I’m in Vienna this week at the European Wine Bloggers Conference hosted by our client the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. Kudos to Robert McIntosh, Gabriella and Ryan Opaz who organized the conference and did a fabulous job.

  The venue was pretty outstanding too…the Orangerie at the Shönbrunn Palace, home to the Hapsburg emperors.

Schoenbrunn Palace (this is a pic taken in the summer)

The focus of the conference is not necessarily on blogging per se, but also the revolution that social media is fomenting in the industry.  Keynote speaker Elin McCoy framed the theme of the conference with an overview of some of the issues we’re dealing with…from journalistic standards to revenue generation potential and realities.

Elin joined Constance and our client Wines from Santorini on a trip last summer last summer, but this was the first chance I had to get to know her myself.  Smart lady, incisive and insightful.

Melanie Stumpf of VDP and Steve Raye of BAT

Damien Wilson, MW, Director of Burgundy School of Business Wine Dept.

Michael Cox and Juan Somavia of Wines of Chile bustin’ moves in Vienna

What would a party in Vienna be without a Waltz?

Willi Klinger of Austrian Wine Marketing Board leading a technical tasting

Gabrielle Savage of The Drinks Business (I think she looks like Jodi Foster!)

AWMB Social Media Team at the EWBC…in the middle is Susanne Staggl who honcho’d the crew at the conference.  Danke Susanne!

Steve Raye, Stevie Kim of Veronafiere/Vinitaly and Giampiero Nadali of Aristede