So being the Wine Predator that I am, I acquired numerous bottles of open and closed wine during and after the Wine Bloggers Conference that I either tasted before I left (nothing like a 3am taste and dump session to break your heart!) or I snaked across the border.
Somehow, I was blessed to bring home three bottles of Okanagan merlot (pictured). One bottle of these bottles that made it home open was Continue reading
amazing afternoon hiking @paintedrockwine to rock art then rambling construction site & vines then tasting! #WBC13 twitter.com/ArtPredator/st…
— Gwendolyn Alley, MA (@ArtPredator) June 10, 2013
For the first time, the Wine Bloggers Conference ended on Saturday night instead of Sunday (after announcing that 2014’s gathering will be in Santa Barbara which is practically in my backyard! So excited about that!!)
This left bloggers up to their own devices, and while many of them headed to flights from Kelowna or drives West to Vancouver or South and West toward Seattle and Portland, others stuck around for a day or two to learn more about wine in BC.
Personally, I knew I wanted to spend time at Tinhorn Creek. I’d met winemaker/CEO Sandra Oldfield in 2011 through Twitter where I also connected with her husband Kenn. I wanted to learn more about what it’s been like for her as a winemaker in this region for 20 years as well as about their sustainable practices–and about how she balances the demands of being a winemaker with being a mom.
But when I went on the excursion “Walk to Wine” where we trekked up a steep mountain and were greeted with a picnic with wine from the OK Falls winery association, and I tasted Painted Rock’s syrah and met owner John Skinner, I knew I had to somehow get there to hike to the painted rock, taste the wines, and learn more about his vision.
Luckily for me, John was willing to pick me up at the Lakeside Resort, home of this year’s Wine Blogger’s Conference and my home for the previous three days.
It was a beautiful hike to see the Painted Rock: Continue reading
I am so excited! On the last night of the Wine Bloggers Conference, organizers announced that the next WBC will be held in my backyard July 11-13, 2014!
Well okay so Santa Barbara is not exactly in my backyard (although I already have people signing up to camp there) but practically!
In 2014, wine bloggers from around the world will gather in Buellton, in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country, near Los Olivos and the Hitching Post of Sideways fame. That’s a little more than an hour drive from my house in Ventura.
Not only I am looking forward to finally (finally!) learning more about the wines growing in my ‘hood, but this time I am definitely getting more involved in every aspect that I can for the conference. Continue reading
The Wine Blog Awards have been given out at the Wine Bloggers Conference since the first conference in 2008, but when Mutineer Magazine took over presenting them…well the production values went up a notch–like all the way to 11. Once again tonight, Alan Kropf of Mutineer Magazine announced the winners of this year’s wine blog awards.
This included video and a trumpet call. I was talking with Alan about next year’s wine blog awards.
And we’re talking fire dancers, art cars, and more…
Best New Wine Blog went to Chasing the Vine by Lauren Mowery who I met on the pre-excursion trip from Seattle to Lake Chelan AVA and the rest of the way to Penticton. This is a newer category and it’s great to honor the newer bloggers, even if they are experienced writers and photojournalists like Lauren (who like me also attended the conference on a scholarship –thanks again scholarship committee!). Continue reading
So after a great adventure from Seattle via Lake Chelan that included a flight on a seaplane (where poor 1000 Corks got sick!) and lots of delicious wine (a blog post is brewing on that!), I made it to Penticton, British Columbia to the 6th annual Wine Bloggers Conference!
Because our bus was several hours late and delayed at the border for an hour, we missed the first event featuring the sponsors and so the conference proper kicked off for me last night at scenic See Ya Later Ranch high above the north end of Lake Chelan for the Constellations tasting of wines of Okanagan.
No, this isn’t my suitcase and I didn’t pack radishes! But isn’t this salad cute? The dirt was a ground nuts, herbs, and spices with a feta yoghurt dressing! Catered by Okanagan culinary darlings, Cam Smith and Dana Ewart from renowned Joy Road Catering, the food definitely celebrated local terroir.
As delish as that was, the highlight for me was a cab/syrah blend from Nk-Mip which was served with a lightly poached fresh wild BC salmon on a sorrel aoli with greens and sweet golden BEETS! I’d wax on or give you a link to the menu and the pairs if I could but today we have a full 12 hours schedule of wine activities, speakers and events. If you’d like to see the agenda, go here. Continue reading
It’s going to take us about three hours to drive over the Cascades to the Lake Chelan AVA but every minute on that bus will be worth it! (And fortunately, there are bathrooms on the bus! The last bus I took –from Seattle to WBC10 in Walla Walla–did not!)
Once there, we’ll enjoy a reception at Rio Vista Winery, a riverside winery with stunning gardens and sandy beach. There, we’ll have the option of a
Seaplane Tour of Lake Chelan!!! Of course I said sign me up!! Continue reading
select central coast wines
You’re invited to the Second Annual Central Coast Wine Day, Friday May 31, 2013!
#CCWineDay follows in the footsteps of various #VarietalDays that have been going on for a few years. These include Cabernet Day, Albarino Day, Tempranillo Day, Pinot Noir Day, Zinfandel Day, and even Wine Tourism Day! (As you can see, I enjoy participating in these varietal days!)
Personally, I say the Central Coast begins with Ventura County, Continue reading
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 