Twitter
Facebook#SocialWine: An interview in the twitterverse…
Mar 3 2010
I had the pleasure tonight of being interviewed by Craig Sutton of Ikon Marketing Group here in Kennewick, WA. He’s on a mission to get peeps on “the Twitter” involved in a project called #SocialWine
Here’s the transcript of tonight’s Twitterstream:
5:58pm -
Craig: Welcome to #socialwine tweetchat with special guest @palatebomb. Need help? Click http://ow.ly/1dY2H
Craig: @stephenhartley is the owner of Palatebomb.com, a wine website with the mantra “Raise your glass, not your nose“.
Craig: What are you drinking right now?
Me: ATM I am enjoying a glass of ‘07 Sagelands Vineyard “Freddie’s Blend”…a wine from the Columbia valley. It was left over by @sdub101 from @nikkiceline’s baby shower:-) If you’ve never tried, it’s a red blend from 6 varietals. Very smooth, with rich berry, and a VERY floral nose (smell).
Craig: At 20 something I drank Riesling. Are 20+ers drinking more sophisticated than when I was 20, or is that profile still holding?
Me: In todays youth, the “sweet is safe” idea still holds, however it’s not hard to help a 20-something into something new. A lot of 20ish are really enjoying red blends now as the wineries get more and more adventurous in making them:-)
Craig: How does PalateBomb help its readers understand wine?
Me: With PalateBomb currently undergoing a “re-birth”, that answer is still being formed;-) However I will say one thing: PalateBomb’s writers are 20ish in age, their writing styles are all different, and they all compliment each other well. We strive to take the “snobbery and mystery” out of the wine experience. By having our writers just “tell it like it is” with very little editing involved, we reach a whole new group of people who were before intimidated by the whole idea of wine in the first place. To round-up that answer, we’re not only trying to help people understand wine, but also just show them how easy it is to enjoy!
Craig: Who inspires your wine passion?
Me: Lol, I honestly have to say my passion comes from growing up around it with my father, however my passion to really get into it comes from watching people like @garyvee just go out there and enjoy it and have SO much fun! He really inspires me to make something like PalateBomb grow and explode (no pun intended) into an informative, and FUN source for today’s youth.
Amber Fries: Besides using Twitter and Facebook, what other avenues should wineries use to tap into this hot consumer group?
Craig: @amberfries great question, ill get involved in that one as well, ill let @palatebomb have a swing first.
Me: Honestly Amber, Twitter/Facebook is an amazing source to reach a huge niche in today’s youth. Other avenues? You’re already doing what I would suggest. Bridge the gap between social media and just social. With @desertwindwine’s “wine-tweetups” Looks like you’re already doing just that:-) Check this out tweeps if you don’t know what I’m talking about: http://bit.ly/8YayvS
Craig: I would add that it is also about how you use those tools, good preparation for engagement is everything in social media.
Craig: When wine tasting, what do you look for – your favorite, something new, price, value?
Me: When I (or most that I talk to) shop for wine, the gut reaction is to shoot for a favorite, pop the cork. Enjoy. Sometimes it’s hard to break out of the box and try something new, but just do it! It’s so easy to find great wine here in WA state that you shouldn’t be too afraid of just trying a new bottle. Or, if budget allows, when you’re going to grab a favorite, grab a stranger to your shelves too. You might be surprised:-) One thing to keep in mind though, price is important to a group like us 20ish. If it’s too pricy, odds are, we won’t be buying anytime soon, even if it’s really good.
Craig: With Q6 in mind, whats a good price point?
Me: Speaking just for myself I am comfy in the 20-40 $ range. If it’s much more than that I get buyers remorse after I purchase, which sort of spoils the whole idea of wine. It’s for fun and friends, not for worrying if I can make the next car payment:-)
Craig: What does @palatebomb do for wine restaurants here in WA Wine Country?
Me: Hopefully, as we get back in the swing of doing reviews of specific wines, and start referencing where those wines can be found, it will help let peeps make an (informed) decision at the table in bars/restaurants.
Craig: I’m having a 20 something party, what wines should I serve?
Me: Cater to the crowd! Have at least one sweet(er) white, a red blend (or 2), and a Syrah or Merlot for easy drinking.
Craig: Are labels important when choosing a wine?
Me: Absolutely not, some of the best wine’s I’ve experienced are in “not-so-attractive” labels. However, a lot of peeps (myself included) are swayed by labels. Wineries take note: classics are great, but when I’m browsing you need to catch my eye!
Craig: Thank you for being involved in today’s #socialwine, next week @onerichwineguy will be our guest then @desertwindwine’s own Greg Fries!
-7:02pm
Editors Note: I’ve edited the layout and removed the ending hash-tag in each tweet to make it more readable here, but not the content itself. #socialwine is an open forum “tweetchat” and others did participate that i did not include here. Check out the original by searching the hash-tag “socialwine” via Twitter.com!
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Kat Kelly educating 
