funny by accident.

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

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  • the beginning of @25digitalmedia.

    • 19 Oct 2009
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    • "25 Digital Media" Courthouse Square Downtown Santa Rosa Email Marketing Philip Wyers Santa Rosa Shana Ray Social Media Marketing Sonoma County Twenty Five Digital Media Web Design Websites
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    It is official. Philip Wyers and I have an office. 25 Old Courthouse Square, Suite #8, Santa Rosa 95404 is the address and the inspiration for the name of our new venture - 25 Digital Media.

    Some say that they do not believe in fate.  But me glancing over the Craigslist section for housing in Downtown Santa Rosa randomly while drinking tea and working from Peet's Coffee and coming across the listing for this office couldn't have any other explanation.  I just happened to come across the listing for an office in downtown Santa Rosa and mention it to Philip, almost jokingly.  He loved the idea and met me downtown to go take a look. 

    As soon as we saw the outside, we knew that it would be the perfect opportunity for each of us to take our businesses to the next level….

    Okay, many who are reading this know that I consult with businesses on social media marketing, run Congresswoman Woolsey’s online efforts and basically promote Sonoma County on a daily basis.  What you might not know is that Philip Wyers has been my rock over this past year.  He is a web designer, e-commerce manager and email marketing guy (yes, he designed BreathSocialMedia.com) and the person who has kept me sane over this crazy world-wind of a year.

    So here we are, just moving into the office.  We currently have no internet connection or chairs, but we do have two desks and a sign that says “Happy Hour” which we decided was going to be our motto: @25digitalmedia, because everyone needs another reason to go to Happy Hour.  I think it is fitting because of my obsession with happy hour food and cocktails and Philip’s obsession with a great deal.

    So, watch out for more to come from us….. And, if you ever need another reason to go to Happy Hour or discuss online promotions, you know where we are.

     

     

     

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  • speaking this thursday at @paradiseridge.

    • 12 Oct 2009
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    I am honored to be able to speak about promoting events through social media tools at this month's Wine Country Special Event Professionals networking meeting at Paradise Ridge winery in Santa Rosa.  If you are attending, please make sure to come say hello!

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  • renegade art & democracy @ cornerstone place.

    • 4 Oct 2009
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  • the @harvestfair controversy debate.

    • 1 Oct 2009
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    I know much gossip and debate has been had since the Press Democrat article “Harvest Fair's top red wine loses its medal” came out a few days ago.  It has been less than a week since the awards night gala, and it turns out the main sweepstakes winner for REDS, Adler Fels didn’t meet the 75 case requirement for their winning 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir. The word around the interwebs ranges from people boycotting the Kenwood winery, to a debate about the Harvest Fair itself to if this will actually create better sales from the publicity.

    I honestly didn’t know much about them before and this controversy brought them to my attention and I would like to visit their winery, but I still have a negative attitude about them.

    I posted the link on my Facebook page and below is a shorten transcript (the names have been shortened to protect the guilty) of the debate that happened.   WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS???  

    Mike

    75 case requirement?!? That's three barrels! I make more than that at home. Damn right they should lose the medal. Any mid-sized winery can come up with a three barrel ringer. What's the point of the competition if nobody can try the winner. And they poured a different wine at the trade event? Bad form.

    Brian

    If ya can't play by the rules then what's the point of walking onto the field, damn straight they stripped the medal, in a competition that everyone gripes about being unfair or biased, it's nice to see some integrity! It's on Adler Fels for not following the rules.

    Shana

    I wonder why they didn't give the award to the runner up... We all know how Miss. America works. The winner gets caught with topless photos and the runner up gets the crown!

    Grant

    This is an interesting situation and will certainly be debated to the end. My personal opinion is that if the mission of the Harvest Fair is to find the best wine in certain categories then so be it. Whether or not a winery has enough of that wine to satisfy distributers, retailers and consumers should not be part of any criteria. But, one thing is certain, the winery should not have poured a different wine/vintage to consumers...that was misleading... Shana, LOL, love the comparison to the Miss America, topless photos...maybe the runnerup wine should peel its label off!

