Wine and conversation are natural allies. The more one flows, the more the other grows. Wine is a social lubricant and connecting adhesive that brings parties to life and people together. For three hours on June 3, a little thing called Twitter brought thousands of wine lovers together for one purpose; celebrate Washington Wine. While #WAWine may not have been the largest of this year’s tasting events by volume of tweets or number of tweeters, it arguably propelled the largest amount of wineries and businesses into action.

Twitter events are still in their infancy and range from specialized single winery focused events on TasteLive.com to worldwide emphasis events like #Chardonnay hosted by Rick Bakas of St. Supery Winery.  The May Chardonnay event established a benchmark with over 600 people contributing 2700 tweets. Our goal with Washington focused taste and tweets is to educate wineries on the benefits of using social media and to provide a collective state wide event leveraging the momentum of many to bring worldwide attention to Washington State wine. Each event widens the net of participation and awareness.

Success Is Consumer Participation

While big twitter numbers are fun to see, and is certainly an area to give greater focus in the future, the success of WAMerlot and WAWine is consumer participation AT the winery or event location. I like to evaluate each event by looking at the strengths and opportunities.

Strength in Numbers

• 105 wineries and 10-20 retail locations were involved at various levels for WAWine (one out of every six Washington Wineries)
• 370 people on Twitter and about 50 people on Facebook contributed 1850-2000 updates about WAWine.
• Between 1000-1500 (approx) people attended various events across the state
• WAWine was a trending topic in Seattle for most of the three hour event.
• Aggregating the number of followers by the main participants puts brand impressions over ONE MILLION.

For me the highlights that bring the most excitement were the collaborative events that were held by the Cascade Valley Wine Country in Wenatchee and Lake Chelan with 15 wineries representing these smaller areas and close to 100 people celebrating between both locations.  The other highlight is how the Walla Walla community came together at Olives Café with 17 wineries hosting a crowd of over 100.

Opportunities for Future

WAMerlot was the beginning, WAWine was an expansion of the idea and a future event (probably in the fall) will provide many opportunities to enhance the idea and continue education. For WAWine we provided several resources to assist wineries in the promotion of the event (Press Release, Tasting Room flyer, video primer, blogger contact information, etc). For greater success of future events, we’ll focus on the following:

• More lead time communication with wineries
• More aggressive PR to media
• Wineries leveraging Facebook and Email lists to ‘promote’
• Collaborative community events (similar to Walla Walla and Cascade Valley Wine Country)
• More winery connection to wine bloggers

Was WAWine a success? Yes, in huge proportion! Considering that zero money was spent in marketing dollars and the use of Twitter, Facebook, Blogging and Email motivated potentially a few thousand people to drink Washington Wine for a night, the event was a phenomenal success. I believe we’re just scratching the surface.

WAWine Posts you Must See

• DecanterBanter.com enjoys a great time with Cascade Valley Wine Country (VIDEO)
• WildWallaWallaWineWoman.com – Walla Walla comes together at Olives Cafe (VIDEO)
• WineTonite tweets from the East!
• WineRocks in Seattle – 189 Pictures
• Oregon_Wine_Blog – WAWine 140 Characters at a Time
• Wine Peeps – WAWine – Oh What a Night
• Woodinville Wine Update – WAWine Woodinville Style

I want to give a huge thanks to my main partner in crime, Sean Sullivan from www.wawinereport.com and the event sponsors www.washingtontastingroom.com and www.washingtonwine.org. Events like this could not be successful without the collective support of the entire wine writing community across the state (and even some across the country). While support certainly went beyond the co-supporters, we couldn’t have done it without you!

