In a little over a month, Charlottesville, Virginia will be hosting The North America Wine Bloggers Conference! They are expecting as many as 325 participants, actually limiting it to that number! This is quite a coup for Virginia and the efforts of many in the Commonwealth including Governor Bob McDonnel . With the recent opening of Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards and this week Stinson Vineyards, there is a lot of excitement in the air around Charlottesville’s wine country!
This is my first time to participate and I’m excited to be learning more about wines from enthusiasts world wide! I will be joining wine bloggers, new media innovators, and wine industry leaders on July 22-24, 2011 in Charlottesville, Virginia for the fourth annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference! Best of all, I feel proud to be a local wine blogger and have the opportunity to show off the beauty of our wine country and some of our superb wineries! 
There is also a Pre-Conference Excursion to Loudoun County. Loudoun County is located just outside Washington DC and is one of Virginia’s premier wine areas, with 28 area wineries. I really wanted to join this group as well but can’t take that much time away from real estate in the summer! Other than visits to local wineries and Monticello, all meetings will be held at the Omni Hotel, located near the end of our charming downtown pedestrian mall.
I’ve never “Live-Wine Blogged” before, hopefully I’ll get some pointers before the event! The agenda is amazing including Dave McIntyre, wine writer for the Washington Post and founding member of DrinkLocalWine.com; Lenn Thompson, founder of New York Cork Report; and Rémy Charest, blogger at The Wine Case in Canada. This panel will be moderated by wine blogger, Frank Morgan of Drink What You Like. It will also be a great chance to meet wine tweeps in person!
New York Times wine critic and blogger Eric Asimovwill be providing the keynote speech for the conference. I also noticed my friend Kat Schornberg Barnard of Keswick Vineyards will be attending! I’ll know one person!
Look out C-ville, Here come the winos 🙂
Charlottesville UnCorked 
Frasier Online Episode Guide: Episode 7.17 – Whine Club
‘hail hail corkmaster
the master of the cork
he knows which wine goes with
fish or pork!’
I would love to have Niles and Frasier come to the conference! Can you imagine their comments!
I hope you all have a great conference. Events like this are critical to the wineries in Virginia to get he word out that we can produce world class wines. Don’t forget about your wineries just over the mountain in the Shenandoah Valley. The first large scale vineyard in the new world was supposed to be in Augusta County which is where Philip Mazzei was headed before my hero Thomas Jefferson waylaid him at Monticello. We are trying to prove the wisdom of the original mission with our wines. When you get a chance come for a visit.
With best regards.
John Higgs
Barren Ridge Vineyards, Fishersville, Va.
Thanks, John! We are planning a time to come visit Barren Ridge, we really liked the Tinkling Spring Pinot Gris! Also want to go over and see my friend Stephan @ Cross Keys!
Hope to meet you some time. Pam Rule told me about Barren Ridge and i sampled at The Virginia Shop!
Tricia