Internet entrepreneur and wine retailer extraordinaire Gary Vaynerchuk will talk about his new book CRUSH IT! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In On Your Passion and sign copies in his only wine country appearance this fall, at V. Sattui Winery on Saturday, October 24. V. Sattui Winery is located at 1111 White Lane off Highway 29 just south of St. Helena. The book is published by HarperStudio and retails for $19.99.

From 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Gary will talk about the book, answer questions and sign copies for the public. The event is free and all are welcome. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at $19.99. A range of lunch/picnic options are available at a range of pricing, from bbq to pizza to sandwiches, cheeses, salads and more.

In honor of Gary’s visit to Napa Valley, V. Sattui Winery will be making a donation to Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School in St. Helena.

Vino PR – Intervista a Michael Wangbickler, Executive Director della Academy of Wine Communications – October 5, 2009 link

Fabio Ingrosso’s Posterous – Interview: Michael Wangbickler, Executive Director of the new Academy of Wine Communications – October 3, 2009 link

Caveman Wines Blog – New Website for Academy of Wine Communications – October 3, 2009 link

Family, Love, Wine Blog – Update: Academy of Wine Communications Finger Lakes Chapter – October 2, 2009 link

Tom Wark’s Fermentation – Wine PR Pros: Join and Conquer – October 2, 2009 link

Napa Valley Vintners Unfiltered Blog – The Five W’s of Social Media – August 12, 2009 link

Think Wine Marketing Blog – Is The Medium the Message? – July 16, 2009 link

Tom Wark’s Fermentation – Corrupting the Wine Market With Spin – June 30, 2009 link

WineBiz Radio – Academy of Wine Cavemen – June 12, 2009 link

Cavemanwines.com – Academy of Wine Communications – June 10, 2009 link

Wine Brands Blog – Academy of Wine Communications – June 8, 2009 link

New Wine Consumer (Episode #153) – Academy of Wine Communications – May 26, 2009 link

St. Helena Star – Academy of Wine Communications begins again – April 26, 2009 link

Family, Love, Wine Blog – Academy of Wine Communications Finger Lakes Chapter – July 20, 2009 link

North Bay Business Journal – Wine: Napa printer acquires St. Helena firm; 3-liter ‘Mini-Barrel’ offered – April 20, 2009 link

Wines & Vines – Academy of Wine Communications Revived – April 8, 2009 link

Interactive site will be valuable resource wine PR and marketing professionals

Napa, California (October 1, 2009) – The Academy of Wine Communications (AWC), the organization of wine public relations and marketing professionals, has launched a new interactive website. With an updated look and upgraded functionality, it will be a valuable source of information for all those involved in wine communications.

Created by Napa-based print and web design firm designthis!, the new AWC website offers comprehensive information about the organization and offers several new tools. The sections include:

• An ABOUT section stating the history of the organization, its mission and general principles, as well as a listing of officers. Future functionality will include a list of all AWC members.
• A JOIN section where prospective members can learn about the benefits of membership and fill out a form to join.
• The NEWS & EVENTS section contains current AWC activities and what people are saying about the organization.
• Continuing the efforts to further the art of wine writing, the AWARDS section now includes the new awards process, a list of current and past winners, as well as a place to nominate potential future honorees.
• Perhaps the greatest addition to the site is a RESOURCES section which has a wine PR directory where anyone involved in wine communications may add their name; a user forum where members can discuss key issues and topics; a job board where wineries and agencies can post current openings; useful links to key publications to trade organizations; images of current and past AWC activities; and relevant videos of AWC activities and productions. Future functionality may include whitepapers, case studies, and a blog.
• A CONTACT US section with all methods of contacting AWC officers.

The new AWC website was created using the leading blogging software, WordPress. Overall, this has given the site more functionality and interactivity, incorporating social media tools and techniques.

“Over the past few months, we have been working hard internally and with designthis! to bring the website up to date,” said Michael Wangbickler, Executive Director for the Academy of Wine Communications. “In addition, we’ve included additional functionality with the hopes that members and others involved in wine communications will find it a useful source for information exchange.”

To experience the newly launched website, please visit www.academyofwine.org.

To find out more about the new website of the Academy of Wine Communications in general, contact Michael Wangbickler at (707) 255-7667 or mwangbickler@balzac.com.