The 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference is in the books. I’ve enjoyed reading all the posts and looking at everyone’s pictures. Thank you so much for posting them. Below is my video recap of the event. I’ll be doing one final post sharing my thoughts on the opportunities for making the event better. Please see my previous posts on:

5 Things I’m Going to DO As A Result of WBC10

The Sport of Speed Wine Blogging (satire)

A Tweet Recap of Posts About 2010

Disclaimer – I didn’t edit any of these tweets

wawinereport Washington Wine Report: Summary of known posts from #WBC10. Enjoy! http://bit.ly/9AUjm8 #WAwine #wine

piAfterDark   Walla Walla wine bloggers conference featured rock stars of Washington wine http://bit.ly/bOWaB1 #WBC10

Shona425 On the road @WBCorBUST stop @CaveBWinery onto #WBC10 http://bit.ly/bRbA02

SonomaWilliam Too tired by Day 4 to recall the awesome Food/Wine Pairing Seminar? Great recap including Chef Saad’s tips here… http://bit.ly/dvyDtU #WBC10

suburbanwino Dr. Seuss: perhaps the worst reference for wine travel http://bit.ly/b6VNyQ <-Great recap of the whole trip

NancyFeasts New blog post on food and wine pairing with Jeffrey Saad at #wbc10: http://bit.ly/dAAWOn

dirtysouthwine A short recap of 2010 Wine Bloggers Conf- http://bit.ly/dqdA0E #wbc10

vinotology 1WineDude, a Nectar Drinker, and a Vinotologist Drive to Spokane… http://bit.ly/dfAfKm

WineBizRadio Video feeds from the Wine Bloggers Conference http://bit.ly/do6rfd

yakyakwine #WBC10 and a Half, a Blog from Walla Walla : http://www.yakyakwine.com/2010/07/wbc10-and-half-even-more-part.html

clivity Were you on #Redmtn ? If not, here’s what you missed…http://tinyurl.com/26fhrho from #wbc10

ConsciousWine #wbc10 #wine conference highlights blog post: http://consciouswine.com/blog.php/consciousfriends/what-i-learned-in-walla-walla/

SFDoug Revisiting what I thought was a 97-pt wine http://shar.es/mO24w

winebeerWA 5 Sound Bites from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference (via @nancyfeasts) http://bit.ly/aItGUS #WBC10

marycressler Finally getting around to posting a few #WBC10 pictures … http://bit.ly/beT3pf

zephyradventure #WBC10 @WineBloggersCon 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference: Red Mountain AVA Rolls out the Red Carpet http://bit.ly/c5bOYO

WineEYak Wine Yakima Valley’s Vineyard tour 4 the wine bloggers was awsm. Check out the pics! #WineEYak #WBC10 http://bit.ly/af9qUR

20dollarwine New post up – “7 Habits of Slightly Effective Wine Bloggers” #wbc10 http://tinyurl.com/2gylwbp

WINESofWA Wilma Does Walla Walla – Part 1 – Wilma’s Wine World http://shar.es/mDVyx #WAwine #wbc10 #wbcorbust

WinePeeps #wbc10 Wine Peeps: A Wine Blog » Highlights and Wine Tastings from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference http://shar.es/mDVZ3

WineingWoman New blog post: What Can I say about WBC? http://www.thewineingwoman.com/2010/06/what-can-i-say-about-wbc/

marcygordon New #wbc10 blog post in pictures — You Know You’re At A Wine Blogger Conference When: http://tinyurl.com/283l9zf

HelloPresto Top 10 Reasons I’m Not Making a Top 10 List About the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference http://bit.ly/agAeVq #wbc10

joelvincent The warm embrace…what inspired me about #WBC10 http://post.ly/lF62

WineInkByTia A few parting words from #WBC10 starring…well, you’ll have to watch. #video http://twitvid.com/WQBXF (PART 1)

WineInkByTia More parting words from #WBC10 http://twitvid.com/DZNHK (PART 2)

marycressler 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference, part 1… and what inspired me the most at #WBC10 … http://bit.ly/aLTRLr

TomCWark Fermentation: Facetime With WinePressNW @ #wbc10 http://bit.ly/bne3ne via@TomCWark

TomCWark http://fermentation.typepad.com/fermentation/2010/06/10-things-ive-learned-so-far-at-the-2010-wine-bloggers-conference1-the-wine-bloggers-conference.html

MutineerMagazine Wine Bloggers Conference 2010 #wbc10 – Mutineer Magazine “Step and Repeat” photos – http://bit.ly/9NOj2r

RESOURCE: wawinereport: Up, up, and away! Recent trends in the #WAwine industry. From #WBC10 seminar. http://bit.ly/9xAmHe #wine

thewinehub #wine #WBC10 – Walla Walla leaves good taste in bloggers’ mouths -… http://fb.me/DNKLMrJp

1WineDude New on 1WineDude: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! (Brought to you by the Letter “W”) http://bit.ly/aiZIuH

lenndevours Want to learn about #VAwines well before you head to #WBC11 next year? Check out our list of top VA wine bloggers: http://bit.ly/9U8ZPv

vinotology What the Hell am I Doing in Spokane? http://bit.ly/dwSmSP

SipwithMe Just finally got my photos from #WBC10 downloaded on Facebook, check them out! http://bit.ly/ctIBaf <There’s some awesome shots!

