Can high tech tools affect the low tech countryside?

I’ve been reading about some of the cool stuff going on at Where 2.0, but I’ve got this funny feeling in the back of my head that Where 2.0 might be forgetting the farmers.

Sorry, there are no popular events in your area

That screenshot from Upcoming makes me so freaking sad.  “Sorry, there are no popular events in your area!”  I even lied about my area and made it the biggest city near here.  🙁   Which brings up another problem.  If web services don’t cater to rural areas, countries that are predominantly rural (eg France and Spain) might experience stalled adoption rates, even in moderately sized cities.

For those who have no idea what “where 2.0” is about: the Internet is getting really interested in location location location.

YouTube, Twitter, and the usual suspects all want to know if you’ll please enter geographical data along with every new upload.  Sites like Gowalla and Foursquare are putting big money on geographic location-based gadgets.  And for a while, sites have been finding ways to get people away from the desktop and into the street to meet up for flashmobs, dance parties and massive group discounts.

But these sites have largely focused on big metropolitan areas.  And that’s understandable.  These are businesses and they figure the easiest way to get clients is to focus on places with high adoption rates and a big potential consumer base.  Not a lot of winemakers prune with their iPhone handy waiting to hear about a discount on designer jeans.

And I’m wondering if California winemakers are going to be reaping the profits of proximity to major tech hubs like San Fran while poor old Languedoc hangs high and dry.

Is it part of our job as winemakers in a rural area to assess the current Internet landscape and retool some of the services out their to serve our needs?  I’m working on this idea and I’ll keep coming back to it.  For sure, there are ways that social media can sell wine like when Twitter-ers bid on wine at a Toques et Clochers auction in rural France.  But we might have to actively study these examples if we want to replicate their success.

How to find us

Domaine O’Vineyards, located in the North Arrondissement of Carcassonne, is just minutes from the Carcassonne train station, the Medieval City, and the Carcassonne Airport.
GPS coordinates: 43.259622, 2.340387

O’Vineyards
Wine, Dine, Relax at our Boutique Vineyard
Unique thing to do in Carcassonne
Wine Cellar. Winery Visits. Wine Tasting.
Wine & Food Pairing

North Arrondissement of Carcassonne
885 Avenue de la Montagne Noire
11620 Villemoustaussou, France
Tel: +33(0) 630 189 910

  1. Best by GPS.
    Follow the signs to Mazamet/ Villemoustaussou using the D118. At the end of the last straight part of D118, you will come to a roundabout with the Dyneff gas station.
  2. Take the exit towards Pennautier. Continue 500m to a small roundabout and go straight over.
  3. Look out for the second road on your right, Avenue des Cévennes which curves up hill (about 1km) to Avenue de la Montagne Noire on the left.
  4. At the last juction, bear left. the road sign “Ave de la Montagne Noire” (confusing as it seems to show a right turn)
  5. After another 500m you will see our red brick color building in the middle of the vines.
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