Posted By Joel on August 16, 2010

Through a beautiful constellation of a million words and image uploads, I’ve lately been observing a new breed of wine producer.

But, we should try to discuss it without giving creating a name for them. I wouldn’t want to marginalize the phenomenon with a label.

Let me tell you what I see:

This new breed of wine producer understands the spectacular moment in technological history that enables artisan producers and consumers to communicate directly and immediately via the social Internet.

And they understand the importance of that opportunity.

Via the social Internet, they become educators. They become coaches. They are our mentors and partners in a conversation about wine and food that reaches beyond geographical boundaries. They encourage us to understand their labor, the land’s character, their source of passion, the local traditions, how the wine is born.

The social Internet behaviors of this new breed of wine producer is helping to shape markets and to create a more intelligent, selective consumer capable of making better decisions at the wine shop.

Some especially honest, brave producers tell us how their wine is made and what is in their bottles. Bravo.

Fast becoming an online center of gravity for this new breed of producer is the wine and food social network called Vinix, www.vinix.it, where a large community of artisan producers, bloggers, journalists, merchants, and wine / food lovers come to meet, connect, and share.

I am prepared to offer fine examples

Luca Ferraro, of Bele Casel, who educates us about Colfòndo and how Prosecco is made, and brings us with him into the vineyard to prune Prosecco vines. (Vinix: Bele Casel)

Paolo Ghislandi of Cascina I Carpini, who passionately explains his “Vini d’Arte” or art wines, coaches us about the “symptoms and cures of Plonk”, and leads us into the bottling room for a look at that process. (Vinix: Cascina I Carpini)

There are many more like them.

And, like Luca and Paolo, many Italian wine producers are being social in both Italian and English languages. Vinix, too, offers English and Italian versions.

Are you ready?

Place your hands, please, on the computer keyboard. Launch browser and navigate. I encourage you to seek out such wine producers. Join the conversation. Be social. It’s a super opportunity to learn and to deepen your perspective about wine.

PS: You can find me, too, on Vinix (Vinix: Joel Mack)

Categories: Culture, Food, Uncategorized, Wine
Tags: