The Vino File is Going to Walla Walla

Wow, I just got some great news and want to take a minute to say thank you. As wine blogging has become more prolific there has grown up quite a community of people who participate and support each other. This ranges from people who are quite serious and influential to citizen reviewers who maintain a blog simply for fun, and a lot of folks in between. For the last couple of years these wine bloggers have gotten together once a year to discuss the advancement of wine blogging as a medium, socialize and meet each other, and also explore social medias interaction with the wine industry. The Wine Blogger's Conference has grown year over year considerably and will be held this year in Walla Walla, Washington from June 25-27. Obviously The Vino File is a brand new blog, and something I started as a fun hobby for myself. That continues, but I couldn't help but feel intrigued and actually quite accepted by the existing wine blogging community from day 1. So attending the conference was something I was interested in as well. That said, I couldn't really afford what it would take for me to attend this year, based solely on that interest alone. Walla Walla may be a brilliant place to grow grapes, but it is actually quite far from an airstrip and can make travel logistics just a touch expensive.

But in the spirit of community many wine bloggers have banded together to create a scholarship fund in an effort to bring as many citizen wine bloggers to the conference as humanely possibly. I'm telling you, these people believe that the medium, the impact, and simply the camaraderie is enhanced by increased participation and it shows. This is not an exclusive group, which I for one find admirable. So I applied for a little financial boost to help get myself to Washington. On Tuesday night I received an e-mail indicating that I was granted a scholarship to attend. I can not tell you how happy that made me, and how excited I am to participate. In full disclosure I asked for a minimal amount of money, just enough to soften the cost to a level that felt comfortable for me. I will be paying my own airfare, car rental, and any associative costs with the travel. The scholarship will cover my conference fee ($95) and two nights of shared accomodations (so I think around $140 total). This was enough for me, as I have a couple of unused flight vouchers from Southwest to get there, and will be looking for a carpool opportunity.

I just wanted to take a minute to share that I will be attending, and that you will see coverage of the event here at The Vino File when it occurs. But most importantly I wanted to say THANK YOU. Thank you to the early wine bloggers who interacted, reached out, and made me feel welcome in the community (particularly Steve Paulo, and Sonadora come to mind). And thank you to those of you who worked diligently to raise scholarship funds (@winebratsf, and Luscious Lushes). Finally thanks to those who gave of whom I may never know. You have absolutely made my year, thank you. Stay tuned for updates on my prep, and all the feedback I can provide on what I experience and learn in Walla Walla. I can't wait to meet the people who have built this community.