I am already a huge fan of Portland and the wines of Oregon but what makes the Wine Bloggers Conferences so great are the excursions into the wine country, the connections you make and the speakers they bring in. The host state really seems to embrace the Conference as well. Speaking of excursions, along with winery visits to Willamette Valley planned within the Conference they also offer pre-conference excursions at an obscenely reasonable rate. I will be partaking in one this year with highlights including visits to SakeOne (Craft Sake Producer), Montinore Winery (a fantastic Certified Biodynamic Winery) and Hawks View Cellars (boutique winery specializing in terrior-driven Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris).
I am currently the Wine Director/Sommelier for Sol Markets & Bistro in San Diego. My mission there is to find the absolute best of local wines (within 100 miles) and Sustainable, Organic or Biodynamic wines worldwide. Because of this I am really looking forward to the Breakout Sessions during the Conference as one will be focusing specifically on the very topic of Biodynamic, Organic, Natural, and Sustainable Wine.
And finally, someone's writing I absolutely admire will be in attendance and a Keynote Speaker, Rex Pickett. Rex is most well known for his novel "Sideways" and now also has written a sequel to it titled "Vertical" taking Miles and Jack to the Willamette Valley.
Although this year's action packed Conference is sold out, don't lose hope yet! They are inviting interested bloggers to add their names to the Waiting List. Or are you already registered and looking for a hotel room? Check out The Wine'd Up and see WhichWineCooler.com 's Free Double Tree Portland Hotel Room Contest for the Conference. Good luck and see you there!
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