The six-month dream job of Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent at Murphy-Goode Winery has been blowing up the blogosphere. $10,000 per month to live at the winery in Sonoma Valley, write, and ride the social media wave. It's a sweet gig for whoever gets it.
And I threw my glass into the ring.
Initially, I learned about the opportunity from my father-in-law who lives 9,167 miles from home, in Australia. Hell, if there's ever been an example of social networking efficacy, it's this one. He exclaimed through a Facebook post: "This is something you should consider!" I smiled to myself, then laughed it off.
At the Loaf offices the next day, the news was everywhere. This was groundbreaking (at least for wine geeks). Traditionally, the wine industry hasn't been a stewpot of cutting-edge marketing, and the urge to blog about this overtook me. Post-blog, one friend commented on Facebook, "I can't believe you're spreading the word about this… you'd be perfect for that job." After four others shared similar sentiments, I listened.
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2009.