Wine Bloggers to Gather at Second Annual Conference in Wine Country

SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. Wine bloggers from across the country will converge on Sonoma and Napa Valley in July for the second annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference. The three-day conference for the increasingly influential citizen wine writers will explore blogging technology and techniques, the craft and legalities of wine writing, the impact of social media on the wine blogosphere as well as include wine tastings, adventures in “speed blogging” and forays into the heart of Napa Valley.

The July 24 to 26 conference is expected to attract 250 wine bloggers as well as members of the wine industry all looking to better understand the implications and potential of the growing number of wine blogs. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Chris Alden, CEO of SixApart, Ltd, provider of award-winning blogging software and services that changed the way millions of individuals connect and communicate, Barry Schuler, former Chairman and CEO of AOL, current managing director of investment firm Draper, Fisher, Jurvetson and a owner of Napa Valley winery Meteor Vineyards, and Jim Gordon, editor of Wines & Vines Magazine.

Potential of Wine Blogging and Responsibilities on Agenda at Conference

“The world of wine blogging appears to be rapidly transforming the way consumers understand wine and the way the wine industry communicates with itself and its customers,” said Joel Vincent of OpenWine Consortium, one of the producers of the conference. “As the genre grows in size and influence, the community wanted to learn more about the potential for blogging now and in the future and the responsibilities that puts on wine bloggers.”

OpenWine Consortium and Zephyr Wine Adventures are organizing the event for the second year. Sponsors include Sonoma County Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance, Bouchaine Vineyards, ViniPortugal, Russian River Valley Winegrowers, and Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley. Events are scheduled to take place at the Flamingo Resort in Sonoma County, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, as well as at numerous Napa Valley wineries.

“The almost fifty percent increase in attendance at this years conference is due in large part to the success of last year and the exploding interest in wine blogging as wine lovers explore other options beyond the traditional wine media,” said Vincent.

For more information on the 2009 American Wine Bloggers conference see http://www.winebloggersconference.org.

About OpenWine Consortium

The OpenWine Consortium (http://www.openwineconsortium.org) is a global wine industry association, featuring the world's premier online wine business network, on a mission to improve the world of wine.

About Zephyr Adventures

Located in Montana, Zephyr Adventures (http://www.zephyradvetures.com) creates and organizes active adventures including trekking, bicycling, inline skating, and wine adventures.

Contact:
Wark CommunicationsTom Wark, 707-933-9313tom@warkcommunications.comorOpenWine ConsortiumJoel Vincent, 408-889-9993 -joel@winelifetoday.com