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| Photo by Toledo Wines and Vines |
"The only question left after this year: 'How do we top it next year?' " says DLW president and co-founder Jeff Siegel. "But that's the nature of the beast -- the enthusiasm for regional wine is such that we always seem to do just that."
The conference, held at Metro State College in Denver on April 28, sold out, with some 200 consumers and media in attendance. Among those on hand were 1 Wine Dude blogger Joe Roberts, who wrote about local wine as part of the local food movement; David White of Terroirist, who noted that the regional wine movement continues to gain momentum; and George Taber, author of the "The Judgment of Paris," who found Colorado cabernet franc much to his liking.
Olivia Wilder, host of the top-rated Olivia Wilder Times on the blogtalk.com radio network, broadcast her show live from the conference, interviewing winemakers and personalities during the Nomacorc-Colorado Twitter Taste-off. Downloads of the program exceeded the network's expectations and were the most ever for the three years she has broadcast from the conference.
Other conference highlights:
• Nomacorc-Colorado Twitter Taste-off winners: Ruby Trust Cellars Smuggler, a cabernet franc-based blend, for best red wine; Guy Drew Vineyards pinot gris for best white wine and Media Choice; and Redstone Meadery Nectar of the Hops for People's Choice.
• Jess Hunter, a Denver food blogger (@JessHunter) won the Nomacorc Most Creative Tweet award. Among her standouts: "I scream, you scream, we all scream when they oak riesling."
• Colorado Wine Industry Development Board executive director Doug Caskey received the annual Friend of DrinkLocalWine honor for his tireless work in promoting the state's wines.
• Robert Kolkman, who said Colorado was his favorite wine region among The Other 47, was the winner in the Amtrak Colorado Wine Country Getaway. He receives two tickets on the California Zephyr between Denver and Grand Junction.
DLW 2012 follows the success of the first three conferences -- in Dallas featuring Texas wine in 2009, in Loudoun County featuring Virginia wine in 2010, and in St. Louis featuring Missouri wine in 2011. DLW also holds an annual Regional Wine Week in October, in which wine bloggers, writers and columnists from the U.S. and Canada write about their favorite regional wines, ranging from Ontario to New York to Florida to Texas to Colorado.
DrinkLocalWine's goal is to spotlight wine made in the 47 states and Canada that aren't California, Washington, and Oregon. It's the brainchild of Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre and wine blogger Jeff Siegel, the Wine Curmudgeon. For information about DrinkLocalWine.com, call (469) 554-9463, email drinklocalwine@gmail.com or follow us them Twitter.
