DrinkLocalWine.com Kicks Off Inaugural Event on August 15
Wine Enthusiasts, Consumers Invited to Learn About Texas Wines, Mingle with Wine Writers and Participate in Texas Twitter Taste-Off
Dallas (PRWEB) July 30, 2009 -- DrinkLocalWine.com, the Web site that focuses on North American wine that isn't made in California and the Pacific Northwest, is hosting its first-ever conference and Twitter Taste-Off on Saturday, Aug. 15 in Dallas at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Dallas.
Presented by the Texas Department of Agriculture, the GO TEXAN DrinkLocalWine.com Conference is open to the public who will join some of the top wine writers and bloggers from across the United States and Texas.
Co-founders and conference organizers Jeff Siegel of The Wine Curmudgeon and Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post and Dave McIntyre's Wine Line, welcome nearly 20 wine writers and bloggers from Texas, California, Virginia, Colorado, Maryland, Georgia, Missouri and New York who will attend the conference, including:
Terry Thompson Anderson, The Food and Wine Gourmet
Harold Baer, Colorado Wine Report (CO)
Jay Bileti, Arizona Vines & Wines (AZ)
Amy Culbertson, 360 West Magazine
Jessica Dupuy, Texas Monthly and Dupuy Dish
John Griffin, San Antonio Express-News and Savor San Antonio
Russ Kane, Vintage Texas
Gil Kulers, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Wine Kulers (GA)
Richard Leahy, Vineyard and Winery Management and Richard Leahy's Wine Report (NY)
Wes Marshall, Appellation America
Nancy Nichols, D Magazine
Jane Nickles, WineSpeak 101 and wine educator at Texas Culinary Academy
Lisa Petty, Dallas Observer and Channel 5 (DFW NBC affiliate)
Kim Pierce, Dallas Morning News and Decanter
Joe Pollack, St. Louis Eats & Drinks (MO)
Terry and Kathy Sullivan, Wine Trail Traveler (MD)
Mike Wangbickler, Caveman Wines (CA)
GO TEXAN DrinkLocalWine.com Conference sessions include:
| | - What's New in Texas Wine:
- John Griffin, San Antonio Express-News
- Mary Kimbrough, FoodRoots.com
- Chelsey Sanders, Lone Star Wines
- Wes Marshall, Appellation America
|
| | - Not Cabernet or Chardonnay: What Grapes Work Best in Texas?
- Guy Stout, Master Sommelier and grape grower
- Neal Newsom, Newsom Vineyards
- Greg Bruni, Llano Estacado
- Richard Leahy, Vineyard & Winery Management
|
| | - Why Don't Retailers and Restaurants Like Regional Wine and What You Can Do About It?
- Doug Caskey, Colorado Wine Board
- Gil Kulers, chef/wine writer, Atlanta
- Hunter Hammett, Fairmont Hotel Sommelier
|
The conference concludes with a Texas Twitter Taste-Off, moderated by Russ Kane of Vintage Texas, where conference attendees will taste some 40 Texas wines and blog or Twitter about them. Their votes will select the top four favorite wines. Participants in the Texas Twitter Taste-Off must be 21 or older.
Conference registration opens at 9 a.m. on July 28, 2009. Online registration is $35 and day-of-the-event registration is $45. To register, go to DrinkLocalWine.com.
The conference follows the success of the Web site's Regional Wine Week last fall, in which more than 40 wine bloggers, writers and columnists from the U.S. and Canada wrote about their favorite regional wines, ranging from Ontario and New York to Florida, Texas and Colorado.
Besides the Texas Department of Agriculture's GO TEXAN program, other sponsors are Dallas' AdvocateMagazines.com, Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, and Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Dallas.
Texas is the fifth-largest wine producing state in the country, with more than 180 wineries and 280 commercial vineyards. The Texas wine industry has made important strides this decade, focusing on Italian, Spanish and Mediterranean varietals. As presenting sponsor, the Texas Department of Agriculture's GO TEXAN program sees the conference as an opportunity to tell the Texas wine story. For more information about the Texas wine industry, go to www.GOTEXANWine.org.
###
|
