Like a lot of wine geeks, I read quite a bit of online content but for some reason have never participated much in online forums like eBob. So I was tipped off to a recent “conversation” on eBob reading Alder from Vinography. He points out a particularly heated recent exchange that included Mr. Parker deriding some participants as, “…point pimps and and whores…” Wow, pretty strong stuff considering the issue here is the timing of the electronic version of the Wine Advocate newsletter versus the mailing of the print version. Alder’s take on this issue is more a comment on human nature and online communities; mine is mild shock with how addicted some wine lovers are to scores. To make up your own mind, check out the thread here. Interesting reading, yes, but not the kind I like to spend my time on most evenings.

For me, I’ll stick with the relative civility of the wine blogosphere. If you don’t know where to start, here are my top ten picks:

Vinography
Basic Juice
LENNDEVOURS
Good Grape
Fermentation
Spittoon
The Zinquisition
The Pour
Pinotblogger
Cellar Rap
Bonus: Wine Blog Watch

Over the past several days, I have been posting reasons for wineries to use blogs as another tool to increase their online exposure and ultimately sell more wine. It occurred to me that there is a basic fear that also needs to be overcome before more wineries join the wine blogosphere. The fear is not controlling the message or what becomes of the online conversation.

When I was at Kodak, I was trained by PR flacks on how to answer any type of question and not say anything that was “off-message”. In many cases, this leads to repeating the same canned response highlighting the product or services’ key benefits and how much we care about our customers’ business… blah, blah blah. Much of this attitude still pervades large companies today and most likely the wine industry where healthy egos and lots of money are also at stake. I only mention this because blogs, as marketing guru and blogger Hugh MacLeod says:

“…are not selling channels, they are disruption channels.”

What winery wants to be disrupted? Aren’t battling the weather, rogue insects and the taste buds of Parker and Tanzer enough?

I’d say most every winery needs to be disrupted and blogging is the most efficient medium to accomplish this goal. Why? Because of direct shipping, oversupply, brutal price competition and industry consolidation. Disruption is everywhere in the wine industry and most wineries need to change in order to stay competitive. Why not be on the leading edge and expand your market beyond the interests of your distributor and the status quo?

Johnnie Moore, another marketing consultant/blogger, summarizes the value of blogging well:

“…the value may not be the immediate impact of their words on the market, but how the conversation changes the blogger. As Hugh says, it may be a mistake to focus on using blogs to sell things; it’s more about creating real engagement - where you are changed too.”

For Blog Day 2005, I have chosen an eclectic group of blogs I regularly read that deserve more attention:

In the wine blog world, I suggest you check out The Wine Chicks. It’s always a fun read and great to get a female perspective in the male dominated world of wine blogs.

I must confess that I am fairly new to the food blog scene, so my recommendation here is the widely linked new blog, Slashfood. I really like the mix of subject matter, their wacky themes such as Grilled Cheese Day and Andrew’s incisive wine posts.

Thinking locally, I enjoy reading (and watching) Chuck’s Blogumentary and Garrick’s gFeed, both legendary Twin Cities bloggers.

And finally, in the podcast world I have to point to a brand-new wine podcast: The Valley Vine. Gotta love a wine podcast featuring country music and covering the wine happenings in North Dakota’s Red River Valley, and he’s a Mac user to boot

Viva Blog Day!

I’ve just stumbled on this blog recently and think it is a great insiders view into the world of wine (and it’s funny sometimes, as a bonus!). It is also consistent with the ethos of Winecast. I have put a link to it on the right menu.

I second the bloggers credo:

I believe that wine is a beverage that should be enjoyed frequently, alone or with meals. I believe that wine, since it is made from a fruit, should produce a liquid reminiscent of that fruit, not cedar, moss, pipe tobacco, barnyards, manure, pencil lead, or band aids. As such, I believe that good wine can come from any country, but it must be labeled in such a way that the consumer doesn’t need an atlas and a wine encyclopedia to figure out what’s in the bottle. I believe that the United States should not trail the civilized world in wine consumption per capita and that neo-prohibitionists, wine snobs, and liquor distributors are all joined in a trilateral commission to hinder wine consumption. I believe that wine needs to lose its elitist image by embracing alternative packaging, alternative closures, non-vintage wines, stronger branding, and lower retail prices. I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last……..uh….sorry, I got carried away.”

Right on, man!