MattWineheimer The Wine Blogging Box- In or Out? questions and thoughts from #wbc10 http://bit.ly/c7e7wc

SSCWestCoast Walla Walla, sights and sounds + Andrea Robinson cameo. #wbc10 http://bit.ly/b5algq

WCWineGuy A few quick takes from the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla: http://bit.ly/a99r9c #wbc10

RESOURCE: megmaker Writerly followers may be interested in my “24 Theses” articulated yesterday during panel on wine writing http://bit.ly/9uD0U0

WillametteVV Top 10 Highlights from #WBC10 http://bit.ly/9Cjsa8

UCBeau: My Top Ten list from the #wbc10 event this weekend. http://bit.ly/cfOiQi

winedineww Wine Bloggers Conference Walla Walla wrap up – http://bit.ly/dswFIZ #WBC10

RESOURCE: goodgrape New post from goodgrape.com: Wine Blogging Shop Talk and Presentations – http://bit.ly/bHVxEm

SipwithMe New blog post: Top 10 Things I Learned at Wine Camp http://bit.ly/9m3awK #WBC10 (@nectarwine @dirtysouthwine @SonomaWilliam @makerstable)

stevepaulo: New Notes: Ten Things I Learned at WBC10 http://j.mp/cqGwrm”

SteveHeimoff My latest blog: Head filled, heart too after WBC10: I’m back from the American Wine Bloggers Conference, up in Wal… http://bit.ly/aDeC3a

VinoChick75 #WBC10 http://bit.ly/aVvVSg <Some highlights from #WBC10 …

rjswineblog my take on the wine bloggers conference in walla walla #wbc10 – http://bit.ly/rw370

AnotherWineBlog The Liver is Evil, and Must Be Punished! Leaving Walla Walla… http://fb.me/zuXOO4SB

Ken Payton

• On Sean Boyd of Rôtie Cellars: http://reignofterroir.com/2010/06/24/sean-boyd-of-rotie-cellars-walla-walla/
• And a Walla Walla AVA primer. An interview with David Stephenson of Stephenson Cellars:
  http://reignofterroir.com/2010/06/23/david-stephenson-introduces-the-walla-walla-ava/

Rick Bakas A video greeting from WBC10

RESOURCE: CraigSutton – The creating conversions presentation http://bit.ly/craigwbc10

@marycressler: Wine Bloggers Conference, part 2… most memorable moments and wines tasted at #wbc10 http://bit.ly/a4eH1A

TravelingGrape WBC10 Day 1 – Yakima Valley – http://thetravelinggrape.com/blog/2010/06/24/wbc10-day-1-yakima-valley/

DreamWildly   All the best winos were at #wbc10 http://bit.ly/cMahVD

UCBeau My Turn for a #WBC10 Video http://tinyurl.com/262keoo Take a peek, you might get a laugh! #wine @wineissrsbiz @grip_N_sip

enobytes Are you in one of these videos or pics? http://bit.ly/9ReslE #WBC10

WineShoppinguy Cuvée Corner Wine Blog: Walla,Walla or Bust! The Washington #Wine Scene Revisited! http://goo.gl/JwFH #wbc10

wawinereport: Washington Wine Report: Random thoughts from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference http://bit.ly/bPmBtt #WBC10

Catie Hey Wine Bloggers – Sour grapes going on. Redeem yourself and your participation at #WBC10 http://tinyurl.com/3a8mzs3

KSyrah #WBC10 Part 1 – Half the Fun is Getting There http://bit.ly/92UTci

HokeHarden WBC10: Rote Cellars, another Walla Walla Wine Epiphany http://tinyurl.com/2anjdfq

Mecaela Part 1 of #wbc10 wrap-up complete http://bit.ly/cHyYB4

jordanwinery uploading #WBC10 video diaries featuring @steveheimoff @nectarwine @1winedude @goodgrape etc. Watch here: http://bit.ly/cmWSjE

1WineDude Commenting on @paulgwine‘s post about #WBC10 http://bit.ly/98xG2q

vinotology July 2 – The Good the Bad and the Ugly – #WBC10 Edition http://bit.ly/dz7yA6

RESOURCE: Panel replay of How to Convert your Readers from other Bloggers to Consumers with @seattlewinegal, @palatepress and @andreawine? http://bit.ly/b2u2Ff #wbc10

paulgwine‘s post about #WBC10 http://bit.ly/98xG2q “Bloggies Come a Callin’”

RESOURCE: jordanwinery uploading #WBC10 video diaries featuring @steveheimoff @nectarwine @1winedude @goodgrape and more…Watch here: http://bit.ly/cmWSjE

