Wine industry has a new trade-only discussion forum: Cellar Rats

PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 07, 2008 – The wine industry has a new trade-only discussion forum: Cellar Rats.

Cellar Rats (http://cellarrats.proboards91.com/index.cgi#general) is a new online discussion forum created specifically for the wine industry. The forum is dedicated to giving everyone in the wine trade a place for open discussion. Membership is free and open to everyone—professional affiliation is not required.

“It’s a place where industry people can address concerns and issues of interest to industry participants,” says founder Mary Baker of Dover Canyon Winery in Paso Robles, California. “Membership is open to everyone, but the forum is designed to keep the focus on trade-level discussion.”

Sub-forums include:

In the Cellar: Harvest, Vintage and Cellar Activities
The Front Line: Retail, Restaurants and Wine Marketing
Wine Reviews and Discussion
Upcoming Events and Offlines
What’s Cookin’: Food and wine, grilling and crushpad recipes
New Releases and Seasonal Shipments

Baker points out that Cellar Rats is a place where industry participants can discuss cellar trends and new methods, wine club and point-of-sale software, marketing ideas, and other topics that would not be appropriate for a consumer wine board. One such topic is Wine Grape Marketing (http://cellarrats.proboards91.com/index.cgi?board=cellar ...), which provides ten strategic tips for helping winegrowers successfully market their grapes. Baker also plans to invite special guests and host a weekly live chat session.

Other existing wine forums are primarily based on consumer interests, and professional discussions are often out of place or unwelcome, says Baker. “I enjoy participating on consumer wine boards,” says Baker, “but sometimes it’s fun to just chat back and forth with others who have an industry perspective.”

Industry affiliation is not required to participate. “I think it’s important for those in the business to hear from fans and consumers as well,” says Baker. But Cellar Rats will not offer the social sections, fan threads and beginner’s topics commonly found on consumer-based boards. “Even our member wine reviews should be focused more on wine trends than on compiling a library of individual tasting notes.”

Moderation will be firm but friendly, says Baker, who is a veteran wine forum host. Free registration is required to begin new threads and participate in existing threads. Membership signatures may include professional affiliations and links to the member’s website.

Not all the discussion threads are entirely serious. “We have a thread on rattlesnake recipes,” says Baker, “but I’ve had some trouble getting my hands on one to try them out.”

“We want everyone in the industry to feel comfortable in this forum, and to engage in enlightening discussions,” says Baker.

Questions and comments may be directed to Mary Baker at wwcb@tcsn.net

http://cellarrats.proboards91.com/index.cgi#general