Image by Jaxon Photo.

When the Consorzio dei Vini d’Abruzzo asked me to organize a December wine dinner in Atlanta, the challenges seemed formidable.

It’s hard enough to get a group of wine professionals together during “OND” — October, November, December, as we say in winespeak, when more than 50 percent of all wines are sold.

But the greater mountain to climb, at least for me, was that Atlanta is a market where I’ve spent next to zero time over the course of my career. I’d been there for this or that in-and-out speaking gig. But I had never taken that deep dive into the wine professional community there.

So, I rolled up my sleeves a few weeks ago and began reaching out to people individually on social media.

Before long, what started as a drip became a stream of rsvps from some of the coolest people working in wine in the U.S.

By Monday of this week, we had a waiting list 10 persons deep!

I can’t thank the Atlanta wine community enough for the warm welcome.

And I believe my experience is a reminder that U.S. and European winemakers and wine marketers need to look beyond the usual suspects when it comes to destination cities for their campaigns.

Luckily for me, the Abruzzo wine growers association is among those groups who have recognized how important these markets are. And more significantly, they have understood that these wine communities are among the most vibrant and energized in the country.

I’m feeling so blessed to do what I do for a living. And I’d like to give a heartfelt shoutout to Sarah Pierre of 3 Parks Wine for encouraging her staff and colleagues to join our event; Tahiirah Habibi for being one of the most inspiring members of our greater U.S. wine community; my good friend Gina Christman who recommended the venue and also generously helped with outreach; and Chef Marco Betti for giving me a night in his private dining room at Antica Posta during the busiest time of the season. Thank you!

Stayed tuned: the Abruzzo tour is coming to Mama Oakland next Monday. We already have a deep waiting list for that event. But please hit me up if you’d like to attend (there are always last-minute cancellations).