‘Community’ was undoubtedly one of the most used words during the Wine Bloggers Conference: the importance of building one, and the importance of being in one.
It is a word that particularly resonates with me as I visit, and plan my visits, to 42 countries around the world. Without the input of the wine community, this would be an impossible adventure. I rely on winemakers, agronomists, sommeliers, chefs, journalists, bloggers and an assortment of other locals to feed us the insider knowledge of why their region is so unique in the world.
It is also the community that often offer me a place to stay for the night, a lift to the next winery, or a warm meal. In every wine region we visit, we are visiting more than just a place – we are visiting a people, we are visiting a community.
As anyone who has found themselves baking cakes or setting up a tent for a village fête knows, in order to be part of a community you need to contribute to it. This is the exact attitude which has driven the WBC Scholarship fund since it was founded in 2009.
Wine blogger Thea Dwelle started the scholarship fund in order to try and help bring people into the community who might not otherwise be able to: “I think it’s important to attract new talent in the writing world that wouldn’t other wise be able to afford to attend the conference,” Thea explained to me. “There are some very talented writers that make little or no money from their online efforts. We want to expand the reach of the conference, and up the game.”
I was fortunate to be picked for the Rodney Strong scholarship this year and the financial aid in partially covering my transatlantic flight is an enormous help. 80 Harvests is a passion project, and unfortunately passion doesn’t always pay. Although we are actively seeking sponsors, it can be hard to convince a business to give you money without guaranteeing them a substantial ROI or blockbuster viewing numbers.
What’s beautiful about the WBC Scholarship is that it isn’t looking for anything back. It is a vote of faith, an uplifting encouragement, a helping hand, and it embodies that spirit of community.
Our particular sponsor was Rodney Strong vineyards, a Sonoma winery which has been offering a blogger scholarship since the very beginning – in 2009. I reached out to Communications Director Christopher O’Gorman to find out exactly why they are giving money for a scholarship, without expecting anything back:
“As a family owned winery that has been around since 1959, we value the long play, and a consistent approach towards farming, business, and community. The hope is to support the community that has allowed us to flourish, and to give back to that community. Rodney Strong Wine Estates sees the value in promoting wine education not only with up-and-coming bloggers, but with sommeliers, consumers, and anyone interested in wine and the part it plays in a life well lived.”
Thanks to the WBC Scholarship and Rodney Strong Wine Estates we were given a running start to our North America tour for 80 Harvests, and a chance to meet wine bloggers from around the country. The power of community got me here, and I’m not the only one.
I caught up with a previous scholarship winner, Matt McGinnis, to see how his scholarship helped him. “As a small business owner in start-up stage last year, I likely wouldn’t have had the financial freedom to attend the conference without the scholarship. Attending the WBC was an amazing experience. I was able to learn a lot about the Finger Lakes Region [where it was held in 2015], its wines, and the fantastic people who work in the industry there. I also made some great new friends, who have influenced my writing and keep me inspired. I’m incredibly grateful to Rodney Strong for providing the scholarship. I’ll admit, I buy a lot more Rodney Strong now.”
I’m also buying more Rodney Strong now, so maybe there is a good karma payoff from the community you support. But in order to get that community moving, you have to be prepared to give first. And I want to thank the WBC Scholarship and Rodney Strong for not just the financial aid, but for the encouragement, support and for inviting me to a community.
