Wine Bloggers Conference, Here I Come!

The idea for a wine blog started a little over a year ago. I saw the Movie Somm and was fascinated with the journey to become a Master Sommelier (though I’m not sure I’m THAT much of a glutton for punishment). Fast forward to this past Monday, and I FINALLY started the blog that has been brewing in my head for the last year! It has been a week of learning, as well as a ton of fun. I am not the most tech savvy person, so there have been some learning curves (i.e. Google Analytics, widgets, twitter, etc.....oi vey!), but I think I’m doing pretty damn good considering!

About 3 weeks ago I stumbled upon the website for the annual Wine Bloggers Conference. I was deep in the process of planning and brainstorming for my blog, and I couldn’t believe my luck! The conference is taking place in Finger Lakes, NY August 13-16. I’ve certainly heard of conferences for bloggers in general, but not specifically on the topic of wine. I tore through the website front to back and was intrigued. The itinerary sounded fascinating and a ton of fun! I assumed the conference would cost hundreds, if not, thousands of dollars, and I couldn’t justify spending that kind of money on what is (at the moment) a hobby. Imagine my surprise when I see that the cost of the 4-day conference is $95 for Citizen Bloggers (those unaffiliated with a business or an organization)! How the hell is that possible, you ask? Well, the cost for Citizen Bloggers to attend is subsidized by sponsors of the event. Brilliant and a win-win(e) for everyone involved!! Within 24 hours I had registered for the conference, booked a flight with Delta miles, and posted on the discussion boards to find a roommate at the hotel. Boom! Finger Lakes, NY here I come!

The Wine Country of Finger Lakes in New York has over 100 wineries. The “Finger” refers to a series of long lakes that (on a map) look like fingers. Finger Lakes is the producer for almost all of the wine made in New York. The actual conference will take place in Corning, which is about an hour or so from the Finger Lakes.

I plan on blogging a few times about the WBC (before, during, and after). In fact, during the conference, there are a couple of Live Wine Blogging Sessions! We’ll have 50 minutes to taste 10 different wines and hear about them from the producers, during which we are expected to live blog or Tweet about them! THAT should be fun! We’ve also got an excursion to the Finger Lakes area (sponsored by Finger Lakes Wine Country), so that should make a great post as well.

Thank you for joining me on this journey! T-minus 2 days until my Level 4 Diploma starts!

Disclosure: In exchange for a reduced rate to the Wine Bloggers Conference, attendees are required to write at least three blog posts about the conference either before, during or after.