I posted recently about food personalities on Twitter, which got me thinking about the wine tweet scene. There are lots of wine writers and other professionals getting it done in 140 characters, and the bigger companies have a few people dedicated to the social media beat. But winemakers themselves don’t seem to have taken to Twitter quite so avidly as cooks, don’t know if they’re shy or just too busy.
One exception is @RandallGrahm. Founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz and champion of unheralded grapes, Grahm is a regular on Twitter, posting about everything from what’s new in the vineyard to his late-night crossword cravings. Presenting a strong but never strident point of view, he’s a must-follow. Another winemaker on Twitter is the Napa Valley’s Cathy Corison, @cathycorison. And Adam Lee, winemaker/owner of Siduri Wines in Sonoma County, @SiduriWines, posts regular updates.
Here are a couple other voices I tune in to. (Yes, this list is random and by no means comprehensive. Feel free to use the comments section to chime in with a few of your favorites.)
Hardy Wallace, @theNPAHardy. Hardy is the guy who won the “really goode job” social media director contest at the Murphy-Goode Winery a couple of years ago. he now works at the Natural Process Alliance winery doing a little bit of everything. Look for plenty of enthusiasm here.
Kendall-Jackson, @KJWines. Cheerful updates from the winery that made America fall in love with chardonnay.
Brown Estate, @brownestate, a cool winery in the Napa Valley producing good wines and fun tweets.
Chateau Montelena, @ChMontelena. This beautiful winery in Calistoga is famous for producing the chardonnay that beat the French at the 1976 Tasting of Paris (a story retold, kind of, in the movie “Bottle Shock.”)
Want more? This link from the Napa Valley Vintners, @NapaVintners, will take you to a list of winery Twitter addresses.
Cheers, communicatively.