If you are not a member of the Tri-Cities Wine Society, you can either give them a call and become ask about becoming sponsored guest, allowing you the opportunity to learn about the Society and all it does for the local wine community.  Or for a really reasonable fee, you can join the club right now and get your tickets while they last!

The Columbia Gorge is actually comprised of two AVAs – The Columbia Gorge AVA to the west and the Columbia Valley AVA to the east – and our July event will feature wines from both. Although the climate and grape varietals grown differ between the AVAs, they share one thing in common: both regions rely on the coastal winds blowing up the Columbia River Gorge to buffer the weather extremes. An extraordinary combination of climate, soil and geology create distinct micro-climates for growing premium grapes.

Combining the 2 AVAs, the Columbia Gorge has almost 40 wineries. On the Oregon side, many are located near Hood River or The Dalles. On the Washington side, wineries are scattered all along the Columbia River with several in the Klickitat Canyon area near Lyle.

Want to know more about this area? To provide more information, we are pleased to have Peter Brehm as our guest moderator to help answer questions and provide insight about the history of the Columbia Gorge. Peter has grown grapes in the Columbia Gorge since 1990 and was instrumental in securing federal approval of the Columbia Gorge AVA.

When guests arrive at the Tuscany Room, Best Western Pasco Inn & Suites, they will receive maps, literature and a “welcome” wine – a 2006 Milbrandt Traditions Riesling, paired with marinated shrimp. After a brief social reception, guests will be seated and receive an assortment of fresh fruit, cheeses, and crackers for sampling with the 3 white wine selections: NV Brehm Vineyards Pinot Grigio, 2008 Domaine Pouillon Deux, a Chardonnay/Viognier blend, and 2008 Phelps Creek Estate Reserve Chardonnay.

Each table will then be provided with a tray of smoked salmon, meatballs in marinara sauce and cold cuts to accompany the red wines. The 3 reds are: 2007 Cathedral Ridge Huber Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2008 Waving Tree Sangiovese and 2005 Maryhill Proprietor’s Reserve Barbera.

There will be time to try numerous food/wine pairings to see what works and what may not. Who knows – there may be a cheese/cracker combination that works well with one of the red wines! It will be interesting to see what guests find works for them.

Then, the grand finale – a “special” wine I referenced in the June EVOE. Yes, we had success in our efforts for a special wine to end our event and I predict it is one that will “knock your socks off.” From The Pines Vineyard and Winery – a century-old vineyard in The Dalles – we’ll have the 2008 The Pines 1852 Old Vine Zinfandel! According to the winery’s web site, the vineyard was “planted by an Italian stone mason in the late 1800s,” therefore, “this Zinfandel is from one of the oldest vineyards in the Northwest.”

So, we hope you can join us Sunday, July 18, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., Best Western Pasco Inn & Suites, for an informative but relaxing wine tour and sampling through the Columbia Gorge. Finally, if you have friends who might like to join you, bring them along and introduce them to the Tri-Cities Wine Society!

Wines of the Columbia Gorge
Scott Abernethy
Member, TCWS Board of Directors

July Event Details
Wines of the Columbia Gorge
Event Chairman: Scott Abernethy
Event Committee: Ken Kramer; Lois McGuire
Date: Sunday, July 18
Time: 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Best Western Pasco Inn & Suites
2811 North 20th Ave., Pasco
Price: Members, $30; guests, $35
Limit: 48
Type: AVA orientation/overview with wine tasting;
assorted fruits, cheeses, and meats
Dress Code: Casual
Bring: 2 glasses each
Cutoff date: Tuesday, July 13

Cancellation Policy: For a full refund, cancellation must be made by phone to Judy Stewart, 627-6579, on or before, Tuesday, July 13.

I have not been myself for some time and after some reflecting , I have  reviewed my personal conduct toward some of my local SM peers.

I have been quite humbled by my own misguided anger and communication.

I do not retract the entire scope of the message, however I called out some specific groups of people, this was careless and thoughtless on my part. Many people in these professions have plenty to offer and have proven to be quite adept at what they do, rolling them into one negative grouping was poor judgment on my part.

My sincerest apologies to those hard working and knowledgeable people I have offended.

