WBC 2010 In Short

So the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference has come to an end. I'm back in the car, not driving, but passengering back to Portland.

I'm sure everyone is writing similar summary posts on their respective blogs, so I'll keep this brief. Aside from seeing some good friends, meeting new friends, and trying a lot of wine here are some of my highlight moments:

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The Road to Walla Walla

So that time of year has come again - it's time for the annual American Wine Bloggers Conference. This year we're convening in the city of Walla Walla over the Washington side of the Columbia, the same river that runs through my new home in Portland. I drove past the area on my way to the Willamette Valley, and now I'm headed back, seeing the scenery from another angle.

It's a four hour drive from Portland to Walla Walla, but well worth the trip. The views and changing landscape along the Columbia are just amazing. And since Lynnette is driving, I can type on my new iPad!

The conference will offer a chance to reconnect with many people I met last year (and more importantly make a human connection with all the Facebook/Twitter wine folks I follow).

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Fast and Dirty... I mean, Dark & Delicious!

Okay - so this is sort-of, kind-of last minute... but I've got two tickets to give away for Dark & Delicious, a super fantastic event featuring Petite Sirah (with an I!) put on by PS I Love You.

The event is taking place on February 19, 2010 from 6-9p PST at The Rock Wall Wine Company in Alameda, CA (just outside Oakland). If you're a) a local or b) are going to be in the area then I would highly recommend going! 41 different producers are being featured alongside 26 SF/Bay Area restauranteurs and caterers. Tickets are $60, so this prize is worth $120 total.

So here's the deal - to qualify you must head over to Twitter and send a message (140 or less!) about why you (LOVE) Petite Sirah. Make sure to send it to @oenoblog so I see it. Given the crunch on time though, I'm going to limit this to entries through Sunday February 14th 2010 (Valentine's Day). This way I'll have time to mail the tickets to the winner.

I'll assign each entry a number as it comes in and use a random number generator to get the winner.

Good luck!

Other stuff:
1) You must be 21 to attend
2) No ticket refunds or exchanges
3) Please drink responsibly! (because abusing good Petite Sirah is a crime!)

New publication in Willamette Valley

You'll know find my work published in Willamette Valley Life Magazine. This is a new quarterly publication that will be distributed throughout the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I'm very pleased to be working with Randy Hill, owner and publisher, and am looking forward to many issues to come.

If you're not in the area you can also read the online version of the magazine at their website in an easy to download pdf. You can access the first issue by clicking on it's image to the right.

Cheers!

Ryan

What?! Wine bloggers don't make any money?!

Well, for the most part it's true. Very few of us actually do what we love because it pays well. Sure, some have ad revenue, and some get sent samples... but really very little of the compensation in wine blogging is of the monetary sort. Many of us have regular jobs (in technology, marketing, healthcare, consulting, etc.) that pay our regular bills.

With those bills and such, I can tell you there isn't always a lot left over to go towards our hobby and passion, wine. Just last year I found myself in this very situation after learning about the 2nd Annual Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa, and knowing that it would be a great event for me to attend to network, meet other wine bloggers, and to learn. Then, as if the clouds parted and a shining bottle of Pinot Noir (likely held out by friend and chairperson, Thea Dwelle) descended towards me, I found out that there was a special fund for bloggers just like me! A bloggership if you will aimed at helping Citizen Bloggers get to attend WBC.

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Welcome 2010 - and all new wines!

Hope everyone has a fantastic New Year. Though we've focused mostly on Pinot Noir this week, but never fear - I've got a bottle of Banear Prosecco chilling in the fridge for midnight (or 9pm PST if you're on the East coast!).

Here's to drinking lots of great wines in the coming year.

Cheers!