Congratulations to members on 12th anniversary of BWE!

[JimHow]

Twelve years ago this morning, at 10:56 a.m. on February 26, 2000, I created Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts on an old MSN website. I had zero expectations that anything would come of it. It took me less than ten minutes to create the site. I sent an email to a young wine enthusiast from Indianapolis who had been posting his notes over on the old Wine Spectator website. His name was Ben "Whuzzup__" Nelson. Less than an hour later, he posted his first message on the site. We invited people to join us from the WS site. Within 48 hours, we had upwards of twenty members.... And we've never looked back since! People have come and gone, the world has changed in ways unimaginable on that Saturday morning twelve years ago. But BWE has survived through it all, an important part our lives. It is amazing to think about all the things we have done during those 12 years, all the friendships created, the places we've been, the memories that will last a lifetime. A remarkable story, really. A humble thank you and congratulations to everyone who has participated on BWE over the years. I look forward to your friendship for many more years to come on the best wine web site in the world! Sincerely, JimHow.

[tim]

Happy Anniversary Jim and all! Quite a fantastic thing that it is still going strong after all these years!

[Bacchus]

Congratulations, Jim and all BWEs, from a relative newcomer to the forum. I've enjoyed reading some of the older threads and look forward to future postings.

And just to help you feel good about your day: http://www.politicususa.com/en/obama-win-2012

[JCNorthway]

It's been an enjoyable 12 years of reading, posting, and meeting people in person. I sometimes try to describe this site and the experience to others - it's hard to explain.

[Ramon_NYC]

Congratulations.
Looking forward to the next 12.

[stefan]

Happy Birthday, BWE; many happy returns.

[DavidG]

Congratulatons, Jim, on your creation's success. It's been a rewarding 12 years. Looking forward to many more.

[JonB]

Congratulations....lots of good times, a lot of wisdom and shared experiences, too much enablement, and now worldwide offlines.

[William P]

Happy 12th bday. What always amazes be is the great people I've might through BWE and the conventions.

[dstgolf]

Thanks to everyone who has made this site part of my/our life. Many fond memories and friendships made.

Thanks Jim for making it possible.

Danny

PS Nice to have a safe drive home after a miserable snow storm Fri/Sat hitting East Quebec hard.

[Houndsong]

Where has the time gone? And I'm only talking like ~9 years. BWE = Big Waste of Entropy (or something like that). Well, what's a little Entropy among friends. Thanks, Jim.

[Nicklasss]

Congratulations to all BWEers that made a success of BWE, in the last 12 years.

May BWE continue for a long time!

Nic

[Michael Malinoski]

I still remember that it was a discussion about Jim's bottle of 1918 Haut Brion that he was planning to open in honor of the Red Sox' World Championship season in 2004 that got me off the lurker bandwagon and into posting on the forum. Glad for that.

Michael

[Houndsong]

That's probably the only legit bottle of 1918 HB left outside the chateau.

[JimHow]

I too often wonder why we've had success, why the dynamic here does indeed seem different from other wine sites. Sometimes I wonder if it is the result of having been born in the spirit of revolution, as we left the big corporate shores of Wine Spectator for the unknowns of the Internet. I clearly remember that within 24 hours after the genesis of BWE, we knew we had created something special, something revolutionary. Without doubt, the face to face meetings at conventions and offlines has played a role. In the end, we have adhered to a simple rule that has served us well through the years: BWE is not about the wines, it is about the people.

Viva BWE!

[odejesus]

Congratulations to all.
Keep the good work.
Now, there's a lot to talk about 2009's
A very happy 12 years of reading and one convention attended.
Orlando

[JimHow]

It was great to meet you in SF, Orlando, we'll have to do it again1