I am trying to take some actions outside of strictly an apology to make it up to those who would provide the opportunity, but there are no expectations, this is just an open apology to those I may have offended to whom I have not or will not be able to address directly.

Craig

If only you had his ability to read through the BS!

I am on a bit of a rant here.  I spend time and energy traveling to conferences to learn from experienced peers and educating others on some of the fundamentals of online marketing and social media. So I am easily annoyed when I come across so-called experts online who are creating gimmicks and factoids, then using these to sell themselves as knowledgeable marketers. These “experts” have great selling skills, but have very little real marketing knowledge. What bothers me are the potential end results: A lot of self-promoting, non-qualified people selling snake oil to business people who really want to try marketing that works. This is making the hard working, qualified marketer or PR person fight harder to make a customer believe in a REAL plan – one they will actually BENEFIT from. And, when the snake oil marketer’s products and plans don’t work for the customer, he becomes skeptical of ALL marketing professionals.

What makes someone an expert?

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines expert as “having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience.” Too many people selling themselves as experts are ignoring the training or experience part of this definition. They have a nifty idea they are trying to sell that maybe even worked for them, but have no background to justify its validity or to understand in what circumstances the idea may work. Just as important to note, popularity, age, beauty and their ability to talk BS does not make them experts, though it may make them well followed.

People are allowed to have opinions, certainly I have plenty of my own – including these. I think as long as they are easily understood to be opinions, then no harm is done. But selling opinion as FACT is low (blogs are really full of opinions). Without valid sources or citations, you can never be sure if what you are reading is fact or fiction.

I have witnessed people in fields all over the board – from event planners to wine aficionados  –  with no real background in helping businesses succeed, writing blogs and telling people how to market their products, pushing themselves on their unsuspecting prey, claiming that their gimmick is good marketing. In some cases, I have actually seen an “expert” chastising people publicly for not choosing to become one of his sheep.

What gives these people the right to market themselves as a marketing professional? Their limited experience or one success at marketing a product does not make them experts in ALL marketing. These people may be great communicators, but building a strategic marketing plan for a customer is MUCH more than lip service or a gimmick.  Even a strong understanding of a product doesn’t necessarily translate as knowledge of how people receive it and how it is best marketed.

Think of it – to practice law, it takes a specific training, a license, an outside organization that certifies a person is qualified. Our doctors are licensed. We want our accounts to be well-trained and certified. What about our marketers??

Putting out a once-a-year Twitter gimmick that creates buzz doesn’t mean someone has the skills to create and execute a marketing plan for a customer. Selling ad space on a blog may make the blogger money, but if he doesn’t show relevancy to the ad buyers and have the demographic that they are targeting, he is doing them a disservice. He is making money by fooling the ad buyers. If those following his blog are a relevant audience to the ad buyers – good work! That is a win-win situation. But too often, the blogger is drawing in an audience with little or no relevancy for the ad buyer based solely on numbers.  Does the blogger-playing-marketer know or care about this? Heck no! All he wants to do is sell ad space and make some money.

It’s this kind of piss poor random money grabbing opportunism that gives real, professional marketers stomach cramps. When the plan that the self-proclaimed expert pushed on a client fails, the real pro has to pick up the pieces and try to start over with a client who has lost money at marketing, so his budget is strapped and he is skeptical and questioning of each marketing recommendation put forth.

Have an opinion, share it on your blog. Want to be in marketing or PR? Get some education, go see the real pros speak – I can give you a flurry of names who would love to help you.

Or continue to be a hack. It’s not your fault, right? The customer made the choice to listen to you, right? It’s not your fault it didn’t work out as expected, right? Buyer beware, right?

Did that customer ever have a chance? Did he really ever know you couldn’t help him? Did you recognize that your limited opinion wasn’t really the marketing support he needed?

Well, some of us did!

Yeah, I know, Brian Brohm? Isn’t that the same kid who looked lost last year in his only start against the Atlanta Falcons, tossing a pair of ugly interceptions with no touchdowns and a sub-50.0 QB Rating?

Say what you want, I think this was the right way to go.  Read the rest of the story at Buffalo Sports Daily!

Josh Wade

Wednesday April 28th at 6pm PT you can follow our tweetchat with Drinknectar.com wine and coffee blogmaster Josh Wade, known on twitter as @nectarwine.

Our line of questioning this week will be on the topic of “blogging, Social Media and H.R. 5034”, The discussion will cover how Josh Wade has built his blog and Social Media presence and the effects of the House Bill attempting new regulations on shipping wine, please send your questions to @craigsutton by direct message or email before the event and include your questions.

Josh’s Bio

Josh Wade is the creator of DrinkNectar.com. DrinkNectar is an expression of Josh’s passion for wine and coffee. Using video reviews and text, DrinkNectar explore the story behind the wine, winery, and coffee shop. The focus begins in Spokane, WA then expands to Washington State, and then to the rest of great wine and coffee world. Josh is a firm believer in the power of social media and has used his platform to create #WAMerlot and most recently to collaborate on StopHR5034 (an effort to end the legislation prohibiting direct shipping of wine).

By day Josh is a project manager for a international financial institution helping to manage the changes occurring in the corporate intranet space. Josh also spent six years as a youth pastor / worship pastor and still enjoys playing guitar in church nearly every week. DrinkNectar is moving toward the launch of several business models including social media consulting, and wine related retail storefronts.

Troy Barrett

Wednesday April 21st at 6pm PT you can follow our tweetchat with news and weather anchor Troy Barrett, known on twitter as @thetroybarrett.

Our line of questioning this week will be on the topic of “wine and the media”, the discussion will cover how wine is impacted by media coverage and what you can do to get the media interested in you! To share your questions for that event early, please contact @craigsutton by direct message or email before the event and include your questions.

Troy’s Bio:

Troy Barrett is the morning news and weather anchor for the local CBS affiliate TV stations KIMA and KEPR Action News. Troy began his professional broadcasting career in Phoenix as a radio disc jockey where he held on-air positions at both KSLX-FM (classic rock) and KBUQ-FM (country at the time).

Troy is a graduate of The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University where he earned a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Physical Geography (Meteorology). Troy’s first on-air television job took him to Southern Oregon where he spent three years providing morning and midday weather forecasts for ABC affiliate KDRV-TV in Medford, Oregon. While in Southern Oregon, Troy fell in love with the wine industry and all that the Rogue, Applegate and Willamette Valleys had to offer. His next TV adventure was going to take him to El Paso, Texas, Troy packed up as much Oregon wine as he could and headed to the borderland. After spending three years in El Paso as a weather forecaster, news anchor and news reporter, Troy jumped at the chance to return to the Northwest so he could live and work in the the greatest wine region in the nation.

“The wine industry here was one of the main reasons I accepted the position at Action News…no, I don’t have a drinking problem…I have a curiosity problem…I want to learn everything about wine and the wine industry.”

craigsutton: Tonight we’re talking “how to blog about wine” discussing keeping it relevant while in the public eye

craigsutton: Don’t forget, you are welcome to comment between questions using the #socialwine hashtag

nwwines: @craigsutton , thx, you already started #socialwine?

craigsutton: If you have ?’s for the guest please DM me or email craig@ikonmg.com, Im checking and will credit you

craigsutton: @NWwines just starting now :)

craigsutton: Hey everyone, whats in your glass? #socialwine Olsen Hills 2007 Malbec for me!

craigsutton: Q1: Hi Sean! Tell us about your introduction to wine…

wawinereport: First thx to @craigsutton for the invite. I’m drinking an 04 Rioja Riserva. Decided to venture out of WA for our discussion.

craigsutton: RT @RedMtnSongbird: @craigsutton Barnard Griffin Chardonnay 2008

wawinereport: A1: Was introduced to wine early in life. Often had wine around the table I would sip. Didn’t get serious until 10 yrs ago tho>.

craigsutton: Q2: When and why did you first start writing about wine?

wawinereport: A2: Started writing probably 2005. I always take a lot of notes. Circulated those to my friends who circulated them to theirs.

wawinereport: A2: The blog started more out of seeing so much #wawine on the shelves I wasn’t reading about..

wawinereport: A2: I still do see a lot of wine on the shelves I don’t read about. So much out there! >

craigsutton: Q3: So why blogging?

wawinereport: A3: I started blogging mainly to experiment with a different medium. Early stuff had been .pdf docs (which I still do). I liked.

wawinereport: A3: the immediacy of the medium. You can get things out there as fast as you can type them. >

craigsutton: Q4: What was the most important benefit you offered to readers to encourage them to read?

wawinereport: A4: What I’ve focused on is trying to dig deeper into areas, people, vineyards. Tell an interesting story.

wawinereport: A4: In WA there are so many great stories. Great stories w great people making great wines. Ive tried to bring those to people >

craigsutton: Q5: How do you view the competition in wine blogging, is there enough?

wawinereport: A5: There are an abundace of blogs out there. Seems to grow by the day. Main thing is to know what you want to do and how you..

wawinereport: A5 you want to differentiate yourself from the thousands (thousands) of wine blogs out there. So I think there are a lot…

wawinereport: A5 of wine blogs out there. I’d personally like to see more depth and differentiation. Also a bit less navel gazing. >

craigsutton: Q6: Ok, gotta ask, describe “naval gazing” please :)

nwwines: RT @craigsutton: @NWwines just starting now :) #socialwine this is what I’m drinking http://twitpic.com/1fntck

wawinereport: A6 Navel gazing. I see a lot of wine blogging about wine blogging. I don’t entirely get this because there is so much content…

wawinereport: A6 to write about. Writing about writing has its place but I see a lot of people responding to the criticism of whether blogging

wawinereport: A6 in general or wine blogging in particular is relevant and interesting. To me, that discussion is not interesting…

wawinereport: A6 Blogging about wine and things related to it are interesting. Less navel gazing, more high quality content.

wawinereport: RT @Catie: @wawinereport It depends on what navel you are gazing at. <-You bring up an important point Catie. :)

craigsutton: What do you do to separate your blog from the pack? Something specific?

craigsutton: @nwwines OHHH A Lemberger :) #socialwine #lucky

wawinereport: A7: Pick something specific that you are interested in and excited about. Passionate about. Learn as much as you can and…

wawinereport: A7: Share it with others. What that specific thing is matters less than that you are passionate about it and learn about it….

craigsutton: That was Q7: by the way :)

wawinereport: A7: There will always be folks w similar interest. Find a singular passionate focus & dedicate yourself to it…

wawinereport: A7: For me, it’s Washington wine. > #wawine

craigsutton: @wawinereport Amen brother :)

craigsutton: Q8: One of the most difficult tasks in blogging is consistently writing content, do you have a road-map for delivery?

craigsutton: @nectarwine DM me or email to craig@ikonmg.com , i will credit you for the ?

wawinereport: A8 I do have a roadmap. Of course, I drive off it occasionally! I remember @garyvee saying once that you should be able to…

wawinereport: A8: generate a list of 50 topics you want to write on. My list is several times that. Part of why I enjoy it so much. >

CUVEE_CORNER: RT @craigsutton: Q8: One of the most difficult tasks in blogging is consistently writing content, do you have a road-map for delivery?

craigsutton: Q9: Do you measure your traffic by post? If so what do you hope to learn?

nectarwine: @wawinereport #socialwine dude, you are a stud! – I’m planning my week on Monday, just to figure out what’s going to post Wed

wawinereport: A9: Honestly, I pay attention to metrics somewhat but not as much as one might think (or as much as I should). I do look at…

wawinereport: A9: overall trends of visitors and how people got to my blog. The analytics you can look at is frightening by the way. But it’..

wawinereport: A9 interesting to see what someone was searching on that brought them to the blog. >

craigsutton: Q10: @ACCQueen asks, Can u provide advice for a winery trying to get noticed by top Bloggers?

wawinereport: A9 I will say that I would write this blog even if no one read it. I love doing it. Hopefully that comes through in some way. >

nectarwine: LOL Q9 @wawinereport #socialwine – for a while there ppl were getting to my site searching for naked taylor swift b/c I posted a pic of her

wawinereport: Q10 Winery’s should definitely consider sending samples to bloggers. However, know that bloggers do get samples from many…

nectarwine: RT @wawinereport: A9 I write this blog even if no one read it. I lv doing it. Hopefully that comes through #socialwine << it does, friend!

