Who loves #winewednesday? We love #winewednesday!

Who wouldn’t want to hang out with winos of all ages from around the world every Wednesday? That’s exactly what you can do if you are a Twitter bug like me every Wednesday on the popular social networking site. Based off of the very popular Twitter event, #followfriday, #winewednesday began as a way to connect winos around the world. I sat down with one of the men who spearheaded #winewednesday, Eric Egnet (aka @TweSommelier on Twitter). Well, I was sitting he may have been planting a garden; (we spoke on the phone).

Q: What is the main purpose and target of #winewednesday?
A: I wanted to create a fun midweek wine event on Twitter that was similar to the popular #followfriday event. It’s intended for wine lovers and the entire wine community on Twitter, both novice and experts.
** I have friends who say if nothing else; it gives them a reason to drink during the week. HA!

Q: What is its goal?
A: The #winewednesday event provides a wonderful opportunity for people to share their favorite wine recommendations with one another as well as great tips, facts, information and advice.

Q: Have you learned anything from #winewednesday?
A: LOL. I have! I’ve learned that there so many more wonderful wines that I just need to try and so many states, countries, vineyards and wineries I have to visit.

Q: Tell me about the first #winewednesday.
A: The response was immediate and positive. People were very excited about it and the buzz and momentum built throughout the day. I stayed up late that night to officially welcome the first #winewednesday event and then went to bed. By the time I got up in the morning, #winewednesday was already steaming ahead and by the afternoon it had gone viral around the globe. I really couldn’t believe it! I literally received hundreds of messages of gratitude and appreciation. The truth is, I didn’t make #winewednesday successful – it was the wine community on Twitter. People around the world were actively engaging and promoting the event throughout the day. Without their help it wouldn’t have been possible.

Q: Now that it has been a few weeks, have you seen the event evolve? Are you surprised by the users taking part?
A: Absolutely, we have people actively engaged in #winewednesday from every wine producing country and many others. We also have people translating tweets and wine recommendations in different languages. Each week more and more people get involved and help us grow globally. We have wine industry experts from around the globe contributing to the event, as well as wineries, vineyards, publications and your typical wine enthusiasts. This mix of wine lovers really adds a lot to the magic of the #winewednesday event.

Beyond #winewednesday, Egnet the @TweSommelier, writes weekly wine reviews and recommendations for his ever growing community of Twitter followers. He says that he is now looking to establish relationships with some wine suppliers and retailers as he is often asked, by the community, where they can purchase the wines he covers. Apparently, they cannot always find them in their local market. He believes this collaboration would create a win/win/win for everyone! Talk about networking!!

If you are new to Twitter, or simply want to check out the event for yourself; go to Twitter and search for the Twibe #winewednesday. Oh, and be sure to follow Eric, @TweSommelier, and me, @DreamWildly, while you’re there!

Emma Criswell combines her newsroom talent with her love of wine to bring you all the news in the world of wine past and present.

Tagged as: Interview, Twitter