I’m very excited to announce that I was chosen by the Wine Bloggers Scholarship Committee to attend the 2013 Wine Bloggers Conference in Penticton, British Columbia!

This will be my sixth Wine Bloggers Conference: I’ve been to three states so far–California in 2008 and 2009, Walla Walla WA in 2010, and Portland in 2012 and soon to be three countries–US, Portugal (as a guest of Enoforum Wines in 2009), plus Canada in 2013! 

Thank you to all the wonderful donors who made my scholarship possible! Especially Tom Wark of Fermentation who matched $500 of the donations and Amy Anderson Gross the Vine Sleuth who matched his match plus $1!

I understand that there were 15 applicants from across the United States and from outside the US as well. So far, the committee has been able to offer scholarships to Becca Yeamans The Academic Wino  who is coming all the way from Virginia,  Kovas Pulubinskas of 50 States of Wine who hails from the Midwest, and myself, Gwendolyn Alley Wine Predator. The committee scored the 15 applicants on the following:

• Length of time blogging (I’ve been at it since Nov. 2007!)
• Consistency and frequency of blogging (Just check my archives!)
• Prior attendance at a Wine Bloggers Conference (this was held against me)
  
• Subjective reviews of style and content (thanks!!! glad you like my writing!)

Financial need is also a factor, and as I am a grad student with a family and a husband with weekly furlough days you can imagine we don’t have much in the way of spare cash for me to go gallivanting out of the country to taste wine–even if it is related to my doctoral studies in Ecopsychology! (Read my application essay.)

The committee would love to bring at least two more of the wait listed bloggers to Penticton–won’t you please send in your tax deductible donation?

Speaking of the committee, a big shout out to the 2013 committee:
Thea Dwelle – Scholarship Chair / Ambassador of  Luscious Lushes.
Megan Kenney – The Wannabe Wino
James Melendez
Monica Mohler
Kellie Dolan Stargaard

And thanks to the efforts of the 2012 committee too!
Thea Dwelle – Scholarship Chair / Ambassador of  Luscious Lushes.
Joe Roberts aka

Megan Kenney – The Wannabe Wino
Mary Cressler – of  Vindulge
Jason Phelps – of Ancient Fire Wine and 2011 WBC Scholarship Recipient
Lorie Perone – of Wining Ways and 2011 WBC Scholarship Recipient
Grace Hoffman –the Cellarmistress and 2010 WBC Scholarship Recipient

About 250 people are expected to make the trek to Penticton June 6 with up to 100 take a bus from Seattle with an overnight to sample the wines in the Lake Chelan region midway. That’s the route I’m planing on taking which will allow me to do some poetry gigs in Seattle the weekend before and hopefully spend some time at wineries in Woodinville where I tasted  wines from many wineries in 2010 but we only had time to visit Chateau Ste Michelle. In some ways, I’m grateful the conference will be closer in size to the early days because it’s more intimate that way and it will give me a better chance to get to know more of the new bloggers and be easier to see my friends in the crowds!

I’m very excited to be able to not only taste Canadian wine but what an amazing opportunity to taste the wines in Canada! Organizer Allan Wright says:

I can tell you, though, that as an adventure travel organizer I would place Penticton near the very top of beautiful wine areas not only in North America but in the world. The setting is superb, with Penticton situated on the shores of two lakes, mountains all around, and vineyards on the bench above town. I was extremely impressed with BC wines and we have barrels of wine in store for attendees, with some great excursions into wine country.

It’s really going to be an incredible event and if you’re a blogger, you should make an effort to join us. The folks who attend WBC are lots of fun, smart, and knowledgeable; I learn so much from my fellow bloggers about wine, blogging, and life that I can’t experience anywhere else. 

Learn how you can join us at the 2013 Wine Bloggers Conference: www.WineBloggersConference.org

I’m excited about reporting about WBC 13 here so please subscribe! Get me in your inbox so you don’t miss out on my adventures!

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