wawinereport: Q10 wineries so the question is, again, how to differentiate yourself from others. What do you do to get yourself noticed….

wawinereport: Q10 Establishing relationships where people know who you are is always more successful than cold calling. Like anything else. >

craigsutton: Q11: from @TheTroyBarrett When do you tell a winery / tasting room staff you are a blogger. Especially when you getting started.

wawinereport: Q11 When I started out I enjoyed being able to go to a tasting room and just take in the experience as a consumer. I think that.

wawinereport: Q11 does have value for writers, consumers, etc. However, after a point, it’s not practical. Writing lots of notes and asking…

wawinereport: Q11 lots of questions brings attn quick. People used to think I was from the health board. So I would say, everyone will…

wawinereport: Q11 find the right time to decide to tell people when they are coming or when they get there. >

craigsutton: Q12: @nectarwine asks What are the next steps for you to build @WAwineReport

nectarwine: Q12: @nectarwine asks What are the next steps for you to build @WAwineReport #socialwine < I ask b/c you rock and deserve more attn

wawinereport: A12 I wld like to continue to offer more in-depth writing on #wawine. Beyond that, all I can say is stay tuned. :) >

wawinereport: Thank you @nectarwine

craigsutton: Q13: Q13: @ACCQueen asks for your thoughts on the free wine controversy. Can you tell us about it b4 answering?

nectarwine: RT @wawinereport: A12 Beyond that, all I can say is stay tuned. :) > #socialwine << so coy, my friend…hmmmm

wawinereport: A13 Lot of discussion out there about bloggers receiving ‘free wine’ and thinking that people are doing this all for freebies…

wawinereport: A13 I’m not saying those folks aren’t out there. However, it should be pretty apparent if you look at what they are doing…

wawinereport: A13 whether they are serious or not. Does that answer the question @ACCqueen? >

craigsutton: Q14: Last one from me, What intrigued you about social media, and do you view it as a way to drive traffic?

wawinereport: A14 I love the ability with Social Media to talk and hear directly from people you might not be able to interact with on a…

wawinereport: A14 daily basis. I have learned so much about what is going on in WA from Social Media. I view it as about relationships. If…

wawinereport: A14 it drives traffic great. But I don’t see it as about that. More about Meeting and interacting with people. >

craigsutton: Thank you very much Mr. Sean Sullivan from @wawinereport. Be sure to check out his blog here: http://ow.ly/1yDHl

craigsutton: This was my favorite interview to date and thought your answers were all spot on!

craigsutton: I hope all of our follows had a great night! Would love your feedback

wawinereport: Thank you very much @craigsutton. Folks, do feel free to reach out to me at any point with questions, comments, even critiques! >

craigsutton: Until 6pm next week, im out #socialwine feel free to talk amongst yourselves (like I could stop you!)

simplealcohol: RT @nectarwine: Q12: @nectarwine asks What are the next steps for you to build @WAwineReport #socialwine < I ask b/c you rock and deserve more attn

wawinereport: Thanks again to @craigsutton for the invite and Qs from @ACCQueen @nectarwine @TheTroyBarrett tonight at

onerichwineguy: got into a discussion with a client and missed #socialwine. Dang it!!

wawinereport: @onerichwineguy We missed you!

onerichwineguy: @wawinereport Just reading it now! Great stuff!!

craigsutton: Tonight we’re talking “the process of building a marketing plan around a wine” discussing the Lemberger and ice wines

craigsutton: Whats in your glass?

craigsutton: Its a @kionawine 2003 Syrah for me!

craigsutton: Don’t forget, you are welcome to comment between questions using the #socialwine hashtag.

KionaWine: @craigsutton #socialwine Sipping a 2002 Estate Red Mountain Merlot. I know, it’s tough working for a winery.

craigsutton: @kionawine sounds yummy, Ok lets start with the questions!

hashtager: # Don’t forget, you are welcome to comment between questions using the #socialwine hashtag.

craigsutton: Q1: What is the first step in your decision making process when thinking about marketing your wines? Specific goals?

