funny by accident.

social media, tech, food and wine in a world that takes itself too seriously.

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  • chocolate and wine fantasy at @RSVineyards.

    • 12 Feb 2010
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    Last Saturday I was invited to Rodney Strong Vineyards for their 21st Annual Wine & Chocolate Fantasy event... Which was basically a few rooms dedicated to two of my favorite things!  

    Some of my favorite parts of the day was drinking a reserve 2008 malbec straight from the barrel (I could not find it on their website unfortunately, but this is a wine you should be on the lookout for), the Sift: a Cupcakery Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes (yes, they are my client… but come on.. What is not to love?), the Symmetry, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and other traditional Bordeaux grapes from Alexander Valley and a few of the cashew nut chocolate brittle from a company that I forget (yes, I am a bad blogger for losing my notes).

    Jeff Mall from ZiN Restaurant in Healdsburg was on hand to make us laugh and show us how to easily create a chocolate fondue.

    Huge thanks to Robert from Rodney Strong for the invite!  I look forward to tasting that malbec when it is bottled!

     

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  • scratch marshmallows and add wine.... or sandwiches.

    • 12 Feb 2010
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    Xuk4L.jpg
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  • eating animals with stephen colbert.

    • 10 Feb 2010
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    "Eating Animals" author Jonathan Safran Foer appeared on The Colbert Report to discuss the US farm system and a bit why labels mean nothing.


    http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/264043/february-08-2010/jonathan-safran-foer

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  • do you have #pinotlove?

    • 5 Feb 2010
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    Then the Pinot Noir Shootout in San Rafael is an event NOT to be missed!

    Click here to attend Click here to attend Click here to attend Visit Affairs of the Vine See full information Visit Affairs of the Vine Visit International Wine Review




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  • these.

    • 3 Feb 2010
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    Just cracked me up.

    Thanks Natalie Dee for always kicking ass!

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  • social media hires and wine.

    • 28 Jan 2010
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    Throughout the past few weeks I have talked to many people in the wine industry about the idea of hiring a social media staff member (be it a social media director, someone part time, or a social media person/administrative assistant) to help with social media marketing.  I have talked to people looking to hire, who were just hired themselves, outsiders and others like myself that teach people how to market brands through social media.

    Great. 

    The wine industry is 'getting it' ~ Wineries are getting that they can no longer ignore the power of Twitter and Facebook and that they need someone dedicated to connecting with people online.  I love it!  Hopefully no longer will my responses to certain wineries on Twitter go ignored.  

    The problem?

    Wineries can teach people about wine, but they are supposed to be hiring people who KNOW social media.  I have a feeling that this concept is foreign to some. Wineries adopted Twitter and Facebook last year, until they thought that it was too time consuming and that they need to have some sort of a strategy, now they are hiring social media people to help out.  Once again, still happy about this!

    Another problem?

    This doesn't mean that they should just hire any younger twentysomething that may have a lot of friends on Facebook. First and foremost, this is a marketing job.  There is some sort of a science to what we are doing here...  By hiring someone who doesn’t know what they are doing (I will add here, in some cases, not all) and having the expectation that they will magically just start selling wine is unrealistic.

    Social Media is about connecting with your consumers. Just like in the tasting room…. You wouldn’t have your staff automatically welcome people into the tasting room by asking if you want to be a part of the wine club… 

    Think of your social media person as another part of the tasting room staff.  You want to hire the best and brightest as well as people that are passionate about wine.  But they also have to fit the requirements (i.e., able to lift 50lbs, be over 21, be friendly, etc.).


    Some random thoughts of mine:

    1. Proof they have a following.  Check Twitter interactions and their pull (aka Klout.on Twitter), check RT's that they have in their Twitter stream, as well as RT's of their messages from other people and the difference between sending links/messages vs. actual communication).   The key here is to find someone that is connecting with people in a REAL way, not just having conversations or just broadcasting messages. 

    2. Facebook - What Pages are they fans of?  Do they know how to hiding embarrassing pictures of them at a house party (I am not saying they don't have them, just that they know how to hide them from the general viewing public)?  Do they connect with others that could be useful to your winery (aka not just old high school friends)?

