Hundreds of wine bloggers pour into city

Jon Staenberg is ready to keep his glass filled this weekend with Virginia wines.

Staenberg and more than 330 other wine bloggers from around North America are in town this weekend for the fourth annual wine bloggers conference.

It was the first time the conference has been held on the East Coast.

“Virginia wasn’t the most obvious choice for a conference location,” Staenberg said Friday. “But for me, coming here and learning about the wines and the history is exciting. I’m surprised to see how many Virginians are supporting Virginia wines.”

Local and state officials are hoping the enthusiasm among all of the wine bloggers in town this weekend will bring more attention to the state’s wine industry.

On Friday, the lobby of the Charlottesville Omni Hotel was filled with people drinking wine and typing into their computers.

“There are so many A-1 wine bloggers that will be blogging about Virginia wines,” said Annette Boyd, director of the Virginia Wine Board marketing office. “We think it will have a phenomenal impact on how people see Virginia wines and will bring people back in the years to come.”

During their visit, bloggers will travel to Monticello and take tours of 16 local wineries.

“The wine is the hook, the wine is draw, but we’re hoping these bloggers will also see things in the community that will inspire them,” said Kurt Burkhart, executive director of the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau. “They are going to walk away with a new appreciation and a new understanding of our wonderful area.”

The conference is organized by Zephyr Adventures, a Montana company, and is one of several held each year for various bloggers.

Allan Wright, company owner, said he was looking for a locale for the wine bloggers conference, and Virginia was one of two East Coast bids.

“We were specifically looking for an East Coast location because we have held all of the others on the West Coast,” Wright said. “But it was a big gamble. I didn’t know what the reaction would be, but it has been great.”

The decision to come to Virginia came down to input from both bloggers and staff, Wright said.

“Virginia’s enthusiasm was by far the greatest,” Wright said. “You could tell they wanted us to come here. This is our best turnout yet for a conference.”

The bloggers will sample wines from vineyards in Virginia and around the country this weekend. It will be the first time many of them have sampled the varieties the state has to offer.

“Bloggers are passionate about a subject and they want to tell people about it,” Wright said. “The reason people blog is varied, but there are two common themes. They have a passion and they want a voice to talk about it.”

Wright, who also books travel excursions across the country, has also heard from Virginia vineyards interested in bringing his tour groups to this area.

“For Virginia wine, this has been incredible because it totally will change the perception of Virginia,” Wright said. “We’ve stopped hearing from people who wondered why we were coming here and are now hearing about the excitement of being here.”

The Seattle-based Staenberg writes his own blog, Blessing the Crush, detailing his adventures in making wine and the industry as a whole.

He also owns Hand of God Wines, a winery in Argentina, and hopes to have his first vintage available for sale early next year.

Staenberg estimates he has tried thousands of different wines in his lifetime.

“Wine is an experience of the place,” Staenberg said. “Every time I taste wine from a different place, I’m learning about that place. It’s just wonderful.”