ThomsonVnyrds: Martini & Rossi #Prosecco Cheers to warm weather in #SF #CA this #WineWednesday

KionaWine: A1: First step is to determine who is interested in a specific wine. Ice Wine drinkers and Sangiovese drinkers are different.

KionaWine: A1: There is obviously some overlap, but often have to appeal to completely different demographics within our own product line.

KionaWine: A1: There are people who enjoy our Ice Wine on a weekly basis that don’t even consider themselves “wine drinkers.”

craigsutton: Q2: From @MargoAndTroy Do you try to develop a mktg plan for each wine or do you develop plans that are more general?

KionaWine: A2: Both. A lot of selling wine comes down to brand recognition. With over 20 wines, we have to be general.

KionaWine: A2: But also specific. We push the “brand” but also highlight specific products depending on the market

KionaWine: A2 Unlike some wineries, we make so many wines that it is sometimes hard for somebody to find a specific wine in a shop.

KionaWine: A2 which is why selling the Kiona” name is oftentimes more important than pushing one specific wine.

craigsutton: Q3: How do you research a demographic and target them for your wine sales, does your distribution network help?

KionaWine: A3 A lot of times it comes down to price. Different price tiers can greatly influence who is interested in wines.

KionaWine: A3 Sometimes you won’t get a second look because the wine is too expensive, sometimes because it is too inexpensive.

KionaWine: A3 To answer the question more succinctly, yes, the distributors help immensely. They know what their buyers want.

craigsutton: Q4: from @wawinereport how has Kiona has leveraged interest in Lemberger to build up their brand and upsell people?

KionaWine: A4 Lemberger has a small but extremely dedicated legion of followers. It’s so good and so unique it brings people in naturally

KionaWine: A4 A lot of people visit us because of one wine or another and are surprised we make so many other wines.

KionaWine: A4 Lem is a good segue wine. It’s inexpensive and competitive. People are willing to check out more expensive wine after trying.

KionaWine: A4 10-$12 is a good experimentation and impulse-buy price range. People are more willing to drop 20 after 1 positive experience.

craigsutton: #Craigmercial Please tell your friends to join us at #socialwine, the goal is to learn from each other and support makes it worthwhile!

craigsutton: Q5: From @onerichwineguy What is the above $30 mkt doing this spring? Is that mkt coming back anytime soon?

ThomsonVnyrds: Q5 midpoint. Drink the rest of the #bottle yourself or invite a #neighbor over? Join #socialwine on your own or w/a #friend!

KionaWine: A5 30$+ has been hard. Overall good for us though because people are discovering that 10-$20 wines can be as good as $50+ wines

KionaWine: A5 Most of our wines in WA are at or under $20. People who used to buy $40 wines are “downspending” to ours and are enjoying it.

ThomsonVnyrds: @craigsutton #Apologies.#Priorities.I know!Never leave a #man in the field.That’s the #rules. Even #SparklingWine #Champagne

KionaWine: A6 So many things. Grape origins, niche, how much we make. We are family owned/operated so we get to do everything ourselves

craigsutton: Q7: From @clivity What role do individual relationships play, given the size of Kiona?

KionaWine: A6 It’s not according to “in-the-bottle” quality. Our Cab/Mer is $10 in WA and I’d put it against any Cab in the US personally.

KionaWine: Q7 Huge. We are “big” in the sense that we make a lot of wine for a family winery.

KionaWine: Q7 We are small in the sense that we are just a family. We value people/buyers/customers/complainers/fans so much

KionaWine: Q7 Wine is the most social beverage in existence. We take pride in making friends wherever we go and whatever we do.

craigsutton: Q8: from @onerichwineguy what will control the sub 500 case winery glut. standards r being written to call yourself a “winery”?

clivity: @KionaWine Q7, Thanks JJ you do a good job at it.

KionaWine: Q7 Plus it’s our (MY) name on the label! Everything anybody does under the Kiona name is a reflection of our family

ThomsonVnyrds: oh snap! @onerichwineguy great Q! furthermore what will control the ever popular #lifestyle vineyard?

craigsutton: Followers of tonights chat can learn more about the “1eyed wine guy” by clicking here….Later :) http://ow.ly/1vQ6x

KionaWine: Q8 Nothing. If they can sell it more power to them. It’s a lot harder to run a winery than most people think.

