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30 W i n e s & V i n e s s e P T e M B e R 2 0 1 4 Faces& Forums N E W S M A K E R S Central Coast Hosts Bloggers Conference draws new and veteran wine writers B uellton, Calif.—Santa Barbara County, Calif., provided the backdrop for the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference. The event opened July 11 with a brunch sponsored by Wines of Portugal, which paired Portuguese wines with cuisines from several countries. The day included a breakout session about wine blends and continued as participants boarded 10 buses bound for 10 different area wineries, where bloggers were treated to a dinner of food and wine pairings. Blog-centric panels included an SEO breakout session (led by Tim Resnick), a discussion of photography (George Rose) and videography (Lisa Mattson), plus live- blogging activities. Winners of the Wine Blog Awards were presented during the conference, with awards going to winemaker Alison Crowe (Best New Wine Blog), Lynmar Estate (Best Winery Blog), and Lisa Mattson of Jordan Winery (Best Original Photography or Video on a Wine Blog), among others. A post-conference tour of Bridlewood Estate Winery in Santa Ynez, Calif., included lunch and a panel discussion with Bridlewood's winemaker and local artisan farmers. The 2015 Wine Bloggers Conference will take place in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. Learn more about the conference at winebloggersconference.org. Alison Crowe's blog Girl and The Grape won the award for best new wine blog. Corbett Barr, CEO of Fizzle, gave the keynote address during the Wine Bloggers Conference. Participants join a live wine blogging exercise during the conference in July. Participants practice writing tasting notes during the Jackson Family Wines tasting. Lisa Mattson of Jordan Winery shows off her award for best original photography and video. Richard Sanford of Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards participates in a winemakers panel. ALL PHOTOS: GEORGE ROSE