                This YouTube channel also includes the Keynote speech from Steve Heimoff and others

Mecaela Part 1 of #wbc10 wrap-up complete http://bit.ly/cHyYB4

HokeHarden WBC10: Rote Cellars, another Walla Walla Wine Epiphany http://tinyurl.com/2anjdfq

KSyrah #WBC10 Part 1 – Half the Fun is Getting There http://bit.ly/92UTci

wawinereport: Washington Wine Report: Random thoughts from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference http://bit.ly/bPmBtt #WBC10

enobytes A Few Highlights from the Wine Bloggers Conference ‘10 http://bit.ly/9ReslE #WBC10

WineShoppinguy Cuvée Corner Wine Blog: Walla,Walla or Bust! The Washington #Wine Scene Revisited! http://goo.gl/JwFH #wbc10

UCBeau My Turn for a #WBC10 Video http://tinyurl.com/262keoo Take a peek, you might get a laugh! #wine @wineissrsbiz @grip_N_sip

DreamWildly All the best winos were at #wbc10 http://bit.ly/cMahVD

TravelingGrape WBC10 Day 1 – Yakima Valley – http://thetravelinggrape.com/blog/2010/06/24/wbc10-day-1-yakima-valley/

cellarmistress #WBC10 White Wine Live Speed Blogging! http://youtu.be/K3IamTBw7lA

Shona425 #WBC10: Walla Walla Wine Walkabout http://bit.ly/cdYmev

Catie Say it isn’t so! There were sour grapes about #WBC10. Speak up here if you are a blogger http://tinyurl.com/2fl5bw6

ConsciousWine Photos from the #wbc10 adventure on the #jackpotbus. http://gallery.me.com/barefootbeing/100111

WineBloggersCon 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference: Red Mountain AVA Rolls out the Red Carpet http://bit.ly/c5bOYO

vinotology New Vinotology – Just Like Home – Touring the Yakima Valley http://bit.ly/9MSIQX #wine #wbc10 #wawine

OkanaganWriting Time to play the “Like this? Try that!” #bcwine game @OKWineFests – new blog post #wbc10 http://ht.ly/27mYG

1WineDude New on 1WineDude: Walla Walla Syrah QED? and “Days of WA Future Past” http://bit.ly/avxkE9

HelloPresto Little video of my experience in Walla Walla! Wine Without Words: A Taste of #WBC10 http://bit.ly/dqQlF8

winepeeps New from Wine Peeps: Food and Wine Pairing with Chef @jeffreysaad http://bit.ly/9bEGiJ #wbc10

WineCHATr From WineCHATr.com: WBC10: What I Learned This Summer: So I spent three fun and wine filled days in Walla Walla at… http://bit.ly/92eU3N

melanie0 Latest Dallas Wine Chick Post: What I Learned at #WBC10 http://www.dallaswinechick.com/top-things-learned-at-wbc10/

NancyFeasts What wine do you pair with potato chips? What I learned at #wbc10 – my latest post on deVine Table http://bit.ly/9y1l4t

tomcwark Virginia Governor hypes 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference: http://bit.ly/czwkSg #WBC11 #WBC10

drXeNo: #WBC10 recap, thoughts & tasty #wine notes from a wknd of discovery in W2! http://bit.ly/crK01I @SubstanceWines @reiningerwinery

Mamandesfilles WBC’10 Meet The Sponsors http://vinoverve.com/2010/07/07/wbc10-meet-the-sponsors/

suburbanwino Shame and neglect. Time to move on. http://fb.me/E8A4TlLG

Walla2WineWoman WBC10 – Live Wine Blogging in Walla Walla: Worthwhile for the Wineries?: Live Wine Blogging is a … http://bit.ly/a4NLsy

WINESofWA Foodista Blog – 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference Review http://shar.es/mQKpK

Luscious_Lushes Gone baby gone! To OR-e-gone! http://bit.ly/aRtMNw A pre – #wbc10 adventure! @solenaestate

WINEormous Wrapping up an amazing visit to Washington Wine Country http://ow.ly/28QWt  #wbc10 #wbcorbust #WAwine

Clivity Recap of the Red Mtn AVA excurision: http://tinyurl.com/29pgtwb

paulgwine - It’s easy to criticize? http://www.paulgregutt.com/2010/07/easy-to-criticize.html

skadey Check out the first new blog post spurred by #wbc10 http://twurl.nl/wr7dmt  

vinotology Breaking News – Wine Bloggers Win Powerball Lottery http://bit.ly/cmpX2J

KenPayton For access to all of my Wx2 coverage, click on the category tab on the site. Rasa Vineyards is my latest: http://tinyurl.com/2cas6p9 #wbc10

marikane Speed Tasting Reds at #WBC10 now playing at Tasting Room Confidential: http://bit.ly/cXY4hx

vintagetexas From the outside looking in: Avatar’s Tales http://bit.ly/cK5le4 – Living #WBC10 thru tweets of @vinotology & @melanie0

wawinereport Lettie Teague at the Wall Street Journal writes about #WAwine http://bit.ly/cohOqk #WBC10