The NectarView

2007 L’Ecole Perigee

• The Stuff: 100% Estate fruit from Seven Hills Vineyard with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cab Franc. Wine spent 22 months in a mix of new and used French oak. 14.5%abv; 1398 cases produced
• The Swirl: Dark crimson purple with a thick cloudy look. Presentation is about 90% opaque with beautiful jewel tones at the edges
• The Sniff: The Perigee is alive on the nose with rich cherry fruit and hints of clove, tobacco and vanilla.
• The Sip: This is a beautiful elegant wine with amazing balance of fruit, spice and structure. A slight sweetness grazes the front of your tongue as the dark cherry flavors wash across the middle of your tongue. Slight earthy leather, tobacco box, and cocoa prepare the finish for a smooth velvety wash.
• The Score: At $49, this wine may be out of reach for most people, but is certainly a wine I would recommend to anyone who has the opportunity to taste, buy or try. I can easily score this a 4 (out of 5). Get it down to $35 and buy a case!

*Wine provided as an industry sample with the intention to review

“Who the hell is this SeattleWineGal girl,” I thought as I started my tweeting and blogging adventure in November. Her avatar was cute…her blog showed a picture of her chuggin’ wine from a bottle and there was a social media slide show on her site called “What the F**k is Social Media.” Seattle Wine Gal was an enigma wrapped in a mystery.

Enter the scene six months later and now Barbara Evans (aka @SeattleWineGal) is a Seattle socialite, Twitter Goddess (dare I say Twoddess), and full time Social Media consultant. Barbara is one of the rare few that have successfully transformed her passion for people and wine into real cash. Talk about ROI (return on investment). I had the fortune of meeting Miss Evans at Taste Washington in Seattle and she is a ball of energy and full of knowledge. Trust me; she is more than a pretty face.

Barb is a self professed “non-blogger” and considers herself a tweeter. She uses her masters in Social Anthropology and experience as a Director of Interactive Internet Marketing to carry over into the Social Media space. SeattleWineGal has transformed from a hobby to a full fledged brand. Most recently SeattleWineGal has been seen hobnobbing with Twitter elite (Mike Whitmore and Chris Pirillo) at Seattle Social Media conferences and hosting various events across the region.

Later in June, Barb will be on a panel at the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference talking about Growing Your Audience From Other Bloggers To Consumers with Andrea Robinson and David Honig. I’m looking forward to learning from her expertise in search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing. Barb’s enthusiasm is contagious. From her “drinking in the shower” video to the weekly #WIYG (What’s in your Glass) tweets, some may find her antics slightly over the top but when you boil it all down, she knows her stuff.

Check out the video interview as Barb shares her secrets to success, her tips for wineries entering the social jungle, and a few little know pieces of trivia. The Skype chat is pretty pixelated, but contains some good stuff! Thanks for watching.

For those that tweeted in specific questions for Barb, here are her answers:

Q1 @readyaimshoot wanted to know about Marlborough Sav Blancs. They like Kim Crawford better than Nobilo. Any others they should try?

A1: I recommend asking your local wine shop owner what the best Marlborough Sauv Blanc is for your budget. My guess is that he/she will chose something less mass-produced, but I do like both of the wines you mentioned… on a boat in the sun.

Q2 @winesisterhood wanted to know what is your favorite Seattle wine shop and why?

 A2: I like Petes because I love #WAWine and Bubbly- they have the best selection of both, and they manage to keep their costs super low.Tell them I sent you!

Q3 @readyaimshoot also asks – Is seattlewinegal a fruity Beaujolais, a sophisticated Cab Sav, a spicy Pinot Noir or a sweet Sauterne?

A3: I am all of those things! Well, some would debate about the sweet part.

 About Barbara Evans (from her web site)

“Internet Marketing, Social Media Wine Enthusiast Chick.” True loves of Wine and Social Media. Other passions: ultra marathon running, aviation, technical writing/web content writing (nerd alert), World travel, intellectual pursuits, roller derby (was a Bellingham Roller Bettie) all outdoor activities, philosophy, astronomy, SCUBA, martial arts, self improvement and success principles.

• www.SeattleWineGal.com
• @SeattleWineGal on twitter
• Linked’In Professional Profile
• Contact@SeattleWineGal.com

Today I sat down (virtually) for a quick interview with Rick Bakas, the Director of Social Media for St. Supery winery. Rick is rockin’ the social media world and has a new book coming out at the end of May, Quick Bites – 75 Savory Tips for Social Media Success. Rick opens up his game plan and shares the strategies that he uses for his own personal brand as well as how he manages St. Supery’s brand.

