European Wine Bloggers Conference

I'm in Vienna this week at the European Wine Bloggers Conference hosted by our client the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. Kudos to Robert McIntosh, Gabriella and Ryan Opaz who organized the conference and did a fabulous job.

  The venue was pretty outstanding too…the Orangerie at the Shönbrunn Palace, home to the Hapsburg emperors.

17 Students from the Burgundy School of Business attended the conference under the able leadership of Damien Wilson, MW

Schoenbrunn Palace (this is a pic taken in the summer)

The focus of the conference is not necessarily on blogging per se, but also the revolution that social media is fomenting in the industry.  Keynote speaker Elin McCoy framed the theme of the conference with an overview of some of the issues we’re dealing with…from journalistic standards to revenue generation potential and realities.

Keynote Speaker Elin McCoy

Elin joined Constance and our client Wines from Santorini on a trip last summer last summer, but this was the first chance I had to get to know her myself.  Smart lady, incisive and insightful.

Melanie Stumpf of VDP and Steve Raye of BAT

Damien Wilson, MW, Director of Burgundy School of Business Wine Dept.

Michael Cox and Juan Somavia of Wines of Chile bustin' moves in Vienna

What would a party in Vienna be without a Waltz?

Willi Klinger of Austrian Wine Marketing Board leading a technical tasting

Gabrielle Savage of The Drinks Business (I think she looks like Jodi Foster!)

AWMB Social Media Team at the EWBC...in the middle is Susanne Staggl who honcho'd the crew at the conference.  Danke Susanne!

Steve Raye, Stevie Kim of Veronafiere/Vinitaly and Giampiero Nadali of Aristede

Sphere: Related Content

EWBC: European Wine Bloggers Conf event hosted by Austrian Wine Marketing Board

Thanks to Gabriella and Ryan Opaz for organizing a wonderful evening of tasting Austrian wines and promoting the European Wine Blogger's Conference which is being hosted by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board in Vienna Oct. 22-24 this year.

The Opaz's have been a driving force for both the EWBC and the American Wine Blogger's Conference which takes place this week in Walla Walla WA.  Constance Chamberlain and I will be in WA and I'll also be attending the EWBC.

For those of you involved in Social Media Marketing, these events represent rare opportunities to meet and talk with many of the folks we're all communicating with digitally...but it's much more fun to taste wine together physically.

Participating wineries at last night's event included Darcy and Huber Selections with an incredible array of Gemischter Satz (field blend) wines from Vienna.   D and H will also be hosting the first ever Field Blend seminar at the EWBC.  One of the wines we tasted was grown on the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace...cool!

Klaus Wittauer of KW selections sampled us on Anton Bauer and Hillinger wines from his portfolio, and Anna Micic Viducic of Monika Caha Selections contributed their range of wines including the Neumeister Sauvignon Blanc. Sphere: Related Content