The Wine Bloggers Conference is heading back to California in 2014. Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and Lodi are the three finalists - so there are decent odds that the conference will land on the Central Coast.
I have to be a homer on this one. My vote was for Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara Wine Country features world class wine, cuisine, scenery and weather. It's an exciting region still growing and expanding its footprint in the wine world, with a wide variety of varietals and styles. There's a plethora of world-class winemakers and vineyards - perfect resources for excursions and education about the area. And I believe that much of what the area has to offer remains undiscovered to the larger wine world, leaving an exciting opportunity for next year's attendees. 2014 also marks the 10-year anniversary of the film Sideways, a definitive moment in the history of the wine region.
Paso Robles/San Luis Obispo would be a nice consolation, and many of the same advantages would apply. I'm not sure about Lodi. I've had plenty of Lodi wines but have never visited. My initial thoughts are of big jammy red wines and the heat of the Central Valley in the summer. It might have been interesting to tie in Lodi and the Sierra Foothills AVA's into one package, although I could see this creating logistical issues.
At any rate, go to the Wine Bloggers Conference website to vote. Hope to see you in 2014!
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