    Craig

    The winery knew how much they produced, and how much they could allocated between national accounts, on-site tastings and direct sales, and what their return is from each channel... this feels a bit like selling more stock than your company issues. Credit to the fair.

    Shana

    That might be how you do things in Sonoma Valley... But here in Healdsburg, we don't peel our labels off. ;)  The rules state that a winery has to make over 75 cases to wine the sweepstakes and they broke that rule (without knowing much else then what the article states and some gossip).

    Mike

    Grant I don't agree that the mission of the competition should be to find the best wine in a given category regardless of the consumer's ability to obtain the wine. I think the mission of the fair is to have a team of reliable people filter through the literally thousands of wines offered every year to help guide consumers to some hidden gems. I ... Read Morecan't tell you how often I've been introduced to a promising upstart or, more often, reintroduced to a winery I'd written off years earlier because of the harvest fair. When these competitions are no longer useful to the consumer they just become self-gratifying entertainment to an industry that already needs it's ego checked.

    Grant

    Michael, sounds like you may have issues with the industry as a whole? There are hundreds of wine tasting events around Napa/Sonoma where consumers can find those hidden Gems...or just spend some time visiting those hidden gem tasting rooms that are everywhere...

    Shane

    Grant, I think you're forgetting that the consumers are the ones who run the table not the wineries. You shouldn't enter a wine that nobody can purchase, what's the point of entering a wine that you can't sell or distribute, how's that benefiting anyone?

    Shana

    I agree with both of you. Maybe separate categories for larger production (I am talking 300 cases, not just the big guys) and then one for truly smaller boutique wineries. What we are ALL trying to do here is to sell more wine.... Isn't that PART of the point of the competition in the first place? Bringing attention to Sonoma County wines. If ... Read Moreconsumers cannot get the winning wine, then ultimately what is the point? Great wine in small lots should be a part of the competition, but usually they are only available to wine club members.. Which perhaps sells them more wine clubs. GREAT. But the average consumer isn't necessarily part of a wine club.

    Grant

    Shane, believe me, I am with you, 100%..

    Mike

    There are hundreds of tasting events, and hidden gems everywhere, that's what's so challenging. The harvest fair is one of the more comprehensive and reliable competitions and is therefore useful in helping consumers focus their search. I like to look at the award winners in my price range and category that I like, then head out to tasting rooms to check them out. As for me personally, I adore the wine industry, I just get a kick out of insulting my own family.

    Shana

    Which reminds me- Shane/Mike I have not tried any of your own wines... When do I get to?  Maybe that should be part of the awards... Home wine markers that don't sell to the public (yet). Is there something like that already?

    Grant

    Michael, LOL, now I see your motivation...good points, and I have to agree...consumers seek to get educated in finding the "right wine" for them and competitions like this help...that's why we started our own competition in Sonoma Valley...

    Shane

    Grant, thanks. I just hope Adler Fels made an honest mistake and unfortunately has to pay for it. But, yes to you Ms. Ray, the harvest festival is to showcase our beautiful county and show the people of sonoma/ nation/world that we kick ass at making wine.

    Shane

    Let's hug now

    Craig

    Perhaps there's a VIP opportunity here. Wineries enter "micro availability wines" in an segmented part of this competition. 50 cases of those wines would be allocated to a Harvest Fair wine club, and "consumers with means" could chose to pay a premium for one annual case assortment of these wines. 150 people pay $750 and get 4 bottles each of ... Read Morethe red and white sweeps winners, as well as 4 other individual gold medal winners. The wineries gets their tasting room story and a little gold sticker for the bottle, "regular" consumers have awareness of a winery's award-winning methodology, the fair board gets a cut of club revenues to keep the Friday family day sponsored, and the hoi polloi can have access to something limited and special.

    Mike

    Shana there is a home winemaking part of the Harvest Fair competition but you can't enter it if you work in the wine industry....which sort of means you can't enter it if you live in Sonoma County. Which is fine since the whole reason guys like Shane and I make our own hooch is because we can't afford the good stuff. If we won a medal we'd have to share.