Check out the quick Skype chat with Rick and then type your little fingers over to www.quickbitesbook.com and order your copy today. You can also “like” the book on Facebook at www.facebook.com/quickbitesbook.

*Please forgive the pixelation of the Skype video. Technology is cool, but still has a ways to come

• RickBakas.com
• @RickBakas
• @StSupery
• Facebook/RickBakas
• Facebook/StSupery

 WAWINE EVENT SITE

From the team that brought you WAMerlot on March 25, DrinkNectar, Washington Wine Report, and 12 prominent Washington wine writers are bringing Washington wine to the world through Twitter, Facebook and one hundred on location events.

The June 3 event is a connection between the virtual wine tasting community using social media and wineries across the state. WAWine allows people from across the world to interact with each other while drinking and celebrating Washington wine. Wineries also use the event as a springboard to bring people together inside their tasting room. WAWine is an opportunity to learn, connect and engage regardless of where you are in the world.

The event is sponsored by Washington Tasting Room Magazine and the Washington Wine Commission and will leverage the collective reach of 14 wine writers and Washington wine events Wine Rocks in Seattle, Taste Washington in Spokane and the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla. “Hundreds of wine loving eyes will be on Washington during June. This is a perfect event to kick off the month and connect people,” says the events co-creator, Josh Wade. As wine writers descend on the state, WAWine will get their palate primed for great Washington wine.

The first event in the series, WAMerlot saw millions of brand impressions for Washington state merlot, over 2000 tweets from 500 people on Twitter and over 1000 people in 80 locations across the state! Leveraging the momentum from WAMerlot, WAWine will bring even greater exposure to the variety and complexity of wine that grows in Washington.

HOW DO YOU PARTICIPATE?

Participation is simple. Visit the event site for details and tips. Support one of the participating wineries by buying one or more bottles of Washington wine and join in one of three ways: 

• Join in person at one of the participating wineries! Follow this link to see who is hosting an event.
• Log on to Twitter at 5pm Pacific Time on Thursday, June 3 and follow the hashtag #WAWine. To be connected with other participants be sure to use the words #WAWine in all your tweets.
• Lot on to Facebook and join the community at http://facebook.com/tasteandtweet. You can use this page to upload photos, share your experiences and connect with others.

Attention Wineries

Visit the WAWine for Wineries page to see how you can maximize the event.

• Social Media Tutorials
• Media Packet
• Downloadable print materials
• 7 ways to maximize sales
• and more…

Attention Wine Writers and Trade

We will be intentionally connecting YOU to Washington Wineries. Please register at the event site so we can connect with you, or leave a comment below.

ABOUT DRINKNECTAR.COM

DrinkNectar.com is an independent blog dedicated to exploring wine and coffee. Using primarily video reviews, DrinkNectar begins its focus in Spokane, WA and moves out to cover the Northwest and the rest of the wine world. DrinkNectar.com began in November 2009 and is now ranked among the top 10 wine blogs in the country by traffic and engagement (according to PostRank.com/wine). Josh Wade is the editor and also contributes for Corkd.com.

ABOUT WASHINGTON WINE REPORT

Washington Wine Report is an independent blog focused on bringing Washington wine to readers and bringing readers to Washington wine. The goal is to help readers select Washington wines at a variety of price levels, to keep up-to-date about the state’s wineries, vineyards, and individuals, to help plan trips to wine country and to connect people to the larger wine community. Washington Wine Report blog began in June 2007. Sean Sullivan is the editor.

Additional Sponsorship by:

While I’m not an expert, what I can base my suggestions on are things that I see work for other successful business. This list is meant to be SEVEN “no brainer” social media tactics to bring your Twitter/Facebook and Web presence into 2010.

Each of these items are quick and simple to implement and will bring a cohesiveness to your entire social media strategy. Why is it important? Each Twitter follower or Facebook fan you have is a direct connection between you and your brand and is less money that you have to spend on traditional marketing.