Catie @Walla2WineWoman Bits & Pieces: WBC10 in Walla Walla: In the last two years, wine bloggers have been criticized by… http://bit.ly/9XoOJu

DrinkWhatULike Attending #WBC11 ? A #VaWine must follow and resource list: http://bit.ly/by2Z1Y #WBC10 #LocalWine

suburbanwino not even pics and vids can do OR/WA wine country justice, but I gave it a shot… http://fb.me/D2NJ31qG

RidgeMB All my posts from #WBC10 can be found here (http://blog.ridgewine.com/?s=%23wbc10), should anyone be interested in checking in

TheWineWhore Life, choices, and #wbc10 -> http://tinyurl.com/343fpoo #wine

Extanz Sparkling feedback on #wbc10 blog influence rank- The sequel http://bit.ly/c0We2w

MattWineHeimer Washington Wine: Wineheimer: Red Teeth on Red Mountain- A Visit to the Red Mountain AVA http://shar.es/mRSEE #wbc10 #wbcorbust #WAwine

Shona425 WBC10: Speed Wine Tasting: Part of the Wine Blogger Conference was an hour of white wine speed tasting and an h… http://buzzup.com/13jmc

TourWallaWalla A Renovation in Walla Walla. #LettieTeague #WSJ #WBC10 http://fb.me/vh0Pmiu0

cuvee_corner Check this video out — WBC or Bust featuring Delille Cellars http://youtu.be/vV83racSKoA #wbc10

WineTonite The foundation of Washington wine. http://www.winetonite.com/2010/07/01/the-foundation-of-washington-wine/

TheVinoFile http://www.thevinofile.net/2010/07/who-are-wine-bloggers.html

MattWineHeimer A visit to K-Vintners http://www.wineheimer.net/2010/07/visit-to-k-vintners.html

Olsen Estates share pictures from the conference

AnotherWineBlog – Wine conferences, no time to write about wine! http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/8972

NectarWine Sour Grapes or Curious Choices – a Journey through WBC10 in 34 quick steps http://bit.ly/d1lUyL

Food Truck Times Taco trucks and wine – the review

WriteForWine WBC10 is an individual experience http://bit.ly/b6ZgpN

melanie0 Finally – my “dear diary” post of #wbc10 on Dallas Wine Chick http://bit.ly/dwk2eF

zephyradventure #WBC10 http://bit.ly/axlyEq Thank You Everyone for the media and a special thanks to Lisa Mattson & Laura Peterson for the excellent video

cuvee_corner #WineWednesday review Hogue Cellars Review http://goo.gl/hBSS #wawine #wbc10 #merlot

wawinereport Washington Wine Report: Will this be ‘The decade of Washington wine?’ http://bit.ly/c68K3z #WAwine #WBC10

emilyldt On #WBC10, and a new Central Coast Cal-Ital #wine at the table: http://jbrix.com

RESOURCE: via #wbc: Videos, Photos, and Presentations from the WBC10: If you set up a Google Alert for “wine bloggers confer… http://bit.ly/bhyCIU

zevrobinson Just about forgot me being interviewed what I was doing with @catavino at #WBC10 in WallaWalla – http://youtu.be/x7HJajYNfB8

vino_g Back from vacation and some notes from #wbc10 are up! http://www.vinifico.com/?p=2436

KenPayton New interview: Ryan Crane of Kerloo Cellars Wx2 http://tinyurl.com/2ch3tkf #wbc10

yakyakwine Dick Boushey rocks #WAwine #WBC10 #wine #Redmtn: http://www.yakyakwine.com/2010/07/world-according-to-dick-boushey.html

randomoenophile Random thoughts and tasting notes from the Wine Bloggers Conference #wbc10 http://tinyurl.com/39qr2dz

randomoenophile Random thoughts from the wine bloggers conference and things I learned about Walla Walla http://tinyurl.com/24vdqrr

UCBeau My 50th Blog Post! http://tinyurl.com/3yt4sls featuring a recap of my group’s #WBC10 bus tour.