    3. Proof that they see social media as a marketing tool.  Social Media Marketing is about connecting and getting a message across, not just talking about drinking, or even just thanking people who RT you.   People can be taught wine knowledge, but usually this person is hired to teach the marketing team about social media.  They should know what bit.ly is, use Tweetdeck, always be reading Mashable (or other social media blog).  They should know how to measure the messages and promotions they are sending out (or at least know how to find the right tools).

    4. BE SOCIAL IN PERSON - Part of all of this is meeting up with consumers in person.  A good social media person is personable in real life (IRL) too.  You have no idea how many people are not....

    5. Be up to date on the latest social craze (Yes, in this instance -- They should know what Foursquare is and how it can help wineries) and have some sort of a smart phone (yes, in this instance, I think they should have an iphone).

    6. Have that special SOMETHING.  Something that makes people remember them! 

    These are just some thoughts that are at the top of my head... Something I felt I needed to get off my chest.  

    A social media hire should be someone who can be behind a computer and in the tasting room, someone who can be social both on and offline, someone who knows what they are doing...  

    This is essential, because by NOT hiring someone who is all of these things, then my guess is that wineries will just assume social media doesn’t work and abandon it for good.   I am living proof that social media works… Just ask me why.


    Cheers.

    +Shana.

     

     

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  • anna begins.

    • 24 Jan 2010
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    One of my favorite bands to see live because they don't sing to the same style as the album... Gives me a reason to watch them over and over again.

    Thank you Counting Crows to being there for me for the good and the bad.

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  • another way to look at shrimp and wine parings.

    • 21 Jan 2010
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  • pictures from winter wineland.

    • 18 Jan 2010
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    Pictures from my iphone.....  Huge thanks to the amazing wineries we visited, including Hawkes, Hanna, White Oak, Stryker Sonoma, Trione Winery, Mercury Winery, Michel-Schlumberger (of course), Bella, Kokomo, Preston, Papapietro Perry, Murphy Goode, Thumbprint Cellars and Gallo Family Wines.

    More images to come, once my friends email me more!

    Cheers!


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  • game plan for this weekend's #winterwineland.

    • 14 Jan 2010
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    Only a few more days until my first Winter Wineland!   I am so excited and I do have a few places I HAVE to stop by this weekend.....


    (RED - Alexander Valley,  BLUE - Dry Creek Valley, GREEN - Russian River Valley, PURPLE - Downtown Healdsburg)

    Hawkes Winery in Alexander Valley / Jimtown for Coffee, etc. to pick up WINE GLASSES and start tasting!

    Hanna WINERY - In either RRV or Alexander Valley. - 50's food, Elvis Impersonator

    Francis Ford Coppola Winery - They have a Facebook room, blending seminars and I haven't been there for a while.

    Trione Winery - Hog Island Oysters... Need I say more?

    Michel-Schlumberger (Winter Wineland Olympic Village) - This is one place I will have to visit both days.  They will have a stash sale of past vintages for VERY cheap. Some wines as low as $5 a bottle... Maybe we could split a case?  Olympic games and yummy food from Relish Culinary.

    Amista Winery - They will be pouring a Sparkling Syrah. Possibly the only Dry Creek Valley sparkling wine.... Soups from Jack & Tony's!

    Thomas George - Some of my favorite pinots!

    Merriam Vineyards - Park Avenue Catering (one of my clients) will be catering.

    Other Russian River Valley wineries --- This is the area I haven't been to as much as the others, so let me know if there are any that I should specially visit!

    Hudson Street Wineries - Six different wineries in downtown Healdsburg.  Great place to go at the end of day before grabbing something to eat!

    For a list of what all the participating wineries are doing, click here and let me know which ones you really want to visit!

    Cheers.

    +Shana.

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  • About

    Hello! My name is Shana Ray, a Digital (Social Media) Marketing Director, working with wineries, restaurants & tech.

    My main website can be found at http://shanaray.com but I use this one as my social media/wine/food/music/llama blog and my way to get out my frustrations with the stuffiness that sometimes comes with wine.

    ...and I have red hair and can usually be heard before I am seen.

    I am a partner at Two Five Media and a Digital Media + PR Manager for Collaborize Classroom http://CollaborizeClassroom.com/blog

    .... yup, llamas.

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