    Grant

    Could point Craig...that is why we added a "Reserve area" at the Showcase event at MacMurray Ranch this past Labor Day weekend...wineries with limited allotments could not pour to thousands but were willing to pour their "hidden gems" to a smaller crowd....

    Cellars Wine

    I'm glad you brought up the Harvest Fair taking back their award. It's very clear in the rules. It isn't fair to those that play by the rules. Maybe there should always be a runnerup in case of this happening again. Also there should be a separate category of limited production. Like they do in the LA comp.

    Ziggy

    Word UP from the Wine Gal...I've judged hundreds of wine competitions. The rules are clear. I also know that many times if not more often than not, there is always 2 wines, sometimes even 3 wines that you just can't choose between for top pick. Next wine up should get the award. GAME OVER.

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  • hello, my name is @sharayray & i'm a #socialmedia addict.

    • 28 Sep 2009
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    1. You update your facebook whenever you leave the computer, whether you are gone for a minute to get some coffee, or leaving the office for the day. Only sometimes.
    2. You spend more time conversing with your online friends than you do with your own family. My online friends have become my ‘family’ – I also talk to my own family on Facebook more than in person too. 
    3. The pictures you take are not for “memories” but rather updating your social networking profiles. To be remembered later…
    4. When you hear a joke in person, you say “lol” instead of actually laughing out loud. Only to be ironic.
    5. Your social media friend accounts significantly out number your real life friends. See #2
    6. You can type faster than you can talk.  Nope, I talk loud, fast and frequently…. Just like how I type.
    7. Social networks are your main point of contact with your friends. Twitter DM’s and Facebook IM’s are my main source of contact, yes
    8. You hear direct message “pings” in your head when you are away from the computer. This doesn’t count… I hear voices in my head anyways.
    9. You bought a new cell phone specifically to be more efficient in operating your daily social networking activities when away from your computer. The iPhone is the only way to travel. (Yes, @Winotone, even if AT&T sucks)
    10. You constantly putting a “@” symbol in front of someone’s name, whether in an email, on a forum, or even writing by hand. Nope, but I think I will do this now.  Thanks for the idea.
    11. You go through withdrawals when you can’t access your favorite social media site as a result of a server down, blocked at work, or no wi-fi connection available. YES! YES! YES! Hello, my name is Shana and I am a Twitter-a-holic!  My new campagin/hashtag: #UniversalWifi4All
    12. When you meet someone new, you give them a link to your twitter account instead of your phone number/email address. Depends.
    13. When asked how much time you spend on social media sites each day, you take the actual time spent and divide it by 3…so if you spend 6 hours on it, you tell others it was only 2. People already know I am always online.
    14. You skip a meal in order to spend more uninterrupted time on your favorite social network. My butt is planted in a coffeeshop or my kitchen during the day, no skipped meals.
    15. For news information you use sites such as digg.com, reddit.com, or twitter search opposed to CNN, foxnews, or the WSJ.  It is all about Twitter trends, iGoogle or the Facebook feed.
    16. You “tweet” while driving. Guilty.
    17. It feels good to be part of something “viral” and to help spread it. I love giving others relative information.
    18. You have attended a “tweetup”. You mean several, right.  I have even hosted a few tweetups.
    19. While attending the above mentioned “tweetup” you “tweeted” the event to others. In addition to talking to others at said tweetup via twitter instead of actually talking to them (thanks @TheBeerWench)
    20. If you meet someone in person, you commonly refer to them by their online handle instead of their real name. I am convinced people don’t even know my name is SHANA (oh wait, they don’t, yeah I am talking to you @TishWine)
    21. You don’t view the “fail whale” as a sign to step away from the computer, but instead an opportunity to jump over to another social media site for the time being. I am bi-social. I love Facebook and Twitter equally. They are like children, each serves their own purpose.
    22. You are reading this blog post and nodding your head in agreement. Or in shame…

    After nodding your head, you decide you are indeed addicted to social media and http://www.ploked.com/?p=71" target="_blank">tweet this post!   A few times actually and now I am RE-POSTING this post.... and adding a few.... With the help of the @TheBeerWench, sitting next to me.

