Meeting topics to include:

• Identifying wine influencers
• How to turn wine blog reviews into sales $$
• New York Cork Report: Mini-Rieslings: Hazlitt Hopes To Take a Major Step With Customers http://bit.ly/cm6Ydf, alternative packaging
• Viticulture 2010 takeaways: Erica Paolicelli of Three Brothers Wineries & Estates
• Our Press Release announcement
• Paid focus groups http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/299290/need-wine-drinkers-for-paid-focus-group-boston
• Putting “organic” on the label, how it affects consumer demand http://www.vinography.com/archives/2010/03/if_your_wine_is_organic_dont_t.html

Advanced Social Media Workshop:

• Contest opportunities on Facebook: increase fan engagement and grow your newsletter list
• Foursquare, GoWalla and how to create promotions and incentives for users
• Consumer Review Sites: Cork’d, Snooth, CellarTracker
• VinoVisit, CellarPass

If you haven’t joined us yet, check us out. Wineries and wine marketing groups that have attended include: Heron Hill Winery, Splash The Finger Lakes, Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance, Damiani Wine Cellars, Ravines Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association, Billsboro Winery, Anthony Road Wine Company, Three Brothers Wineries & Estates, Sheldrake Point Vineyard and Cafe, Red Newt Cellars, Rooster Hill Vineyards, Shaw Vineyard and New York Wine & Culinary Center. Bring a favorite bottle and your notebook, it’s a great excuse to get out and talk wine marketing over a glass of vino with Finger Lakes winery owners and marketers. See you there!

The Wine Bloggers Conference brings together online wine writers from all over the world for three days or seminars and events.

You can find out more information about the scholarship fund, by visiting http://wbcscholarship.wordpress.com/.

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To register to attend this event, please contact Melissa Dobson at (917) 816-5424 or melissa.dobson@avantguild.com.

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.

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

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.

“I am very excited that the CIA has generously offered to host the first event of our new era at the Rudd Center,” said Michael Wangbickler, Executive Director for the Academy of Wine Communications. “It is the perfect venue for us to relaunch our endeavor. I will enjoy making the acquaintance of members I haven’t met in person and reconnecting with members I haven’t seen in a while. It should be a very enjoyable and productive evening.”

Attendees to the first meeting will be treated to a selection of member-donated wines and delicious nibbles supplied by the exceptional CIA kitchens. A short presentation in the Napa Valley Vintners Tasting Theatre will kick off the evening with a review of the AWC mission and intended direction of the organization. The presentation will be webcast for members who are unable to attend in person.

“Times of challenge bring new reasons to come together as a community and act collectively on behalf of the wine-related businesses we represent,” notes Cate Conniff, CIA Greystone’s Marketing Manager. “There’s a lot we can accomplish together that might be harder to do as individuals under the current economic climate.”

AWC members participating in the event are asked to pay a nominal fee of $15 per person. Non-members are also welcome to attend for a fee of $30 per person. Individual membership in the Academy of Wine Communications is $100 per year.

Attendees that choose to stay for dinner at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant following the meeting will receive complimentary corkage on any bottle of wine, as well as a round of the restaurant’s signature Temptations, an array of small bites prepared by their chef, to be shared by all at the table. To make reservations, please call 707.967.1010 and ask to have your attendance at the AWC meeting put in the reservation notes.

To register to attend this event, or find out more about the Academy of Wine Communications, visit the Academy website at www.academyofwine.org or contact Michael Wangbickler at (707) 255-7667 or mwangbickler@balzac.com.

About Academy of Wine Communications
The Academy of Wine Communications was founded in 1994 by wine communications pioneers Paul Wagner, Harvey Posert, and Sam Folsom. The original concept was to lend support to wine media through its awards program and provide education on media relations to its members. Since that time, the organization held regular meetings until a hiatus in 2007.

“Despite the falloff of wine coverage in traditional media channels such as major newspapers and magazines, the number of individuals writing about wine has never been greater,” said Wangbickler. “Blogs and Online Magazines are quickly becoming an influential source of wine information. In addition, there is a burgeoning community of individuals using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to communicate about wine. Because of this the public relations function is evolving and the Academy will create a forum for wine PR professionals to discuss these issues, while continuing to lend support to both media and wineries.”

The Academy of Wine Communications will continue to provide a public forum for wine PR professionals to exchange ideas, solve problems, set policy, and meet with media. New emphasis will be on leveraging new media, such as websites and blogs in addition to traditional media channels, such as newspapers and magazines. The Academy has traditionally been focused on the regions of Napa and Sonoma, but will now actively seek to include wine PR and marketing professionals from regions throughout the country and the world. As the organization grows, they may launch affiliate chapters in major wine growing areas to support local events.

Those interested in joining the Academy or who would like more information should visit the Academy website at www.academyofwine.org or contact Michael Wangbickler at (707) 255-7667 or Michael Wangbickler.

About Academy of Wine Communications
The Academy of Wine Communications was founded in 1994 by wine communications pioneers Paul Wagner, Harvey Posert, and Sam Folsom. The original concept was to lend support to wine media through its awards program and provide education on media relations to its members. Since that time, the organization held regular meetings until a hiatus in 2007.