We were recently in Washington Wine Country scouting the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference Pre & Post Conference Excursions and we were 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 you 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!

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!

The 2009 Wine Bloggers’ Conference is one month away! Sold Out, the conference Wait List continues to enthusiastically grow daily. If you are currently a registered participant scheduled to attend the conference but are no longer able to attend we encourage you to cancel your conference reservation by the end of the day Wednesday, June 24th to receive a 50% refund on your registration fee. After June 24th your fee is non-refundable. However, if you realize you are unable to attend at any time you should cancel and as soon as possible therefore allowing a fortunate someone on the conference wait list a sought opportunity!

Thanks to all of you who have already registered as Blogger Participants, Sponsors, Speakers, Media, and Industry Participants!

With the 2009 Wine Bloggers Conference a little less than two months out, there are already over 180 participants registered. This year participation is limited to 250 so if you are planning to attend but have not registered already, now is the time!

176 participants attended the 2008 Wine Bloggers Conference. Many of those participants registered in the last few weeks before the conference and due to lack of conference space many more were turned away.

You can learn more about the  2009 Participants by visiting the Wine Bloggers Conference blog and then click on PARTICIPANTS.

See you there!