Going on a great (and geeky) wine adventure

Beautiful vineyards. World-class wines. Fantastic vino experience.

None of these things really excited me all that much when I first arrived in Australia. Okay, maybe the scenic aspect of wineries held some attraction. But being a non-drinker, going to the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, or Clare Valley for wine tasting trips and such just wasn't high on my agenda.

Of course, you can't be surrounded by all these local wonders and never visit them. Try a sip of white, red or rose. Some of my colleagues and friends even made it their mission to make sure that I get educated in the language of wines.

Office get-togethers, lunches, parties and other special events became moments when I try a sip here and there to discover something that I might like – not necessarily to get intoxicated,  but simply to find a drink that I can enjoy socially. Admittedly though, I found out that my virtual inexperience with drinking meant it was inevitable that I had a low alcohol threshold. So it doesn't take much to get past that threshold!

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation to take part in a mobile application launch from Tourism SA.

Well, what can I say? Local travel plus geeky goodness just sound fabulous to me.

Then I realized later on that the mobile web application was mostly a way to promote South Australia's wine industry. As a geek-meets-community event, I remained keen and curious. Besides, what better way to get educated, right?

So, that's how I ended up in this amazing thing called the Great South Australian Wine Adventure.

What did I love about the whole experience?

1) The fantastic community atmosphere during the event. Of course, it helped that I already know some of the people at the event through the local social media circle that I am a part of. So it was great meeting online friends for the first time in person and catching up with other contacts and friends. And yes, even though it was just the event that brought us together, some of us continue to communicate with each other.

2) Witnessing how local community is now embracing social media. For someone who's been blogging long before the term “blog” was even invented, I am stoked to see how far we've come in using social media tools. I love that apps are now being developed for local tourism. I was fascinated to see how people have taken to hash tagging, geo-mapping and more. It was quite an interesting experience, tweeting and checking in together, as we chatted in the mini buses, getting driven for wine tasting from one vineyard to another.

3) Watching how digital and traditional media worked together. In one of our stops, we saw a local TV broadcaster doing her usual news segment for that day. The Great SA Wine Adventure event was mentioned, and the next day, there were some mentions of the event in the news as well. Of course, many social media folks involved in the event have promoted those mentions.

4) Discovering the beauty of the Adelaide Hills area. Although I have been to the Hills before, I have to admit that I have never gone so far as to explore that part of the Hills. I immediately realized the error of that oversight. The vineyards were amazing. The views were spectacular. So thanks to this trip, I am intending to go back and explore the area some more.

5) Finally finding a wine experience that I actually loved. Whenever I try to take sips of wine in the past, there was always that initial shiver, that first-time twinge. Finishing a glass would be too much trouble. However, after getting acquainted with some wines through this event, I was surprised to find myself actually tasting something that went down quite smoothly. It was a momentous occasion that turned me around. And yes, I also loved learning about the right mix of cheese and chocolates with vino.

Needless to say, my first-ever geeky wine adventure had been a blast on many levels. That's why traveling around wine regions will never be the same again for me.

Photos published under CC license from SA Tourism - http://www.flickr.com/photos/55989250@N02/