Big Fat Wine

My brother and his wife invited us out to celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary at Chopstix in Tacoma, WA. Since it is located near Cork (one of our favourite wine bars) and Jazzbones on 6th Avenue, we knew right where it was located.

Given its close proximity to Cork, I probably never would have ventured inside,  expecting  just a mellow candle lit place to listen to Burt Bacharach (not that there’s anything wrong with that). What a fun place to bring your friends and family! I am still astonished at how packed this place was at midnight and happy to hear they actually stay open until 2am on Saturday night. Admittedly, we were not raising our hands to volunteer our talents upfront, but if you bring an open mind, some drink money and a few crazy friends, you won’t be disappointed. They played a variety of tunes from Bon Jovi to Neil Diamond and yes, even some Beastie Boys. The food was not inexpensive but fairly priced. I had the “New York State of Mind” and the rest had the “Seafood Mornay”. Great tasting dinner but the portions left us wanting more. Perhaps that is best considering our “American Style” appetites. The waitstaff was very friendly and instictively knew when we wanted attention.

Not being a wine-centric bar, I was not expecting much, but one of the house reds was really enjoyable. The Sycamore Lane Cabernet is a foodservice-only wine made by the Trinchero Family Estates in California. An enticing aroma of red cherries and vanilla with herbal tones really enhanced everything we had for dinner. It was medium bodied with light tannins and well balanced. We were pleasantly surprised and thirsty! Luckily, we didn’t partake in more than a few glasses, otherwise we would have been up on the piano strutting to “Blue Suede Shoes” or something equally revealing! Maybe next time.

Chopstix – Tacoma
2702 6th Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98406

253.627.7555
tacomainfo@chopstixpianobar.com

General Manager – Jasmine Baker

Here is just a sample of what you can expect at Chopstix in Tacoma!

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Wine and Social Media

If you spend time researching wine varietals, reading about wine travels or simply investigating reviews on local wine bars, you will inevitably discover the massive communications media used today in discussing the wine lifestyle. Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and videos. It is everywhere you look and has been increasing in popularity daily.

Wine is a social beverage. It’s more than what’s in the glass. The entire experience can be complex yet socially enlightening.

This may be why, according to a new study from the research company Lift9,  700,000 people watch wine-related videos each month. There are over 7,000 wine tweets per day, and over 1,300 bloggers focusing on wine. And the wine experience has become mobile, with more than 300 iPhone apps.

Below are data collected by Lift9 involving the top clicks in social media and how each tool is used;

Most-watched Wine Videos

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most-watched online videos are not educational, but entertainment-oriented.

1. Wine in an upside down glass trick
2. Drink to your health
3. Borat’s guide to wine tasting

Top Wine Blogs (measured by frequency in audience interaction over the previous 3 months)

Wine can be intimidating and rather than approaching a snobby store clerk, social media is a great place to interract and get information.

1. Wine Library TV
2. 1 Wine Dude
3. DRINKnectar

Top Wine Tweeters (measured by number of followers)

In the 140-character world of Twitter, what brings in the followers is equal parts relevance and entertainment. The top Tweeters also are the ones who also take time to respond to followers.
1. @Jancisrobinson
2. @winetwits
3. @garyvee

Top Facebook Fan Pages (measured by number of fans/friends)

Note that all three are wineries, not wine critics or personalities. “Engagement” is what differentiates these three from the rest. There’s a lot of activity, both from the vineyard and the fans, talking about their experience, sharing it. There’s images, videos, even events for customers and fans, giving them a reason to return and participate.
1. Barefoot Wine & Bubbly
2. Due vigne di familia
3. Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Provisions

Most-searched Wine Terms

Screening out the most obvious terms (“wine,” “alcohol,” etc.), the wine terms most often searched on the Internet are:
1. Champagne
2. Red wine
3. Cabernet
4. Cellars
5. Pinot
6. Vineyard
7. White wine
8. Merlot
9. Sauvignon

And. . . Social Media at Big Fat Wine

Here at BigFatWine we’ve fully embraced social media in its myriad forms. We have been blogging; sharing videos, discussion topics and event notifications are posed regularly on our official facebook page. We’re getting bigger and fatter every day so come join the fun.

Whatever your preferred social media platform, we are actively promoting the wine lifestyle!

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