ConsciousWine New blog post after 2 weeks of blog not working right! http://bit.ly/bQFMk6 #wine #wbc10 #wbc11 #video

WallaWineReview #wallawalla #wbc10 – The articles from the Walla Walla Wine Blogger’s Conference start to roll out: http://bit.ly/dge7LV

skadey #WBC10 thx 4 inspiring me 2 write more: NEW BLOG POST: Blooming! King Estate Grown Organic Lavender. http://fb.me/Cl01lscP

UCBeau Finally wrote up some amazing Syrahs I tasted at #wbc10 http://tinyurl.com/24kut5o Featured @SkyliteCellars and @smasnecellars #wine

winebratsf Hey listen up peoples, @catie‘s got something to say! http://networkedblogs.com/64qpl #wbc10 And oh…it’s about me ;-p well sort of

cellarmistress What Andy Perdue of Wine Press Northwest thought of #WBC10 http://bit.ly/dps4mO

zevrobinson debate is always good &wine bloggrs could use more discussion on this topic #wbc10 http://youtu.be/zyOchg_T3ss

TourWallaWalla Class is in session at L’Ecole No. 41. #WAWine #WBC10 http://fb.me/DwdE6e4v

DailyWineNews WBC’10 – Beresan Winery: Gretchen Neuman VinoVerve Editor Has it really been a week since I posted last? I have f… http://bit.ly/a1rLPG

winebratsf Write right, right now! A #wbc10 post to amuse you http://bit.ly/aqSsbP

vinotology New Vinotology – Ain’t No Party Like a Hardy Party – Talking natural wine with Hardy Wallace http://bit.ly/966HKt #wine #wbc10

WriteforWine @melanie0 Thanks for the RT – it was such a great day, eh? Glad to experience it with you guys! http://bit.ly/a1rU2W (RE – the Desert Wind Winery Experience)

cuvee_corner Giant Dang Speed Blogging Wine Review – The Unreserved http://goo.gl/BCNR #wbc10 great stuff on this post! #wine

cuvee_corner WBC or Bust: The Journey Home from WBC10 http://goo.gl/icjj #wbc10 #wine

sueguerra The Judgement of Walla Walla: http://tinyurl.com/2fvxrda #WBC10 @Lecole41 @delillecellars

cavemanwines New Cave Painting: WBC is the Place We Ought to Be… http://bit.ly/cl0ruK #wbc10 #wbc11

marikane Pics of #WBC10 now posted in Tasting Room Confidential Photo Galleries. Find yourself there! http://bit.ly/957tcp

winetonite Great Bordeaux blends from Washington… Interview w/ Jay Soloff of Delille Cellars http://bit.ly/acfLbR #wine #wbc10

WineBloggersCon Have you seen the survey results yet? #wbc10 http://bit.ly/cQA0VB

KenPayton My piece on Rasa Vyrds out of Walla Walla hasn’t quite gotten the attention it deserves. Not sure why. http://tinyurl.com/2cas6p9 #wbc10

@ConsciousWIne: New blog post after 2 weeks of blog not working right! http://bit.ly/bQFMk6 #wine #wbc10 #wbc11 #video

melanie0 New Dallas Wine Chick Post: My Washington after #wbc10 tour with @writeforwine http://bit.ly/arxHm4

EaglesNestWine Check our irreverent interview on @WIneBizRadio at #WBC10 Walla Walla on You Tube at http://bit.ly/9uuGJo #wine (Thx Randy & Kaz!!)

sipofspokane Video of the vineyard tour & tasting at Figgins Family Estate/ Leonetti http://goo.gl/b/ort0 #wawine #WBC10 #jackpotbus Lucky us!

sipofspokane Food & Wine pairing (Jeffery Saad) http://nblo.gs/6qhSy #wbc10 #wawine 3 no-fail #wine pairings and other tips.

ConsciousWine Wine Blogger’s Conference Slideshow and unveiling of #wbc10 Swag Bag: http://bit.ly/9yGidO #wine #wbc11

Over the weekend I caught a glimpse of the future; something that could truly revolutionize action TV sports. It could be bigger than fishing or hunting TV. It will be more exciting than TV poker tournaments. I’m a little hesitant in sharing for fear that the idea could actually be picked up by a national show.

Speed Wine Blogging!

The rules

• 8 wine bloggers / 8 wines / 4 minutes with each wine
• Bloggers listen to the marketing PR blurb then quickly swirl, smell, sip, spit and score the wines.
• Prior to the cowbell ringing the blogger must document their tasting notes with either a tweet or a mini-post consisting of no more than 300 characters (140 character reviews are given an extra 2 points)
• At the end of each round the posts and scores are evaluated and compared to the baseline “Parker Score” to determine those that continue to the next round.
• One blogger is eliminated each round.
• The last blogger remaining wins.

The scene is intense. The room reeks with anticipation…and hints of brett, funk and cherries. The assembled bloggers are cleansing their palates, stretching their tongues and limbering up their nostrils for the event.

Here we are today assembled around the greatest talent in wine writing and reviewing hoping to determine the world champion of Speed Wine Tasting (Red Edition). Our contestants hail from across the US in the hopes to win the coveted @bparkerchuk trophy of a giant nose sniffing a bung hole. “Much love and success to each of you. 100 points *” inscribed on the base.

Our contestants are the formidable Joe Roberts (1WineDude.com), Steve Heimoff (SteveHeimoff.com), Fredric Koeppel (BiggerThanYourHead.net), C. Jason Mancebo (20dollarwineblog.com), Kori Voorhees(WinePeeps.com), Pamela (Enobytes.com), Gary Vaynerchuk (TV.winelibrary.com), and newcomer Steve Paulo (StevePaulo.com).