#1 – Add your Twitter / Facebook information to your business cards. You have your phone number, web site and address, why not your social media contacts. For a percentage of your customers, social media is how they interact with businesses. Neglecting this information means neglecting a natural contact point.

#2 – End every email with ALL of your social media contacts. Use visual buttons to draw the eye that entice people to click through them. Chances are you have a significant mailing list. Most likely you connect with your mailing list with a monthly newsletter and periodic events. Broaden that connection by enabling your existing fans and customers to connect with your social media pages. This brings your interaction with them to a more regular occurrence.

#3 Make sure your social media contacts are front and center on your web page. A) People are already online B) They’re on your web page C) Make it easy for them to connect with your fan page, twitter page, You Tube page, etc. It’s simple, it’s free, and all it can do is INCREASE your customer connections!

#4 Make sure your Facebook Fan Page is set to show your posts AND your fans posts. The default is “Just Your” posts. It is simple to change and it allows more interaction between you and your fans and between your fans. If you leave the page to just show your posts you run the risk of missing your fans posts, not responding to their interactions, and coming across as a spammer. The fix is easy…click options and change to show ‘yours + your fans.’

#5 Respond to your tweets and interactions. Now more than ever we live in a small town economy. Please, thank you and you’re welcome go a long way with social media interaction. Your customers understand you are busy but would you NOT return a voice mail question? Would you leave an e-mail unanswered? You can’t afford to neglect a customer’s tweet or Facebook post. When your fans interact with your Facebook page, respond. A general rule of thumb is you should be either the last or one of the last posts on your Facebook interactions.

#6 Don’t sell. Facebook and twitter are not about selling, they’re about relationships, brand building and customer service. A general rule of thumb is sell 1 out of every 10 interactions. Talk to people, ask open ended questions, do market research, ask for opinions, share your business process, provide insight into your trade.

#7 Be yourself. The most effective social media strategy is to care. No one cares more about your business or product than you. Hiring a “professional” to represent your social media presence may seem like a good idea but will not generate the same kind of passion as you. Hire a consultant to get you up to speed. Rely on a firm to help you with a strategy. Look to professionals to measure your ROI and market penetration, but only YOU can represent your company. If all you can commit is 10 minutes per day. Be transparent and let your fans know that. Use those 10 minutes to post one new insight into your business, respond to fans and build relationships with others.

Success is not 100,000 followers or 26,000 fans. Success is building brand ambassadors, deepening relationships, and customer service 1 fan at a time.

Hello, my name is Josh and I’m addicted to Google Analytics. This is a post to help fellow bloggers identify their addiction. If you answer yes to 3 or less, then you’re safe. If you find yourself agreeing with 3-5, you may want to continue watching for the warning signs of addiction. For those bloggers reading this that can relate to 6-9 of the addictions signs, you should consider admitting yourself in to the G.A.A (Google analytics anonymous). You will find a strong support group to help break free from the bonds of addiction. For those that can relate to all 10 “signs,” you’re obviously a super star blogger with massive site traffic. Can you re-tweet this? PLEASE! 

10. Each night you go to bed counting referrals instead of sheep. 

9. Before you go to sleep you pray, “Now I lay me down to rest, I pray for visits from the West, as China and India awake, please click my links for heavens sake.” 

8. You go into a cold sweat as you enter the weekend still needing 400 page views to pass last weeks numbers. 

7. You think about posting an expose on sex addiction including “exclusive” quotes from Tiger Woods and Jesse James. 

6. You refresh you stats page 30 seconds after every time you tweet your newest post 

5. You secretly tag your posts and images with key words, Brittany Spears, Avatar, Porn, and Justin Bieber 

4. The first 30 minutes of every visit to your psychiatrist covers how your value and self worth are not tied to your page views 

3. Secretly you hope that @rickbakas, @sung_h_lee, @nansen or @garyvee will re-tweet your posts 

2. To be trending on Mashable is one of your bucket list items 

1. You read that people like to read lists so you put together THIS list in hopes to boost your traffic for the day.

*photo credit www.thedailydigi.com