TasteCamp EAST 2009

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Last year Kevin and I attended the Wine Blogger's Conference in Sonoma. This year, that conflicts directly with BlogHer, where I'm slated to speak on a panel about wine & food blogging. Kevin gets to go to California – but I'll be in Chicago.

So we're also attending the 1st Annual TasteCamp EAST in Long Island Wine Country. TasteCamp was the brainchild of my friend and Long Island wine blogger Lenn Thompson. He says,

The concept for TasteCamp is a simple one: getting enthusiastic
bloggers together in a region that is new to them to taste as much wine
as possible and speak to as many winemakers as possible over the course
of a weekend. Most smaller, lesser-known wine regions in the world
would love to get their wines in front of bloggers, but with TasteCamp,
the bloggers will go to them.

It's a small group of us (about 30 bloggers and spouses), but we've got a full schedule. Our itinerary includes

Welcome Reception and Wine Dinner at Raphael Winery, sponsored by Raphael and the Long Island Merlot Alliance
Tasting at Roanoke Vineyards
Tasting at Paumanok Vineyards
Lunch at Shinn Estate Vineyards, sponsored by and featuring wines from Jamesport Vineyards, Macari Vineyards and Shinn Estate Vineyards
Long Island Wine Council Tasting at Shinn Estate Vineyards featuring wines from 10 wineries we aren’t visiting
Tasting at Bedell Cellars
Tasting at Lenz Winery
BYOB Dinner at Grand Cru Classes
Tasting at Wolffer Estate
Tasting at Channing Daughters Winery

It is a jam-packed weekend full of wine and blogger fun. Lenn's hope is that we can have TasteCamps all over the States. I have a head full of ideas for a TasteCamp OHIO in possibly 2010 but absolutely no idea how to organize it.

So that's where we'll be on Friday through Sunday. I hope to fill this blog with tales of the Hamptons (because we're pretentious, you know) throughout next week.

Cheers!