Round One

Round one begins with a fast pace as the winemaker rushes from contestant to contestant pouring and explaining the wine. The camera cuts across each of the blogger/writers serious faces as they begin to examine the wine with vigorous swirls. Thoughts of berries, cherries, cassis, leather, plums, prunes and pencil led come to mind. The camera cuts to Gary V. who spits gloriously in his trademark Jets spittoon. Newcomer Steve Paulo looks perplexed by the mouth feel of the wine and newly crowned blog king Joe Roberts has already submitted his perfectly crafted 140 character tweet and score. The horn sounds signaling the end of round one. What’s this! Gary Vaynerchuk has grabbed the mic and begins talking about the wine’s availability on Cinderella.com and how he met the winemaker back when he sold him a baseball card in the Jersey mall. The side judges quickly regain control and deliberate the outcome of the first round. In a huge surprise, Gary is cited with a black Vinum and ejected from the competition. Gary offers a string of expletives and then reminds folks of the “Thank You Economy” coming out later this year.

Round Two

The crowd quickly regains composure as round two sounds with the clicking of the 85oz Riedel glass. Everyone gasps at the odd blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Counoise, and Cinsault. This may prove to be a difficult round. In a bold move with only one sip and spit, both Fredric Koeppel and Steve Heimoff confidently submit their post.  Let’s watch that again in slow motion…will their haste prove to be a good strategy or will one of them be eliminated? The bell rings and Pamela from Enobytes is having trouble submitting her post. Twitter API is frozen! The judges huddle and extend the time by 30 seconds. Everyone has their entries in and the judges quickly review the submissions to determine the winner. The scoring is close with Heimoff pegging the wine almost to a tee. Missing the flavor profile and the score by just one point, Pamela is eliminated. Damn that fail whale.

The energy in the room continues to rise as the rounds progress.

Round Three

Kori Voorhees is eliminated after round three. Strangely enough the wine was a Woodinville winery from her backyard. Dejected Kori and Colby rush from the packed auditorium trying to escape the media interview. As Randy and Kaz from WineBizRadio.com try to stop them, Colby takes the camera and smashed it to the ground.

Round Four

Round four ends with the elimination of Steve Heimoff. He is disqualified for going over the 300 character limit as his post includes a rant against the Republican leadership in California and a dissertation on how no money will ever be made in wine blogging. He’s escorted out of the room by security.

Round Five

With only four contestants remaining the fifth round begins. The purple tooth stains and barrage of tannin and acid are beginning to take their toll on the contestant’s palates. A strange purple stain had developed on Mancebo’s chin…and oddly enough on his bald head…Joe Roberts has a commanding lead with each review coming in at exactly 140 characters. The contestants battle through the round when out of the corner of his eye, Joe catches a glimpse of Geddy Lee from Rush in the stands. Immediately he faints from excitement and is disqualified. After calming the crowd and reviving Joe, the play continues.

Round Six

Three contestants remain; Mancebo, Koeppel, and newcomer Steve Paulo. Mancebo’s eyes seem a little bloodshot and he’s struggling to find the keys on his iPad. A bead of sweat drips from his chin into the glass. The wine is the Molly Dooker Velvet Glove. As he stares into his glass his face turns flush and he quickly rises. “No wine should be 16.8%ABV this is a travesty against wi….” In mid-sentence he falls forward onto the table sending purple spit juice everywhere. For several minutes the scene is chaos. The head referee calls for a 30 minute break so the contestants and compose themselves and clean the spit out of their hair. In a post interview, Mancebo says, “I guess the lesson here is to spit. I let the excitement of the day get to me. I’m a professional, I should know better than that. I’ll be back next year.”

Final Round

The lights dim and the music comes up as the final round begins with perennial award winner Fredric Koeppel and the new kid Steve Paulo surviving to the finish. Intense stares of determination are fired across the table. The wine poured is a 1949 Chateau Ausone. The stage is set and the audience is eerily quiet for the first time all evening. The sound of swishing and spitting can be heard across the room. Both writers deliberate, sketch a few notes and deliberate some more. A commotion arises from the back of the room. Bursting into the room is Joe Powers from AnotherWineBlog.com. “This is a scam, this is a set up! Who are the judges? How the hell did these people get picked to be in the finals! I demand to know!” He overturns the table crushing Koeppel. Paulo attempts to restrain him, but Joe (more crafty than he looks) eludes his grip and rushes off. Screaming toward the exit, “I bet Tom Wark is behind this madness,” Lenn Thompson from NewYorkCorkReport.com dives from the mezzanine level and tackles Joe. Lenn quickly restrains him and stuffs his head in the only remaining spit bucket.

What a night. What a sport. Dazed, the officials and referees head to the replay booth to review the tape. After several minutes of deliberation, they return to declare Steve Paulo the winner by default as he is the last man standing. This new sport is sure to take hold across the country as wine bloggers turn in to rock stars and thousands clamor to the scene.

