Texas Wine Twitter Tuesday

The first Texas Wine Twitter Tuesday of 2013 came and went. And by all accounts, it was a success. In fact, fellow tweeters Russ Kane and Julie Baker shared the results via Facebook.

• During the evening, #TXWine trended #1 on Twitter.
• That breaks down to 618 tweets in a one hours time span (our 7pm-8pm block).
• The audience following reached 105,510  -- a record for the monthly event.

Vinously Speaking just minutes before 7

This event was a lot more than just numbers, it was a coming together of people.On our end in San Antonio (at Vinously Speaking), the event allowed for people to meet, greet, drink, and chat. Our evening had a lot of great opportunities for those that braved the slick streets. And best of all, we started at 5.

The Wineries

First, we had winery representatives; we had Shannon from Pedernales Cellars and Jen from Bending Branch. It was good to have the wineries represented to share with the crowd the wine and the wineries. They each brought something special. 

Pedernales Alabrino and Loose Lips Larry

Shannon provided the brand new Albarino (available for a VERY limited time at the shop). And for those interested in the wine club, Shannon gave us the lowdown about the March shipment -- it will be a great treat with some good food (so, if you like Pedernales wine, join the wine club before March).

Some Bending Branch treats: Temprnaillo and Tannat Port

Jen brought a few not for sale treats (available at the winery). We sampled the Newsom Cabernet Sauvignon and the Tannat Port (which, I am told, is quickly running out). We also heard that Bending Branch has some new opportunities on the horizon, so keep your eyes open.

Food

We also had great food to pair with our wines. On Saturday, Ceci spent time matching up six barbeque sauces with the six featured wines. In order to enjoy these sauces, MONZ BONZ BBQ  provided juicy roast turkey and brisket, and there was also mashed potatoes as a palate cleanser or for the vegetarians. The most discussed pairing was with the Albarino: turkey with Loose Lips Larry Sweet Georgia Honey Mustard.

The Fun

The best part of all was the people. Now, we didn't have lots of tweeters; most of the tweets were generated by myself, Sean Bircher (my partner in crime), Ceci Barretto (owner of Vinously Speaking), and Jennifer Beckmann (from Bending Branch). We had a number of first timer tweeters and a few others sharing a tweet now and again (and we are so glad they did!). We had lots of people with no Twitter accounts. After the evening was through, many are reconsidering that stance. Mainly,
the venue provided a place for friends to have fun and for new people to meet.

Vinously Speakinng during the thick of it (including my laptop -- to the left)

 I had a chance to  get to know a few of the guests, who I hope will be joining us next month and out at the wineries.

Very appropriate attire

•  Marian Eure of Embroidery Creations made the great #txwine shirts. This long-time Texas wine lover and wine club member is finding herself drawn in more and more. If you are interested in custom shirts and embroidery, check out her site: http://www.embroidco.com. 
• Regular Cena Cogburn shared her Texas wine experiences, especially her recent visits to the Texas wineries with Ceci.
• Gloria and Ramon Barretto were there to support their daughter and drink good wine.
• Jaime Lacey is a former volunteer coordinator for Leona Valley Winery in California. She has made tentative visits to the Texas wineries and hopeful more will come.
• Laura Evans of Slyp and Slyde Productions came out and finally started to get the hang of tweeting and became more interested in wine.
• BrandonRidens (aka DJ Phylo) was there to aid the pouring of the wine and the sending of the tweets. 
• Lisa Gonzales sent her first two tweets.
• Donovan shared a Spanish Tempranillo to taste alongside the Bending Branch one. The results were pretty even. The Texas one was fruit forward and smooth; the Spanish one was heartier. If we had added the Armadillo's Leap Red into the fray, it would have been the earthiest.

Our special #txwine shirt

There were so many more great people. In fact, that was what our evening was about. Sean always says that wine brings people together, and that was the case for us. Our group, which ended up at about 25 or so, made use of our tiny space to have a good time. That is what this is all about. SO the numbers aren't really telling the whole story. The first Texas Wine Twitter Tuesday was a much bigger success. Here's to next month: CHEERS!