... great title for a panel on social media, yes? The panel was one of many fabulous seminars held at the Waldorf hotel in connection with Vino 2011 in New York, sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission.

Moderator Tom Wark and a team of crack social media specialists spoke authenticity, the power of rapport and why building user-specific, personalized connections is paramount for successful education, marketing and dialogue with Millennial consumers.

Panelists from the wine media, trade and social media platforms explored how to forge meaningful conversations and connections with and among consumers through blogging, branded social media initiatives, and geo-tagging.

I found the panel interesting. I had explored many of these topics myself for my thesis pertaining to Millennials and Social Media -- familiar territory, yet always great to hear new experiences.

Perhaps what I got out of this session the most was the focus on authenticity. There was quite a debate about how often to tweet, and what to tweet about, with the underlying concept being to tweet about authentic, relevant issues.

Many familiar faces on the podium and the crowd, and yes, everyone was tweeting!
 

So Bill Nesto MW lead the very popular seminar "Diversity of Lombardy" today. It was called 'the ten faces of Italian wine' and sure enough ten producers showed off their wines, all from the Lombardy region.

Some of the grapes were obscure, but delicious. Other grapes, such as the Pinot Nero Oltrepo Pavese DOC "Pernice" 2006 - Giorgi Di Vistarino - are actually so dangerous to harvest the people who work the land are said to conduct "heroic viticulture." The vineyards are on very steep terraces near the Swiss border, and the workers load the grapes into cartons which are lifted by air!

Bill Nesto MW is a fabulous speaker and he gave very precise tasting notes for each wine. During the press lunch, I tried to find his table and chat a bit, but ended up sitting with friends. Then, to my amazement, he was escorted to our table! No sooner did he sit down, then a photographer said it was his seat, so he disappeared before we could discuss the Italian grapes in more detail.

It sort of worked out, because his charming wife came to our table, looking for him, and we had a little chat before she left to find his new place.

Overall, this was a fabulous seminar. Most of the producers spoke English (quite well!). They described vinification in extreme detail, and overall gave a fascinating presentation of their wines and terroir. These producers use very innovative tecniques and are very sophisticated.

... so I am on my way to the opening of New York, February 3, 2010

I had spent the opening day (February 3) in the Napa Valley at a conference related to the Masters of Wine (though happily we did have an Italian wine seminar with many examples of great Italian wine).

One of the many things discovered at the conference is that Italian wine is very popular in Japan and the UK, and the number one source of wines imported to the United States with 30 percent of the market share in the first 11 months of 2009.

This year's edition is organized by the Italian Trade Commission with the support of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development in collaboration with four of Italy's most prominent and promising wine regions: Apulia, Calabria, Tuscany and Veneto, and with the first-time participation of VinItaly and Buonitalia under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. 

Among the highlights of VINO 2010: The Italian Wine Masters - a new collaboration among the Consortia Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Prosecco Superiore Conegliano-Valdobbiadene featuring focused seminars and a grand tasting of wines offered by 150 producers; more than a dozen other specialized seminars on recent market trends, indigenous varietals and many other hot topics; an Italian Wine Exchange Grand Tasting showcasing over 300 wines from Apulia, Calabria, Tuscany and Veneto; dinners hosted by each of the sponsoring regions on February 4 at the Waldorf-Astoria, with customized wine pairings and menus from the chefs of four notable New York restaurants: I Trulli, Il Gattopardo, SD26 and Salumeria Rosi.

I will let you know more when I am there!