Happy birthday, Wine Curmudgeon

We celebrate our first birthday here on the blog on Nov. 16. Since that’s a Sunday, when I don’t post, I thought I’d commence the activities today. Of course, the gang will be at Wine Curmudgeon world headquarters this weekend for the big blowout, where we'll be popping Cristalino, sharing bottles of Bogle and Solaz, and passing around all the Gascogne wine we can drink.

Thank you for participating. This has been tremendous fun for me, much more than I thought it would be. I started the blog a year ago for several reasons, none of which involved having a good time. (That I was wrong isn’t a big surprise, is it?)

The blog has allowed me to write about a topic I like, learn even more about wine, and meet people I would not have met otherwise. Plus, I get to fight the good fight – for regional wine, against scores, and for a sensible, level-headed approach to wine.

Blog readership has grown 500 percent in the first year, which means a bunch of people must appreciate what I’m saying. Which is kind of humbling.

What’s in store for the rest of 2008 and 2009? Logistically, I added the promised search widget (halfway down the left-hand side), and you’ll probably see some ads in the next several months. The ads are more of an experiment than anything else, and not necessarily because they’ll make me any money. I’m more interested in how the Internet is going to generate revenue as it continues to evolve, and how ads work here will give me an insight I wouldn’t otherwise have.

Editorially, you liked wine reviews, and red wine reviews in particular. I’ll continue to insist that wine should be fun, and that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy it. If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, let me know – either in the comments or via email, using the contact link on the right-hand top of the blog.

And what did you enjoy reading over the past year? These were the top 10 posts:

1. The $10 wine Hall of Fame. This isn’t surprising, of course. Whenever I talk to people about wine, the first question they always ask: “Can you recommend any good, cheap wine?”

2. The legendary Tormaresca Neprica review, which included a comment from a desperate visitor asking where the wine could be found. Not many places, sadly.

3. The Yellow & Blue malbec review. Not necessarily a surprise, since I had a feeling how popular the wine was.

4. The Wine Trials. I’d like to think I did my part in the book’s effort to tell the world about good, cheap wine.

5. Barefoot wines. Yes, Mr. C., the fifth-most read post. (He’ll know who he is.)

6. Three Texas wines, part of our DrinkLocalWine.com effort. I’ll have more of this in 2009.

7. The visitor’s guide. Note to Mainstream Media: Make your web sites easy to use, or people won’t use them.

8. Hey Mambo review. Another red wine, which makes me wonder if anyone who visits here drinks white wine.

9. Avalon cabernet review. One of the best inexpensive red wines in the world.

10. Peirano petite sirah review. I was glad to see this, since Peirano makes fine wine at fair prices.

Technorati Tags: Wine Curmudgeon,cheap wine,$10 wine,one-year anniversary

Comments

[Dave McIntyre]

Congratulations, Jeff! I have enjoyed your posts over the past year, including your curmudgeonly outlook on wine and the wine industry. Although Cristallino is great cava, you deserve to splurge once in awhile!

I have especially enjoyed collaborating with you on DrinkLocalWine.com and getting out the message that local wines are more than a novelty. Except Norton, of course.

Keep up the good work!
Dave

[Web]

Congratulations! I have learned a lot about individual wines and about wine as a subject from reading your blog.

Here's a question for you: is the 20% or so improvement in the dollar-to-euro exchange rate going to translate into cheaper shelf prices for European wines in the US?

i.e. is Vitiano going to go back below $10?

[Jeff Siegel]

Thank you for the kind words. And yes, the stronger dollar (plus cheaper oil) should help prices quite a bit. But we probably won't see any improvement until early next year, as the current inventory works its way through the supply chain.