No doubt hundreds of posts will be written about WBC10. Some will be critical of the timing and lack of Washington industry leader involvement but most stories will be glowing praises of the coordinators efforts (well done). There will be various opinions on the quality of the wine that was tasted but everyone will agree on the amazing hospitality of the city and wineries of Walla Walla (thank you). Posts will debate the effectiveness of the panel presentations but none will decry the power of networking and meeting people face to face. In the midst of all the drinking, tweeting, talking, learning, napping, eating and…did I say drinking…what are you going to DO as a result of the conference? What action are you going to take? This new media is hitting a tipping point. I, for one, want to be a part of the wave that pushes wine blogging to be wine media, wine professional, wine writer, and wine influencer.

Regardless of if anyone reads them, I want to chronicle my experiences from WBC10 (Wine Bloggers Conference) so that I have a record of events, opinions and actions steps to make this blog better.  Like a vine I want to prune the shoots, thin the canopy, and provide the proper nutrients to produce the best yield of fruit. What about you? What actions are you inspired to take? Let’s go there together. Let’s succeed as a team! Let’s leverage each other’s strengths to be better together. If you want to share, please leave your thoughts in the comments!

5 Actions Items from WBC10

• SEO – Search Engine Optimization: I know it’s important but it’s an area that I need further help with. If you know of good tools, classes, sites, please share.
• Improve the quality of my video: Starting with video 100 I’ll be moving to HD, investing in better editing software, paying attention to audio quality and planning shots / scripts in a more thoughtful way.
• Improve the quality of my writing: I like to write. I feel I write good engaging pieces. I understand my voice, but I don’t pay enough attention to the mechanics of the writing. I need to start waiting to post and reading out loud. Just because this post is done now, I’m not going to post it until later.
• Reorganize content: I’ve written 200 pieces that include sexual wine 101 courses, social media tips, wine business opinions and wine reviews. Now that I have established a more clear direction I need to better organize the content so it makes sense to the reader and is easy to find.
• Improve wine reviews: Some say wine reviews are dry and boring and don’t get read. Many disagree with the practice of scoring wines. I disagree. Scores help educate consumers and make better informed decisions. It’s my blog, so I’ll do what I want. I’m going to modify my scoring format a hair and create a more reproducible graphic / summary that more succinctly wraps up the review.

I would love your thoughts. Let’s work toward our goals together. Share and we’ll help each other see them through for WBC11 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

COMING TOMORROW: 10 Things Overheard in Walla Walla

In honor of the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference Awards, I’ve come up with my own award categories. I’m a reader. If I retweet your post, I’ve definitely read it and chances are I’ve commented on it. In 2010 I’ve probably read and commented on 1000 different posts. While some people rail against the wine blog awards with half-wit comedic efforts and others offer more negativity to an already negative world with sarcastic squirrels (if you don’t know, don’t ask), I think more attention should be given to the people who passionately pursue the power of the pen and struggle with the subtleties of the sour grape. Some teach, some entertain, some evangelize, but all of them are deserving of recognition – even if it’s just in the form of a pat on the back from the 17 ½ people who read this blog.

Most Humorous Wine Blog Featuring a Squid – SuburbanWino

Joe combines witty prose, creative story-telling and creative pairings to create an entertaining collection of food, wine and life! Joe has recently attempted a squid and wine pairing that is not to be missed. While Joe’s life is now turned upside-down with the addition of his daughter Olivia, I’m one reader who will keep my feed reader attention toward his new posts.

Best Wine Blog Showcasing Supermodels with Wine – SuppleWine

Mike Supple’s site has it all. Wine reviews, trivia, cartoons, creative videos, articles and even the occasional super model with a bottle of wine (courtesy of his Wine in the Wild series). One recent video Mike did, blew me away with creativity and production. You’ve got to see it to believe it.

Most Creative Integration of Pinot Noir, Sex, and Racks – SipWithMe

What can I say about Tamara Belgard. Wow, this girl knows how to write. While her love affair with Pinot Noir may turn NC-17 from time to time, Tamara can stiffen any limp day with a few whimsical strokes of her pen. Her writing is educational and entertaining and when she’s not conquering her goal to sip at every Oregon tasting room, she provides creative glimpses into a Jewish girls look at communion or fun wordless wine Wednesdays.

Wine Blogger Most Likely to Vote Himself Most Handsome Wine Blog – Clivity from OR_Wine_Blog

Don’t get me wrong, I like girls. I’ve been married to three of them. But Clive Pursehouse is a handsome dude…and he knows how to party! For some reason, Clive likes to refer to himself as the “handsome blogger.” Don’t believe me, read through a few of his posts at www.theoregonwineblog.com. All kidding aside, Clive is a great writer who brings a good balance of humor, wit and knowledge to each post! Since Clive’s not coming to WBC10, I’ll be accepting this award in his place.

