The pipeline has dried up. Five or six years ago, almost any casual wine enthusiast could launch a WordPress or Blogger blog, write a post about each new wine he drank—from the plonk to the good stuff—and wait for wine samples to come pouring in.
This past June, I had the good fortune of attending the Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Walla Walla, WA. Over the course of three days, many of my long held beliefs about wine PR were turned upside down, as well as most of my public relations plan (both short and long-term) for Dry Creek Vineyard. Let me explain.
Blogging has become a mainstream component of many businessess. While blogging and social media may not entirely replace traditional media, it is becoming an increasingly important segment in media and sales tactics. The same holds true for many in the wine industry, and this growing importance will be marked by the third annual American Wine Bloggers Conference, or WBC, this June in Walla Walla, Washington.