William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

“Wine is part of the conversation, but shouldn't be the conversation. Wine unites people.” — Luca Paschina, Winemaker Barboursville Vineyards When the host of Virginia Wine Chat asked me to participate in a Barboursville Vineyards wine tasting, I immediately said "Yes!" Barboursville Vineyard s is Virginias oldest winery, established by Gianni Zonin in 1977. I had the pleasure of visiting Barboursville Vineyards in 2011 where Gianni Zonin was our host and his winemaker, Luca Paschina was our guide. They impressed me with their stunning wines, professional staff, delicious food prepared by their on premise James Beard nominated chef and their commitment to historical preservation. They have preserved the ruins of Governor Barbours mansion designed by Thomas Jefferson which is on their Estate. The original floor plan is part of the label design on their Octagon wine. It seemed evident in 2011 that Barboursville Vineyards was a gem of Virginia wineries. Since t...

It's time to share my impressions of Virginia Wine with you. Plaque of Thomas Jefferson at Barboursville Vineyard. Last night I dreamed about Virginia winemaker Kirsty Harmon. Before bed, I was editing a short video of Kirsty I recorded last month at Monticello; her words and others were tumbling in my mind. When I start dreaming about a subject, I know it's time to start writing about that subject. Kirsty is the winemaker at Blenheim Vineyards; she was among 30+ Virginia wineries sharing their wines last month in Virginia at the fourth annual Wine Bloggers Conference . I had a magnificent time in Virginia, very little sleep, but many captivating conversations.  My palate has been expanded. I've finally experienced Virginia wines. I’m excited about and for Virginia wineries and I discovered that there are some real gems, wines easily recognizable as world class.

Todd Godbout of Virginia Wine TV @vawinetv Opening Day of WBC11. The 4th Annual Wine Blogger Conference (#WBC11) is proving to be an exceptional event. Nothing has disappointed and some new boundaries have been crossed. That's a good thing. It's 30 minutes past midnight in Virginia, I have not slept, since 4 AM PST on Thursday! But I'm still trucking along with a few grabbed winks. Monticello was a true treat, even with the heat and humidity and all the sweating (I have some great video I'll share sometime soon). I'm feeling stretched and challenged. Always good in my book. Love meeting passionate winemakers - and Virginia has them. It's such a rush embracing so many wines, and personalities. Everyone has an interesting story to tell. Photos, videos and text to follow when I can. FYI: the OMNI Charlottesville Hotel has been a fantastic host! I love my room and the service - they are spoiling me. More soon? Maybe, so much going on in 9 hours. Follow ...

Fourth Annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference. Last year I attended the third annual Wine Blogger’s Conference (WBC10) in Walla Walla, Washington. For me it was an inspiring and educational weekend. These Conferences are unique opportunities to learn about and discuss the intersection of wine with the world of new media, including blogging, social media, video and more. WBC10 is responsible for motivating me to engage better with my audience and to leverage the social media tools I already had, but under-utilized (there’s an article in there). Revitalized by WBC10, I began taking my wine blog writing more seriously. I now write more than ever, use twitter daily and continue to make new wine friends. This year, the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC11) is on July 22-24, 2011 in Charlottesville, Virginia. This will be the fourth annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference. Going to WBC11 in Virginia was certainly on my todo list this year; with my wife’s support it...

Virginia is Wine Country. I’m learning about Virginia Wine in preparation for the 2011 Wine Blogger’s Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia. If you have never attended a Wine Bloggers Conference, it is about wine bloggers, new media innovators, and wine industry leaders. This year, the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference is on July 22-24, 2011 in Charlottesville, Virginia. This will be the fourth annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference - the premier conference for new media and the wine industry. These Conferences are unique opportunities to learn about and discuss the intersection of wine with the world of new media including blogging, social media, and more. Learn more or register at: http://winebloggersconference.org/america/   Last year I attended the third annual Wine Blogger’s Conference (WBC10) in Walla Walla, Washington . It was a spectacular and educational time. WBC10 is responsible for inspiring me to engage better with my audience by leveraging the social med...