As we hustle down the hallway of the hotel a warning is shouted at the masses, “Get on a bus NOW! THE BUSES ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE!!” The sense of urgency makes me feel like we are on a ship that just ran into an iceberg and we’ll be doomed if we don’t save ourselves by finding a way out.

The reality, however, is that we were among over 300 wine bloggers at the 2012 Wine Bloggers’ Conference in Portland, Oregon being whisked away by 7 buses to destinations ...