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    If you base your brand preferences on if they are on Twitter.

    If you base your brand preferences on if they are on Twitter --- AND they respond to you! 

    If you cannot go anywhere new without asking your online friends their opinions.

    If you give your opinion about anything and everything on social media, even if people don't ask.

    If you have stayed at someone's house without ever meeting them before, and met them on Twitter.

    If you cannot go out to a resturant without taking a picture of your food and tweeting it or posting it to Facebook

    If you take a 2 week long road trip and talk to the person next to you via Twitter (only sometimes).

    If your family only knows what you are doing based on your tweets and Facebook status'.

     

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  • images from the process of winemaking.

    • 28 Sep 2009
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  • the process of winemaking.

    • 27 Sep 2009
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    Yes, people.   Winemaking is a process.  A long process that takes passion, skill, luck, trust and a lot of beer.

    I know. It was shocking to me as well… And I grew up in Sonoma County… You would think I would know a little more than the average person about what it takes to make a bottle of wine, but sadly, I do not.

    Until now. 

    Friday I spent the morning at Ketcham Estate in Russian River Valley picking very ripe pinot grapes with local winemakers from various wineries around the valley, Marcy Gordon, a travel writer and little-known trouble maker and Dr. Horowitz, a marketing teacher and blogger with too many blogs to name just one (and the guy who put the event together).   The vineyard excursion was for a project that three local winemakers decided to do with the extra pinot grapes at the estate, by turning the fruit into late harvest pinot or pinot port.

    We spent the morning, clippers and buckets in hand, clipping rows and rows of grapes.  The guys rode around in their golf cart, bringing our full buckets to the containers. I got there too late to enjoy the morning fog, but the heat wasn’t too bad until it was directly overhead around noon. Thankfully their was water and beer to cool us down. 

    Saturday was spent at two different wineries in St. Helena in the Napa Valley.  Well, Smith-Madrone was on Spring Mountain, overlooking the Napa Valley.  Spottswoode Estate was right in the middle of a neighborhood in the city of St. Helena, reinforcing their family estate heritage.

    Thanks to Russ Beebe of California Wine Hikes fame, we learned more about the difference in climates, variations in vintages and saw part of the behind the scenes of crush.  Russ also decided that there wasn’t nearly enough card games in our lives and set up a poker run. He would randomly give out cards until all of us received 5 cards each.  Of course, being the skillful, sneaky and amazing women that we are; myself, Thea from Luscious Lushes, Alexandria and Liza from Brix Chicks all combined our cards to get five kings… Tying with Andy Gamitian of Flights Wine Blog (who also collaborated with another wine blogger) and who ultimately won.

    I will allow my fellow wine bloggers to review the wines we tried and talk about the tasting notes and behind the scenes fun, because as I told the group, I don’t honestly care about reviews of wine.  As I learned from my Project Y-ine trip, most kids in their twenties don’t as well.  It is all about recommendations from friends ~ So, since you are taking the time to read this far into this post, I consider you a friend and I wanted to tell you that if you ever see the 2007 Smith-Madrone Riesling or the 2006 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon, try it… They will not disappoint.

    As for Ketcham Estate’s pinot noir, it has been too long since I have had this wine that I forget what I thought of it. I will let you know what I think, because I plan on buying or stealing a bottle very soon….

    Pictures on next post.

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  • finally someone stands up for the real victims of #healthcare - insurance excs.

    • 22 Sep 2009
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    • Health Care Health Care refrom Lynn Woolsey MoveOn.org Public Option Real Reform
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    80% of the American public want a public option, but let's just be honest with ourselves.... If you spell something wrong, do you really need surgery? "I don't think so...."

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  • summer and wine pairing?

    • 11 Sep 2009
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    10235_1223943003876_1388037579

    I just saw this on a friend's Facebook page and it cracked me up!  It reminded me of my old favorite, the temporary love beer sign. 


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  • And more #TASTE of Sonoma pictures

    • 5 Sep 2009
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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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