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The combination of a phone conversation and romance is not a new concept. Lonely and curious people dialed 1-900 numbers for decades to chat with lusty, anonymous voices and couples separated by circumstance often resort to bawdy phone banter to keep the fires of intimacy a-burning.

But we're not talking about phone sex here, or drunk dialing for that matter. "Wine phone dates" are another form of social communication that don't require a hands-free device. Basically, a wine phone date is a planned telephone conversation between two people who intend to have an extended conversation and drink wine (or another beverage) during the call, making it more of a social event via telephone or Skype. It's almost like going out to the bar with a friend or a perspective boyfriend / girlfriend sans the tavern.

The concept originated from Internet dating culture. People in different cities talk via e-mail and, eventually, by phone to decide if they want to meet in person. To make it a little more of an event, alcohol is sometimes involved in the plan. Such was the case with Aaron and Lisa Fields, who met in 2004 on Match.com.

"I was still living in Boston and Lisa was here, and we would have 'dates' on Saturday nights where we would talk on the phone, drink the same wine and sometimes even watch the same movie," says Aaron. "Ah, the early days."

Beth Braun, a former Milwaukeean now living in Madison, got the idea of phone dates through Internet dating, but extended the concept to connect with her female friends living in different parts of the country.

"It makes sense now that I've moved away and have friends in different time zones and since most of us have busy lives and possibly children," says Braun. "And because when I want to talk with a girlfriend who I keep in touch with on the phone, I want each of us to have a comfortable zone to talk in."

Because it's potentially difficult for friends with busy lives to "catch" each other at a convenient time when both can have an extended phone chat to catch up on each other's lives, scheduling a phone date to chat with a beverage might make sense. Wine or beer phone dates make the call more of a social event, an alternative to going out to a bar and a way to stay in touch with friends who have moved away.

Braun says she sets up the exact day and time with the friend via e-mail -- this could be done via texting as well -- usually a couple of days in advance.

"Lately, I've had to bail on a couple due to being too tired to stay up and talk or by having a last minute conflict, but at least you're not inconveniencing people too much," she says.

The Fields say that long phone conversations were the foundation of their early relationship, and that including alcoholic beverages served as conversation lubricants, just like they do in face-to-face settings.

"Whether I am on the phone or talking in person, expressing feelings is a lot easier for me when a little alcohol is involved," says Aaron.