A Twitter-based wine festival for lovers of Washington Merlot

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today(March 25), wine lovers from across the globe are expected to raise a glass of Washington Merlot, sniff it, then drink it in what is being called the "biggest simultaneous tasting of Washington Wine ever."

What's interesting about the promotion -- which is bringing together about 80 wineries from across the state -- is the use of Twitter to spread the message. Thousands of Tweets have been sent in the past few days under the hash tag WaMerlot as wine lovers gear up for the festivaties, some of which are being held at Seattle wineries while others at private residences and local bars.

After consuming the Merlot of their choice, participants are encouraged to Tweet about their experience.

"Tweet what you are drinking. That's what a taste and Tweet is," says wine blogger Josh Wade, who is organizing and promoting the event. "You taste the wine, share your thoughts, share your experiences -- join the conversation."

High-tech PR guru Bob Silver, who Tweets about wine @Bob_Silver, plans to meet a group of friends at Full Pull Wines in Seattle for today's activities. In a Tweet, Silver says that he plans to open a 2005 Stevens and a 2005 Northstar. "Buckle up, y'all," he writes.

Silver said he wanted to participate because it combines several of his passions: wine, social media and technology. He also said it will help dispell the myth popularized in the movie Sideways that Merlot isn't very good.

"Wine isn't just a drink; it's really about conversation and community," he says.

Here's a list of participating wineries. And here's a video of Josh Wade explaining how thinks will work tonight.