I lead a priviledged life and I know it. I get invited to some of the best tables to experience great food and drink great wine. I also meet interesting people through Women & Wine http://womenwine.com and our weekly radio show http://womenandwineradio.com both in person and over the phone.
I know that I'm a lucky gal. And I know I have a great responsibility to convey these experiences so that I don't come across as a spoiled brat but rather your connection to a world that's very sensory (ok, so twittersmells is being developed and will be released sometime soon).
But seriously, yesterday I had the good fortune to participate in a conference of food bloggers sponsored by the new site Foodista - @foodista - in Seattle. My role was to speak tothe issue of finding your voice on the web. I spoke of things like relevance and reliabilitly - but also of responsibility. Do we convey these experiences in a way that makes our readers love us, despise us, envy us - think that we're just gluttonous jerks?
I hope not. And especially in this economy when so many people are cutting back on those special restaurant nights or vacations to exotic places.
I feel that I have an enormous task - to find a balance that will engage the reader and inspire them to try to bring the experience home or add it to their "wish list" of things to do next.
I'm asked to 'breathe life' into the stories and make them my own.
And that's why the new Women & Wine site is so unique. It allows you to contribute your personal passions, places and experiences (and photos and videos too) to a continuing conversation about things we love, places we've been, memorable moments.
You don't have to have your own blog - you can just have taken a sip of a varietal for the first time. No one's asking for a credential more than your own experience in your own words. And we let you use more than 140 characters.
Food, wine and travel are the universal language. Share yours today and become an Ambassador to the World.
Tried something new in the farmer's market? Or just come back from a place that you loved? I hope you'll post it at http://womenwine.com.
Follow me on twitter @womenwine. Listen to our Women & Wine Radio show on Sundays at 10 a.m. on CRNTalk.com and get the RSS feed from http://womenandwineradio.com
