The Uber of Wine Tasting: Live Twitter Video for Social Sharing + Sipping

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous spring day to be inside wine tasting ;)

Our dedicated team gathered to taste more than 90 wines, posting their reviews live on the site and sharing them on social media. You can watch the videos of their favourite picks below …

Our group of wine warriors who spent their Sunday afternoon sniffing, swirling, and yes, spitting, in search of terrific wines for you:

Jennifer MacDonald, Wine Writer, Ottawa Citizen

Jane Staples, Wine Writer, Windsor Star and Ottawa Wedding Magazine

Matt Steeves, Wine Expert, CTV Morning Live

Heather Wall, Wine Writer, Huffington Post Canada

Monique Ippolito, Wine Writer, Ottawa Family Living Magazine

Doug McMillan, Wine Writer, Forever Young Magazine

David Skinner, Wine, Food & Travel Writer, Outdoor Magazine, UC Davis Wine Judge

Tom Vigeant, Sommelier Program Director, La Cite Collegiale

Sean O’Regan, Director, National Capital Sommelier Guild

Craig Kuziemsky, University of Ottawa Management Professor and Wine Blogger

Astrid Young, Accredited Sommelier and Musician (yes, Neil’s her uncle)

Kristin Perrin, Examination Judge, Algonquin Sommelier Program

Rachelle O’Connor, Examination Judge, Algonquin Sommelier Program

Donna Hargrove, Wine Blogger and Tasting Group Co-ordinator

Jane Lefresne, Sommelier Student and Wine Blogger

Jon Steeves, Accredited Sommelier

Kimberly Inkstater, Accredited Sommelier, Wine & Food Blogger

Lori Kilmartin, Wine Blogger and Tasting Group Co-ordinator

Lynn Van Derlinde, Accredited Sommelier

Olivier Maisonneuve, Accredited Sommelier and Wine Blogger

Philippe Perreault, Full-Time Sommelier

Terry Jeans, National Capital Sommelier Guild

Missing, and very much missed, was Martha Kelly, Wine Expert, Rogers Daytime Television, WSET Certified Sommelier and Instructor, and full-time Sommelier, The Rideau Club.

Jennifer MacDonald, Wine Writer, Ottawa Citizen shares her favourite wine: Marcel Cabelier Chardonnay 2011, Arbois, Jura, France.

Click on the arrow above to watch a video of her review.

Matt Steeves, Wine Expert, CTV Morning Live shares his favourite wine: Cavas Hill 1887 Brut, Spain.

Meanwhile, I was testing out Twitter’s brand new live streaming video app … it launched just days ago, and it’s amazing!

As I wandered from room to room at the tasting, questions and comments came in from around the world in real-time. I could answer them and they could hear me: I’ve never felt so connected via another social media tool as this one.

Why not take the same principles that have made the ride sharing service, Uber, such a success and apply them to wine tasting?

Wines are still reviewed by professionals, but there’s a far stronger element of social sharing, technology-extended reach and consumer participation during the tasting, not just after it, with the reviews.

This beta app is only days old and that’s why I took a video of a video since they only archive for 24-hours … this will be powerful. As several remote participants said, it’s like being there with you guys!

Kristin Perrin, Examination Judge, Algonquin Sommelier Program, shares her favourite wine: Seghesio Zinfandel 2013, Sonoma County, California.

Monique Ippolito, Wine Writer, Ottawa Family Living Magazine, shares her favourite wine: Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand.

Tom Vigeant, Sommelier Program Director, La Cite Collegiale, shares his favourite wine: Château Bellevue La Forêt Rosé 2014, Fronton, Southwest A.C., France.

Doug McMillan, Wine Writer, Forever Young Magazine, shares his favourite wine: Benjamin Bridge Sparkling Nova 7 2013, Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia.

Jane Lefresne, Sommelier Student and Wine Blogger, shares her favourite wine: Charles & Charles Rosé 2014, Columbia Valley, Washington.

Craig Kuziemsky, University of Ottawa Management Professor and Wine Blogger, shares his favourite wine: Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State.

Astrid Young, Accredited Sommelier and Musician, shares her favourite wine: Gérard Bertrand Saint Chinian Syrah Mourvèdre 2011, Midi A.P., France.

Sean O’Regan, Director, National Capital Sommelier Guild, shares his favourite wine: Barefoot Cellars Moscato, California.

Philippe Perreault, Full-Time Sommelier, shares his favourite wine: Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir 2013, Marlborough, New Zealand.

Jane Staples @bellovinoj · Apr 11
@CalifWines_CA @NatalieMacLean

Natalie and I sample the Gloria Ferrer bubbly at California Wine Fair yesterday.

Jane Staples, Wine Writer, Windsor Star and Ottawa Wedding Magazine, like many of the team members, did triple duty over the past five days, attending the California Wine Fair above on Friday, the team tasting today, and tomorrow, we’ll all be together again for a lunch and team tasting with winemaker Laurie Hook of California’s Beringer Vineyards.

We kiss a lot of vinous frogs to find those wine princes for you ;)

Here’s a sampling of our Twitter stream that lit up all afternoon with live tweets of reviews as they were posted and then re-tweeted by others:

Yes, there were many more, but I’ll blog up this blog post if I add more ;)