It's hard to believe that Wine Blogging Wednesday has taken off the way it has. What started as an idea that I thought would appeal mostly to the blogosphere's wine geeks has grown and pulled in some of the best food blogs and made wine mini-geeks out of wine neophytes.
Now, a year later, it's time for Wine Blogging Wednesday #12...and I'm taking the reins back as host (mostly because there was a scheduling snafu and I was left with an empty slot!).
We've visited many lands and sampled many varietals in WBW's brief history...so for the one-year anniversary edition, I thought it would be great to stay close to home -- as close to home as possible.
On Wednesday, August 10th I ask only that you Drink Local. Real Local.
This time around...there's only one rule: Drink a wine from the winery nearest to your apartment/house/shack/bungalow/flat/tent. Wine is being made in every state and just about every country so it's time that the "eat local" movement be extended to vino for WBW.
So, figure out what winery is closest to you, pick up some wine and join us August 10th.
I realize that some of you might have negative attitudes about your local wines if you're not in a "prime" region...but that's part of why I'm asking you to drink local. Put aside your pre-conceived notions and try those local wines again. I think you'll be surprised by at least one.
And NO CHEATING. If I have to, I'll fact check on each and every one of your entries.
Seriously. I will. But please don't make me!
Oh god, I'm gonna have to drink New Jersey wine from a jug.
Posted by: richard the yankee | July 11, 2005 at 06:52 PM
brilliant idea
not quite sure how i am going to measure the nearest vineyard
maybe I'll just cheat and ask all the other locals
Posted by: sam | July 11, 2005 at 08:24 PM
i just read richard the yankee's comment and started laughing! hilarious!
anyway, lenn, this is such a fantastic idea!! i WISH santa barbara were closer to me than temecula.
AND, i know this is horrible, but this site is actually VERY VERY funny (food related, but i a horrible way) and if you have to, you can make your own wine ;)
http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000373.php
Posted by: sarah | July 12, 2005 at 12:05 PM
Great idea Lenn.
Some help for Sam...
I'm going to employ Google Maps to figure out the closest winery to me. http://maps.google.com/
And to see all the wineries in my area, a wikipedia search with my city and state name may do the trick.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Happy Anniversary WBW!
Posted by: Jathan | July 12, 2005 at 04:01 PM
Gosh, for me this could be kinda hard... Is it Trefethen or Laird? Or is there one even closer I haven't blogged yet?
I guess being the only Napa-based wine blogger, I should be bloody glad I don't live next to Screaming Eagle's vineyard! THAT would make for a very expensive WBW!
Posted by: Carolyn Tillie | July 15, 2005 at 09:14 PM
Lenn,
A quick request for clarification.
When you say "Winery closest to you", do you regard the vineyard closest to me as being the closest, or the closest cellar door?
Posted by: Cam Wheeler | July 18, 2005 at 04:01 AM
Cam...I don't want to dictate TOO much...but I'm going with the closest vineyard. The most important thing is to get the most local of local wines :)
Posted by: Lenn | July 21, 2005 at 09:45 AM
Hey I recently set up a blog on wine and also just ran across this "event"! Sounds cool and count me in. I might even ask that people who read my blog but don't have one of their own, can contribute. Either by comments or maybe they can email them to me, and I can post them...Just a thought and a way to expand it to the audience too!
Thank you and I look forward to finding the closet vineyard to Madrid!
Posted by: Ryan | July 29, 2005 at 05:58 PM
Can "local" be my vacation spot since I'm away that week?
Posted by: Kristin | August 02, 2005 at 02:18 PM
I think being in Kyoto, Japan, a Tea Blogging Thursday might be more relevant. But I will *ahem* lenndevour to find a local vineyard among these rolling hills. I like the idea of going local, this is great!
Posted by: Theresa | August 03, 2005 at 01:45 AM
Er, does it matter if the wine is unavailable outside of your state? (Georgia has some wonderfully restrictive shipping laws.)
Posted by: tiffany | August 05, 2005 at 09:35 AM
Do you think Sake is a wine? ;) It is fermented, but so is beer. What do you think?
Posted by: fethiye | August 05, 2005 at 07:24 PM
While one of us Wine Chicks is off romping the wilds of Oregon and thereby flush with local wine, the other is stuck here in Brooklyn scratching her head and stuped as to what the closest winery is. I think there's one in New Jersey? Or is it upstate a little bit? (I refuse to drink Ben Marl even if it is the most local!) Or the one in Sayville on LI?? Help!
Posted by: Jay | August 08, 2005 at 08:05 AM
You're safe from Sayville (Loughlin Vineyards)...there is a small Chardonnay vineyard/winery in Brookville...Old Brookville Vineyards if LI really is your nearest. But, I bet there's something in NJ closer...
To read more:
http://lennthompson.typepad.com/lenndevours/2004/11/gold_coast_grap.html
Posted by: Lenn | August 08, 2005 at 08:29 AM
I always considered sake to be rice wine.
Posted by: Elise | August 08, 2005 at 02:08 PM
You're right...sake is absolutely fair game for this WBW!
Posted by: Lenn | August 08, 2005 at 02:21 PM
This looks fun - count me in!
I've been meaning to try English wine for some time, and this may be the perfect excuse :)
Posted by: xoe26 | August 08, 2005 at 04:37 PM
OK, fact check this! (Er, I just realized we have a Napa blogger here, so I shouldn't be so smug...)
A Marin County winery. (I tried to make that a link but it's not working. Details at my blog.)
:)
Posted by: cookiecrumb | August 10, 2005 at 01:05 PM
This blog its wonderful thaks for admin.
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