrim; and Heather over a very nice glass or two of Keith’s signature blend, the 2005 ONYX. Here we discussed the region, the wine, the people and the Post-Conference Excursion. We determined the right itinerary and timing and decided that we absolutely had to offer bloggers the opportunity to experience the sunset from the deck of the Terra Blanca Winery after the Post-Conference dinner.

For precise details on both the Pre & Post Wine Bloggers Conference Excursions click PRE & POST on the site. If you have already registered for the conference but have not registered for the Pre or Post, you can simply email us at info@winebloggersconference.org to let us know what you are interested in doing. If you haven’t registered for the Wine Bloggers Conference yet and want to do so and add on either or both excursions you can do so when you register by clicking on REGISTER. Space is limited on both the Pre & Post Conference excursion, as well as the conference itself, so if you are interested in making this happen, sooner is better than later. Cheers!

We are just announcing the awards, not the winners!

Tom Wark, founder of the North American Wine Blog Awards, has passed on his management of the awards to the North American Wine Bloggers Conference organizers. A few changes are in store, including dropping of the word American in the title and the opening of nominations to all English-language blogs worldwide.

In addition, we have created a new (blog-based) website to host the awards: www.WineBlogAwards.org. Because these awards are designed for you, the bloggers, we are opening a comment and suggestion period through March 15 in which you can provide us with your thoughts on how we can improve the awards. Simply visit the website and comment on the main post. And please help us spread the word to the online wine community. We need your feedback!

2010 award winners will be announced at the June 25-27 conference in Walla Walla.

We appreciate Tom’s vision and work in establishing the awards. He will remain part of the process.

Reno Walsh and I just returned from Walla Walla where we were finalizing details for the upcoming conference. I am actually a Seattle-area native, visited Walla Walla a number of times, and remember it as a pleasant small town. I have to say, the wine industry has really electrified the city. And everyone we met was extremely eager to host the Wine Bloggers Conference.

The Marcus Whitman Hotel is a gem that Walla Walla is lucky to have. Opened in 1928, the hotel is historic and yet has modern comforts. The facilities are excellent and the service first class. Everyone we met at the hotel asked us “What can we do to make your conference better?”

As much as Walla Walla is lucky to have the Marcus Whitman, the area wine industry is lucky to have Elizabeth Calder. Elizabeth, who heads up the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, took Reno and me around to a number of different wineries and vineyards in the area to show us how Saturday morning of the conference will work. Conference participants will split into small groups of 20 and visit three separate properties to meet with local grapegrowers and vintners and to learn about the area.

The wine industry has really helped Walla Walla grow. The dozen or so downtown tasting rooms provide the town center with a sophisticated look. We’ll visit these on a Friday evening After Hours Party. A number of high-end restaurants have started in the area and we will have restaurants from the local area – and as far away as Seattle – at our Food & Wine Pairing session. The 100+ wineries of the area have had a big economic and social impact and we’ll be in the midst of it during the conference.

When we first broached the idea of holding the conference outside California, we were concerned whether another area would be large enough to host us and attractive enough to draw bloggers to what might be a more distant location. Those concerns are gone. The conference is 2/3 full and we are getting reservations every day from bloggers across North America. If you are deciding whether to attend, now is the time to commit!

- Allan Wright

Each year the Wine Bloggers Conference works hard to balance three things when it comes to providing the right content and experience:

And each year we reach out to you for content suggestions to fill the technical side of the conference content. We want to know what it is you are interested to learn about and from whom. Please send us suggestions that include contact information, if you have it, and clear details on what it is you want to hear more about during one of these three sessions:

Please send us your ideas via an email to info@WineBloggersConference.org ; via a Comment on this blog page (http://winebloggersconference.org/america/), or via a Tweet that includes #WBC10. Content suggestions will be harvested and the best ideas will then be presented to registered participants in the form of a survey in March.

This year we have allocated more time to academia in the form of a 1.5 hour About Wine Blogging session to take place on Friday. This is in addition to 3 hours of the popular Breakout Sessions on Sunday and the conference Keynote Speakers. For more data on the conference itinerary, visit the conference AGENDA.

“About Wine Blogging” Breakout Sessions: We will divide into three groups for a presentation and discussion about wine blogging.  Novice Bloggers will learn the basics of blogging, including blog platforms, choosing a subject, adding graphics and video, economics of blogging, etc. Advanced Bloggers will discuss high-level topics such as dealing with burnout, measuring your visitor statistics, interviewing subjects, and more.  Those who are not blogging will participate in a session on Working with Bloggers that focuses on how wineries and other wine industry professionals can improve their collaboration with bloggers.

Sunday Breakout Sessions: The Sunday breakout sessions will be presentations by industry professionals who are experts on blogging and social media. We will specifically include content geared towards both bloggers and those in the wine industry who wish to begin learning about how to use blogging and social media. There will be two 40-minute sessions running simultaneously (you need to choose which to attend) for three periods  in a row. Breakout sessions are attended on a first come first serve basis and are not assigned or registered for in advance. Sessions details coming soon.

