Jealous Wishes for an Awesome WBC2011

Today marks the official start of the Wine Blogger's Conference 2011 in Charlottesville, Virginia. I haven't said much (okay, anything) about it this year because I am not able to attend, and like most bloggers if it doesn't pertain directly to me I can come across as entirely uninterested. However, I actually am interested as my experience with this conference last year in Walla Walla was one of the funnest, most interesting weekends I have had in years.

I want to wish those that are attending a very good time. Friends will be made, amazing wines will be discovered, skills will be sharpened, and quite possibly Virginia will be the star. Also, here is a bit of advice for the newbies and veterans alike.

- Don't publicly praise the bombastic Aussie shiraz during the red wine speed tasting round, unless you can handle the Twitter scorn of @20dollarwine. Jason is an awesome guy, but can feel quite strongly about the appropriateness of certain wine styles. So on second thought if you like it, do praise it, get into the Twitter fight. It will give you and Jason both a chance to become even clearer in your preferences and why it is okay to feel the way you do. Just keep the whole fight on Twitter under hashtag #WBC2011 so we can follow from home.

- Don't sneak a bottle of chilled Champagne into the Other 46 tasting. While tempting, you will come into 2 problems. First, this portion of the event is specifically designed to expand your horizons. So be open to finding something that blows your mind and your stereotypes. The second problem is that Virgina is something like 100 degrees and 100% humidity, so the giant wet spot that will appear on your clothes (at whatever location the smuggling is occurring) will give you away. Plus, I'm sure the guy next to you smuggled something to the tasting out of his fear of the Other 46, so just take a sip of his. Allows some anxiety relief about Michigan wine, without you being the offending d-bag.

- Finally realize that everyone at the conference has a shared passion, and it runs rather deep or they would not be there. So branch out from the people you already know and make new friends. Jump on a winery bus without your usual posse, or sit down at dinner with a table of folks you don't know. Like finding a new and surprising wine, this conference is about meeting new and exciting people. Bloggers have tended to be supportive of me, and I always try to return the favor. It is a BIG part of why it is fun and important to get together in person once a year.

While I'm sorry I am going to miss it, I really wish all attendees an amazing weekend in Virginia. Stay cool, learn a lot, make friends, enjoy the wine, and keep us posted on your blogs and Twitter. Please!!