Most Likely to Start a Wine Revolution – Millennier

Leah Hennessy is passionate, smart, and she a member of the millennial generation who drinks wine! Leah is showing the wine world the buying power of the millennial generation and providing insight on how to capture this emerging demographic. If you’re a winery who wants to be relevant still in 10 years, connect with Leah’s site.

Wine Blog Who Deserves More Recognition – VineGeek

There are some wine bloggers who are amazing, creative and downright fantastic writers that just don’t get the recognition they deserve. From his #mourvedremonday series to his intelligently crafted reviews and the always present “free association” image, Jim Wilkerson is a wine blogger you should be reading. His posts are fun without being verbose and they provide all the information you need to understand the wine, its origins and how it may or may not be suitable for you. Over the months I’ve come to identify with Jim’s palate and am confident that I can trust his assessment of a wine.

Just Wait, This Guy Will Be a Rock Star – FrankLovesWine

Mark my words, Frank Gutierrez is going to make his mark in the wine world. Check back one year from now and see where this guy is. Frank has an awesome eye for using video and photography for telling a story. Each of his clips is engaging and explores the heart of the subject in under five minutes. Recently he’s been doing work for industry giants, Mer Soleil, Belle Glos Meiomi, Caymus, and Conundrum.

Best Blog I’ve Only Recently Discovered – NorCalWingMan

Brian Wing is a blogger to watch. I’ve recently discovered Brian’s blog through his tweets (he’s an observation in doing it right by the way). Brian’s coming into his own as he refines his style and incorporates insightful reviews with food recipes, beer and even a little personal life. Brian’s style is refreshing and reminds me of the reason why I started my own blog…passion for wine. You have to check out his weekly food post, “Not Bad for a Thursday Night.”

My Favorite Washington Wine Blog – WAWineReport

I try not to bitch and moan too much. I’m a believer that being nice is always the best option. With no disrespect for any of the people nominated for “Best Single Focused Wine Blog,” I have to say that the absence of Sean Sullivan’s Washington Wine Report is a gross error. Sean is one of the most respected wine writers in the state. His in-depth winery reports and reviews are not only top quality, they could easily be used by the wineries as PR pieces showcasing their history, wine making, and vineyard practices. Sean leaves no stone (or grape) unturned. WAWineReport.com is a labor of love for Sean and is a valuable resource for wine lovers. Take a look at one of his Weekly Washington Wine Round-Up posts to see how much he puts into each. Sean, you my friend, are a true champion of Washington wine.

Well, there you have it. While this may not be on par with being recognized by the Wine Bloggers Conference, these are truly people who are deserving of something…at the least, a glass of wine!

Wine blogging has come a long way! In the last five years the underground media has become influential, creative, and controversial. The internet is the great equalizer in media. Blogs allow anyone and everyone with an opinion to chronicle their journey regardless of quality or accuracy. The beauty is that people have more access to more knowledge and information than ever before (and I’m not just talking about wine). As more and more wine bloggers enter the fray time will be the great equalizer as the public votes with their clicks to separate those of quality.

Any average Joe can blog. Their goals and ambitions vary from the occasional rant, wine journaling, promoting their local community to the ambitious trying to monetize their passion. With between 500-1000 documented wine blogs, we’ve been compared to barking poodles yammering for attention and even credited with exposing the underbelly of wine politics.

The Wine Bloggers Conference provides a medium for the more serious to hone their craft, network with others, and learn from the best. June 25-27, 300+ wine writers and media descend on the small community of Walla Walla, Washington where they’ll learn about the region, the Washington Wine industry, wine and food pairings and more. Wine bloggers will have the opportunity to learn from their peers and professionals with breakout sessions ranging from “Wine Blogging 101” to “What is the Future of Wine Writing.”

I sit down (via Skype) with two above average Joes who will be part of panel discussions.

Joe (The Suburban Wino) Herrig joins Ben Simons (Vinotology) and Andrew Lazorchak (Vineyard Vlog) for “Top Gun Wine Blogging” – The session is Sunday at 9:50AM. Description: Top Gun Blogging: A panel about you, the leader of your digital community, taking it further. A discourse on making your personal identity resonate, and how to establish a brand as a culmination of your behavior, thoughts and actions. A field blend panel attempts to tackle the many ways to intensify and add poignancy to your blog and your digital presence. Conversion, growth, and click-thru is a function of content + perspective + vision. What are you doing now, what can you be doing, and what should you be aiming for to pioneer your community through words and digital manifestations based on the real world around you?

Joe Roberts (1WineDude) is one of the most successful wine bloggers on the net. A nominee for “Best Overall Wine Blog,” Joe is consistently ranked in the top 10 of wine bloggers in traffic and engagement. Joe joins Jeff Lefevere (Good Grape) and RJ Hilgers (RJ’s Wine Blog) for the panel on Friday at 3:40PM. Description: “Advanced Bloggers will discuss high-level topics such as dealing with burnout, measuring your visitor statistics, interviewing subjects, and more.”