We look forward to seeing you and your content suggestions at the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference!

Cheers!

The number of  2010 Wine Bloggers Conference registered participants has surpassed the total number of participants who attended the 2008 WBC!  Thanks to all the bloggers and industry representatives who attended the previous conferences and to those who have already registered or who are planning to register for 2010. You are making this happen!

The 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference Scholarship Fund was put in place to sponsor selected recipients with funding to attend the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington.  This is a fund created and directed by wine bloggers and they are in need of support to help send those who can’t quite find the extra pennies to Walla Walla. Funds are generated by donations from participating wineries, PR agencies, wine business industry members, and individuals like you. If you wish to donate to this fund or if you think you know a likely candidate, please contact the scholarship fund. Skip that morning latte and donate to a needy blogger!  To contact the scholarship or donate visit the Wine Bloggers Conference Scholarship Fund today.

If you have already registered for the conference or when you do, be sure to reserve yourself a room as well. The Marcus Whitman Hotel is holding 100 rooms for June 25 and June 26 at $129 per room per night. You can call 509.525.2200 or 866.826.9422 to make that reservation. Let them know you are with the Wine Bloggers Conference to receive the preferred rate.

Approximately 35 Wine Bloggers are attending both the Pre & Post Conference Excursions to the Yakima Valley on June 24 and the Red Mountain AVA on June 27. In the near future we will be posting final details on both excursions and when that happens, we expect to see even more wine bloggers get on the bus. These excursions were created to assure that bloggers make the most of their visit to this unique and beautiful wine region. When you register or if you have already registered, please be sure to reserve a room. The Richland Hampton Inn is offering Wine Bloggers a rate of $75 plus tax for June 24 and June 27. You can reserve those rooms by calling 509.943.4400. Just let them know who you are.

Stay tuned!

It’s the first week of 2010 and there is a lot happening in preparation for the June 25 – 27, 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference. There are already 115 participants registered for this year’s event! Thanks to all those bloggers who have already signed up and for those who have not, our maximum capacity is 300 and the last two years have left over 140 on the wait list so registering sooner rather than later is a good idea. In addition, close to twenty are already signed up for both the pre and post conference excursions. These excursions are a great way see, taste, and experience more of Washington with a visit to the Red Mountain and Yakima Valley AVA’s. More details regarding the excursion’s exact agendas will be posted in the near future.

The 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference is excited to already welcome some excellent sponsors from near and far to this year’s event. There are still sponsorship opportunities available. At the present, our sponsors include the Walla Walla Wine Alliance who is sponsoring our Friday After Hours walkabout and introduction to Walla Walla, while Rias Baixas Albarino and Wines from Spain is set to sponsor the Saturday evening fiesta. Jeffrey Saad will help us pair wines provided by the Click Wine Group with local foods.  The Washington Wine Commission will host Saturday’s dinner and we are excited to have  Ste. Michelle Wine Estates host Friday’s dining experience. The conference kicks off on Friday, June 25th with four hours of wine tasting and education provided by Hogue Cellars, the Meritage Alliance, the Lake Chelan Wine Growers Association, the Indiana Wine Grape Council, Barnard Griffin Winery, and a Walla Walla Wine Woman to name a few. With that reception, we’ll pair a fun lunch sponsored by the Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Center.

The agenda is coming together nicely too. In the months ahead, we’ll be asking you for your input and suggestions for the blogger’s educational Breakout Session content and keynote speakers. The Wine Bloggers Conference will once again host Tom Wark and the American Wine Blog Awards with 2009’s first announcement and presentation to the winners. Saturday afternoon will allow our bloggers to break into smaller groups and travel to and through local vineyards and wineries that will also be hosting lunch. This year’s Live Wine Blogging will feature separate Red and White Wine Blogging Sessions with several new and improved components that will only benefit the entire blogging and wine tasting experience. Finally, we’d like to note here that there will be WiFi, it will be strong, and it will be available for all and always!

Be sure to peruse the Wine Bloggers Conference site for more details and keep coming back to look for updates. If you are already registered, good for you. You might want to let your friends in the blogging community know that this year is not to be missed and that it is once again looking like it will sell out. If you are not registered, now is the time. We sincerely wish you all the best in 2010 and look forward to seeing you at the show. Cheers!

Arrive a day early and join a pre-conference excursion to the Yakima Valley, Washington State’s oldest and largest wine growing region. This pre-conference excursion is hosted by Wine Yakima Valley. Stick around on Sunday and visit Washington State’s Red Mountain AVA. One of the state’s smaller AVA’s producing some of the state’s finest wines and grapes.

To register for either excursion or both simply let us know when you sign up for the Wine Bloggers Conference by clicking on REGISTER.

If you are one of the 70 participants that have already registered for the conference, email us at info @ winebloggersconference.org and let us know that you want to be on the bus too!

