DrinkLocalWine.com 2010 Conference: Reflections

The second annual DrinkLocalWine.com conference has come and gone, but the friendships formed are here to stay. Held in picturesque Loudoun County, Virginia, the 2-day conference included a reception/winemaker dinner on Saturday night (invitation only) followed by Sunday’s activities which included a series of panel discussions and the popular Twitter Taste-off featuring some of the best pours across Virginia and Maryland. The brainchild of Dave McIntyre (Washington Post) and Jeff Siegel (Wine Curmudgeon), the conference proved to be a big hit and helped to spotlight the wines and people that have helped put Virginia on the global wine map.

Conference aside, the real treat for me was meeting the people and hearing the stories behind some of the best regional blogs and wineries. Over the next few days I’ll recap the conference, along with the stories and wines that have firmly cemented Virginia’s status as a premier wine growing region in the United States.

Virginia Wine Mafia (Photo courtesy of Dezel Quillen)

The dedicated and passionate group of wine writers led by Dezel Quillen (My Vine Spot), Lenn Thompson (New York Cork Report), Frank Morgan (Drink What You Like), John Witherspoon (Anything Wine), and last but certainly not least Paul Armstrong and Warren Richard (Virginia Wine Time) or otherwise known as the Virginia Wine Mafia are helping to fill the void of local wine coverage so often neglected by mainstream media. A great group of guys and quoting Lenn Thompson during the social media panel, “the Virginia wine industry is lucky to have them”. I second that!

Of course, any trip to Virginia isn’t a trip without jumping on the wine trail. Stay tuned for more on the conference, the wines, and wineries that represent the heart and soul of Virginia wine. Cheers!

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