The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2010

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THE MESSAgE Virtual Vino, Millenials and Social Media dECANTEd! ne of the most eagerly anticipated events during ing role in the wine industry. O Susannah Gold answers a question from the audience. Foreground, Steve Raye; background, Doug Cook and Alder Yarrow. Bloggers tweeted live at the event, which included advice from the go-to pros: wine blogger Alder Yarrow (vinography.com); Susannah Gold, principal of Avvinare/Vigneto Communications; Steve Raye of Brand Action Team; Doug Cook, Twitter’s Director of Search; and winemaker/blogger Susanna Crociani of Azienda Agricola Crociani. The Tasting Panel’s Anthony Dias Blue moder- ated the panel. Social media has now overtaken pornography as the No. 1 activity online, and has become a top vehicle for brand marketing. Twitter recently hit 10 billion tweets, and Facebook, were it a nation, would be the third largest in the world with its 400 million users. And here is where to reach some 80 million Millennials, the hottest wine-buying segment, who spend two to eight hours online daily seeking exchanges with experts and peers. —Lana Bortolot Here’s some advice from the pros: Doug Cook: “Follow people who count and let your followers happen organically.” Susannah Gold: “Make your tweets feel like readers are in your winery.” Steve Raye: “The strategy is not to get people to your website, but to get your content out to people.” Alder Yarrow: “Read other wine blogs, and don’t have one unless you can do it well.” derenoncourt Releases California Wines ordeaux consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt and his team recently debuted fi ve California wines from the 2006 vintage at tastings held at Auberge du Soleil in Napa and Coi in San Francisco: Cabernet Sauvignon ($220) and Cabernet Franc ($140) from the Caldwell Vineyard in Coombsville, Merlot ($140) from Stagecoach Vineyard in Atlas Peak, a Hudson Vineyards Carneros Syrah ($60) and a benchmark Beckstoffer Red Hills Cabernet ($40). Derenoncourt’s signature light-handed approach, which is noted for allowing wines to express terroir, has worked to elevate the Red Hills Lake County fruit from a site that he imme- diately recognized as being superior. “Once I saw the color of the soil, I knew,” the winemaker said during an interview at Coi, where he tasted with the trade, including sommeliers Marcus Garcia from Fleur de Lys and Chris Deegan from NOPA. Derenoncourt began developing his California project in 2004 in partnership with Southern California negociant Fonda Hopkins, co-founder and president of Montesquieu Wines, who describes his work as “a personal creative endeavor” and collaborated with him to source the fruit and to place the fi rst allocation of wines. Derenoncourt has appointed winemaker Hélène Mignot to oversee production of the label at Arkenstone Vineyards on Howell Mountain. B —Deborah Parker Wong 1 / the tasting panel / april 2010 VINO2010’s three-day run in New York City was the seminar devoted to “twit and spit”—social media’s expand- Stéphane Derenoncourt and Fonda Hopkins at Coi Restaurant in San Francisco. PHOTO: DEBORAH PARKER WONG PHOTO: LANA BORTOLOT

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