Pre-Conference Excursion to Yakima Valley

Date: Thursday, June 24th

Pick up: Richland, WA: 11:00 AM downtown or 11:30 AM at the Tri Cities airport in Pasco (code: PSC). This allows you to fly into the area directly either that morning or the night before. We will suggest a hotel in Richland where you can stay the night before or leave your vehicle if you have one.

Drop off: Walla Walla, WA: 6:30 PM at the Marcus Whitman Hotel – WBC Conference Location with a drop off in Richland before going to Walla Walla for those who are driving and want to take their car to Walla Walla.

Cost: $35 paid in advance includes local transportation, winery visits, and lunch

Wine Bloggers Conference 2010 in Walla Walla

Friday, June 25th: Starts at 11 AM

Saturday, June 26th: WBC!

Sunday, June 27th: Ends at Noon

Post Conference Excursion to Red Mountain AVA

Date: Sunday afternoon, June 27th

Pick up: Walla Walla, WA: 1:15 PM at the Marcus Whitman Hotel – WBC Conference Location and in Richland before continuing on to Red Mountain AVA for those who will be driving and dropping off a vehicle that day.

Drop off: Richland, WA: 8:00 PM at a downtown hotel. This allows you to either take a shuttle back to the Seattle airport, fly directly out of Pasco’s airport the next morning, or to get into your vehicle and drive from there.

Cost: $35 paid in advance includes local transportation, winery visits, and dinner.

For more information click on PRE & POST or send us an email.

Driving a car? No problem. For the pre-conference excursion you can park your car at the hotel in Richland and the bus will pick you up at 11 AM and then drop you off back at your car before it continues on to Walla Walla on Thursday, June 24th. For the post-conference excursion you can drive to the hotel in Richland after the conference, drop off your car, get on the bus, enjoy the Red Mountain AVA excursion, and then get dropped off at your car the evening of Sunday, June 27th at 8 PM.

You can make this even easier by simply leaving your car in Richland the entire weekend. Get on the bus at 11 AM on Thursday, June 24th and get off the bus at 8 PM on Sunday, June 27th.

Luggage? No problem. There is plenty of room on the bus for all your baggage and wine too!

Are you on the bus?

Sam Ockman from the 1000 Corks blog was randomly selected to win the free trip to Spain and the WineFuture Conference and has eagerly accepted. (We used the random number generator on random.org for those who wish to know.) Sam writes to us:

“I’m very excited and will be sure to take lots of photos to share with everyone.  I’ve even been thinking of getting into doing some video blogs — I think this will be the perfect opportunity for me to start, and a great way to bring the excitement back to the American wine blogging community.”

Sam’s name was drawn from among the 70 people who had signed up for the 2010 North American Wine Bloggers Conference by August 31st and the trip was graciously donated by WineFuture and coordinated by Ryan and Gabriella at Catavino.net. The prize includes airfare, lodging, meals, VIP attendance at the conference including the chance to meet Robert Parker, and a day of visits to local wineries.

Congratulations, Sam! We are excited to see your reports.

We have identified and are attempting to contact the winner of the free trip to Spain and the WineFuture Conference. If the winner is unable to attend or we cannot contact the person within seven days from today, we will randomly draw another winner. As many of you know, WineFuture was gracious enough to provide a free trip to Spain to attend the conference. The 70+ people registered for the 2010 North American Wine Bloggers Conference were eligible to win.

We had over 120 people complete an online survey after the 2009 Wine Bloggers Conference. As an Organizer, I find it important to not only ask for feedback from participants but also to complete the loop by letting everyone know what that feedback is. Here you go.

We use a five-point scale where 3=good, 4=very good, and 5=outstanding. (We don’t want to get below that but 1=needs improvement and 2=fair.) Our goal is to be above 4.0 in results for the conference.

The 2009 conference received an overall score of 3.96. This is slightly below where we want to be and below our 2008 score of 4.12. Those of you who attended know we faced some challenges at this conference, including poor wifi at the hotel and tough travel logistics when we visited Napa on Saturday. We’ll make sure to improve both of those things in 2010.

The four events at the conference that rated 4.0 or higher were the Napa Valley dinners (4.58), the keynote speech by Barry Schuler (4.45), the Sunday lunch at Dry Creek Vineyard (4.35), and the Sunday Vineyard Walks put on by my company (4.00).

We also received many suggestions for improvement and have already made the following changes:

• The Wine Blogger Awards presentation will be live (announced on the spot) and shorter.
• We will separate the Live Wine Blogging into whites (Friday) and reds (Saturday).
• We have added another 1.5 hours of breakout sessions on Friday in addition to those scheduled for Sunday.
• We have added a Wine & Food Pairing session and a Taco Truck Tasting session to expand the focus to food in addition to wine.

Overall, the conference was a success with 85% of respondents saying they hoped to be able to attend the 2010 conference scheduled for June 25-27 in Walla Walla, Washington.

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Allan Wright, Co-Organizer