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1 Wine Dude

VA Is For… Wine Bloggers (WBC11 Bound)2 min read

Posted on July 19, 2011August 24, 2015 by 1WineDude

in wine bloggers conference, wine industry events

This week marks the kick-off of the 4th annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference, held (for the first time in its history) on the Right Coast (Charlottesville, VA, to be exact).  And I’m excited to be attending for the fourth time.

I’m excited to see old friends. I’m excited by the fact that this year’s conference is on the East Coast. I’m excited to be moderating one of the breakout session panels.  I’m excited to see who takes away the 2011 Wine Blog Awards (even though I’m a finalist for Best Overall Wine Blog, my money in that category is on Tom Wark – like Japan in the recent Women’s World Cup, he’s the sentimental fave, after all).  I’m excited to see the keynote speakers and get a chance to talk to them again in person, because I can tell you from personal experience that they’re as gracious, talented and delightful a duo of wine communicators as ever walked the planet.  I’m excited that every year I personally know a smaller and smaller percentage of the conference attendees.  I’m excited about the whole f*cking thing.

Ok, I’m not that excited about the drive down I-95, actually. But other than that, I’m looking forward to all of  it.  Even the wine speed-dating stuff, if just to see which producers pull it off successfully, and which ones stumble and do the on-line equivalent of a vinous face-plant (dear wine producer participants: sorry in advance for the schadenfreude).  If you’re attending, then I’m excited to meet you – even if you’re that PR guy who keeps emailing me about when I’ll try your clients’ wines (your answer, by the way: I don’t know). I’m excited to see people walking around in colonial reenactment garb… and teasing them with offers to sip whatever wine I have in my glass at the time (okay, I wouldn’t stoop that low… I think…).

I’m excited because I’m a geek, I’m in love with wine the way that I’m in love with music and almost as much as I love my daughter – and I’m about to go hang out with a supportive community of like-minded geeks for the better part of three days, in a beautiful part of the country, in an area where an historic-and-now-budding wine industry is trying to secure its footing in the national wine market.

I’m not sure it gets much better than that. Actually, I’m quite sure it doesn’t get better than that.  Unless vintage port will also be poured… by lingerie models in swimwear…

But what I’m most excited about?

My past forays with VA wine have had mixed results, and there have been no shortage of people offering me but-onlys and what-ifs about those experiences.  So, I’m most excited to see if those people are right – I’m most excited to see if the VA wine industry brings its A-game to this conference.

More to come from Virginia, where the proof will be in the anti-Federalist pudding…

Cheers!

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11 thoughts on “VA Is For… Wine Bloggers (WBC11 Bound)2 min read”

  1. Beth says:
    July 19, 2011 at 8:36 am

    Great post! I'm looking forward to my first WBC and meeting you, the master of 140-character mini reviews! PS. I'm not excited about driving I-81 north to I-64 east, either! But at least we won't be subjected to the hands of the TSA! ;)

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 19, 2011 at 8:55 am

      Beth – Ha! I have anew title! :) I suppose I should also be excited about not being groped by TCA employees this time around. Cheers!

      1. Aaron says:
        July 19, 2011 at 1:40 pm

        There has to be a really excellent (or at leas servicable) cork taint joke burried somewhere in that response.

        1. 1WineDude says:
          July 19, 2011 at 1:51 pm

          Aaron – HA! Well, I did say TCA instead of TSA… so you know I've got wine on my mind already… :)

  2. G.E. Guy says:
    July 19, 2011 at 9:43 am

    Great post, and I know my partner and I are excited to meet all you heavy hitters. There's awesome wine here. You'll see!

    By the way, if it's an option from where you live, head west as fast as possible. When we visit family in New England I head to Harrisburg and take 15 south to 29 south (which goes to Cville). In my day job I consult for clients all over DC metro, so I avoid 95 and 495 like the plague when I'm off the clock. Saves time AND sanity.

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 19, 2011 at 9:54 am

      Thanks, G.E. Positive vibes are in the air (as are humidity and inevitable I95 traffic jams). Cheers!

    2. 1WineDude says:
      July 19, 2011 at 9:56 am

      G.E. – BTW, really been enjoying your blog.

  3. @wineywomen says:
    July 19, 2011 at 9:55 am

    I am hoping that next year will be my first and that it will be in Portland… We may be moving there… California would be nice since I have never been to wine country there. Have a great time and look forward to meeting you one day!

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 19, 2011 at 10:06 am

      Thanks, WineyWomen – Personally, I'm pulling for B.C. Not sure why… mostly because I've never been. :)

  4. @fatcork says:
    July 19, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    I love this post. Vintage Port poured by models in swimwear and the following disclaimer to wife. Thank you for making me laugh out loud today, Dude!

    Safe travels and Cheers.

    1. 1WineDude says:
      July 19, 2011 at 1:01 pm

      Thanks, Bryan – I am just happy somebody noticed!

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