VineBuzz

In his blog, A Year in Wine, Mike Dunne wrote on Monday, February 6, 2012: Social Media: Give Me A Break. He is amused by and yet annoyed at the conjectured intrusion of the social media industry, particularly that of the social customer relationship management software/consulting business, in the conduct of the wine business.

Herein, I respond to Mr. Dunne: Take all the breaks that you like.

For 5 months I have been monitoring visitor intentions in many different AVAs and aggregates thereof for the hospitality sector of northern California winecountry.  The VinTank Social Connect system has been a real lifesaver, allowing me to craft the record selection language from blogs, forums, discussion groups, websites, micro-blogs, and social media platforms.  Recent improvements to this system have improved both the quality as well as the number of qualified records found.

Every industry has emerging brands struggling to break out of their confines. Bold ideas in cross-breeding can propel their escape from those bonds.

#LanguedocDay totally rocked November 10, 2011. Two days ahead, it all came together.

Rick Bakas (@BakasMedia) partnered up with Tia Butts (@WineInkByTia) from the Benson Marketing Group (who organizes events in the U.S. for CIVL, Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc).

The @NapaMarriott provided their internal patio as our venue, and some excellent food pairings.

At the Raymond Vineyards and Winery, a jewel in the crown of the Boisset Family Estates, the company practices its' core values every day as they work toward converting more of their vineyards toward biodynamics. Several months ago, I had the pleasure of a long afternoon chat with Jean-Charles Boisset, the president of the company. He made it clear that their commitment to making wine biodynamically is the strongest pillar in their philosophical structure and an unassailable strategic principle.

From July 22nd through 24th in Charlottesville, Virginia, the fourth annual North American Wine Bloggers' Conference will take place. I am stunned by the honor to attend, bestowed by the generosity of conference sponsors, that I may report to you about the proceedings and charming digressions of #wbc11 through my own aficionado's lens and lingua franca.

Cheers Saint Helena is a marriage made in heaven for the merchants, entertainers, restaurants, and winemakers meeting first Fridays throughout the growing season from 6 to 8 p.m.

I interviewed senior wine educator Michael Jobes on Global #Chardonnay day (May 26, 2011) at The Hess Collection winery in the Mount Veeder AVA of Napa Valley. Working our way through the portfolio, my jaw hit the ground upon diving into this rare gem of noble rot.

On May 26, 2011 (aka #Chardonnay Day), Julianne Laks, winemaker at Cakebread Winery, presented an overview of how their philosophy guides their practices in pressing, fermentation, and aging of Chardonnay. Each wine should be made with an eye toward quality improvement, longer lifetimes, and higher valuations from release going forward.