KionaWine: Q8 It’s not romantic. It’s not easy. It’s hard, passionate work, from growing grapes, to making wine, to selling the darn stuff.

craigsutton: Q9: What goes into the label process, do you create them internally, work with a vendor, does the process change?

KionaWine: Q8 There will always be a market for boutique wine, but I do think we’ll start to see some form of “shakedown” soon.

KionaWine: Q9 We’re actually working on label stuff now. Being family run, this is an interesting process for us. Everybody has to be happy

onerichwineguy: @KionaWine Answer to Q8 – Amen! people think it’s all a party. It’s harder than it looks.

palatebomb: @craigsutton Good job tonight and thanks to @KionaWine as well!

KionaWine: @clivity Thank you!

ThomsonVnyrds: @KionaWine well said.How do U convey that 2 starry eyed spectators?Is it the industries job 2 self-regulate?Sorry for jumpin in!

craigsutton: @palatebomb Thanks! not done just yet.. thought the Later thing might have got ya!

KionaWine: Q9 Keeping Grandpa and Grandma happy RE labels is a sticky issue. Currently working on dessert wine and non-estate wine redo.

craigsutton: One more ? before we call it a night

KionaWine: Q9 We work with actual graphic designers. We aren’t computer whizzes or designers. They usually know better than we do!

craigsutton: Q10: What channels in both traditional and new media marketing do you use, does either outperform the other?

KionaWine: Q10 Twitter and Facebook are fantastic, but I think they fall in the realm of customer service more than sales and marketing

KionaWine: Q10 1200+ facebook and 600+ twitter followers, I we haven’t seen a huge jump in #’s, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.

KionaWine: Q10 Like we said before, wine is a social beverage. Facebook and Twitter are social platforms. The marriage is perfect.

KionaWine: Q10 But we have some HUGE news that I can’t really talk about yet that will make Kiona MUCH more visible in the Seattle market

craigsutton: Would like to thank JJ Williams of @KionaWine for his time tonight! This was fun and educational!

KionaWine: Q10 You can talk about how good your wine is all day long, but until somebody tries it, it doesn’t really mean anything.

craigsutton: @KionaWine aww, cant get the scoop? Hey look noone is watching *turns around*

KionaWine: @craigsutton #socialwine In time, my friend. :-)

onerichwineguy: Thanks to @craigsutton and @kionawine for tonights #socialwine. Good job JJ!

chefmagana: Thanks guys RT @craigsutton: Would like to thank JJ Williams of @KionaWine for his time tonight! This was fun and educational!

craigsutton: Remember to join us next week, with guest @wawinereport! Get Wine, get Social, lets get #socialwine!

KionaWine: @craigsutton Any time! My job to make Kiona fans happy. If anyone has any questions ever, let me know on Twitter or Facebook

craigsutton: @KionaWine Ill come pay you a visit in May

Our line of questioning this week will be on the topic of “how to blog about wine”, The discussion will cover how Washington Wine Report got started and the process Sean uses to keep it relevant and in the public eye. To share your questions for that event early, please contact @craigsutton by direct message or email before the event and include your questions.

Sean’s Bio:

Sean Sullivan is editor of a Washington wine-dedicated blog known as Washington Wine Report. The blog focuses on increasing consumer awareness of the Washington wine industry by: reviewing currently released wines; providing summaries of recent articles; writing in-depth reports on wineries, vineyards, and winemakers; and conducting monthly on-line wine tastings.

It all started after writing e-mail distributed wine reports for several years to keep his friends involved, Sean founded Washington Wine Report in 2007.A native of Massachusetts, Sean moved to Seattle in 2000 to pursue his love of mountain climbing and soon found himself immersed in Washington’s emerging wine scene.

Our line of questioning this week will be on the topic of “the process of building a marketing plan around a wine”, The discussion will cover how JJ helped Kiona market the Lemberger and ice wines they are famous for! To share your questions for that event early, please contact @craigsutton by direct message or email before the event and include your questions.

Take this opportunity to learn how a largely successful winery makes decisions on labels, demographics and distribution. Looking forward to this!