Is BWE II reaching escape velocity? The 100 club

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 1:58 am

BWE has always been my favourite wine forum...I have been participating for just over nine years, and without trying to sound fake it has become an important part of my life. In the morning I often check BWE before I check my gmail. My only gripe has been that sometimes its gets very s-l-o-o-o-o-w...and partly for that reason I registered on another UK-based site with a lot more traffic. But I am increasingly turned off by that site...it is cliquey and frankly hostile to Americans who try and gain traction there. A lot of Americans try to set up home there after the exodus from eBoB but they basically got frozen out. These were the guys who got kicked off eBoB long after I was kicked off for calling Squires a coward. But I get the sense that this site may be reaching escape velocity now, with a lot more interesting and varied posts...lets keep posting and get the volume up!

The 100 Club

BWE II posts since inception:

JimHow 2572
DavidG 1446
stefan 939
Houndsong 635
Blanquito 550
CFdB 530
Chasse Spleen 511
Jacques 417
Jay 415
Alex 403
Rick 356
Nic 349
William P 321
Ramon 318
Tom 290
Richard Sussex 257
Danny 245
Michael M 219
Pappadoc 204
JonB 181
Jono 161
RDD 150
Claudius 144
Michael P 131
SDR 126
Steve H 126
Alchemeus 119
Chateauneuf- Harry 113

If I missed anyone my apologies it was not a deliberate snub

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 4:41 am

Amen!

AlexR · Post by **AlexR** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:49 am

Patrick,

Good post. I agree that there are times when the board is rather slow.

You wrote:
"and partly for that reason I registered on another UK-based site with a lot more traffic. But I am increasingly turned off by that site...it is cliquey and frankly hostile to Americans who try and gain traction there".

Please tell us which site that is? I am a regular contributor to Tom Cannavan's "Wine Pages" http://www.wine-pages.com/cgi-bin2/ulti ... aysPrune=0
and have never had a feeling of rejection.
In fact, that forum shares with BWE a very civilized and polite atmosphere with arguments and scandals few and far between.

A Web site's popularity is due to:
- successful positioning on search engines
- promotion via other sites
- advertising of one kind or another
- word of mouth

BWE is a comfy kind of place. As far as I know, it is the only Internet forum specializing in Bordeaux. Anywhere.
Yes, it is surprising that there are not more members.
I think cross-posting might help, as well as a targeted post on Wine Berserkers.

One of the problems I encounter is that I tend to think of posting only about wines people have heard of or can readily find, and often leave out the more modest wines.
This weekend, for instance, I had 2006 Villa Bel Air (Graves blanc), 2005 Ch. Cruzeau (Pessac Léognan) and 2000 Ch. Haut Corbin (St. Emilion GCC). All of these were good, none stellar, so I just omitted posting.
Maybe I should have…

All the best,
Alex

JonoB · Post by **JonoB** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:26 am

I think the key is to just post... We can see people are reading and that creates an atmosphere. I know which site Ian is talking about and I think Alex you do to... There can seem a clique-ness but meeting the people in person removes all those guises. It is very easy to hide behind a computer screen. I like this board and I hope it roes pick up more traffic and it is a great place to discuss Bordeaux which surprisingly isnt discussed enough but simply taken as is. I think it is good to discuss other wines as well, bigger or smaller and this will only get more people on the board through searching and maybe then more people will understand a little bit more about Bordeaux rather tuan just assumig that if HWSRN gives a high score = great and if not = awful:.. Which can only be a good thing: and in order to get more traffic, I put a link on my blog but what that means in terms of posts is anyone's guess!

jal · Post by **jal** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 1:25 pm

Number of posts??

jal · Post by **jal** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 1:25 pm

I have to increase my number of posts?

jal · Post by **jal** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 1:26 pm

How do I do that?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 3:20 pm

Uh-oh; has Ian started a posting competition? With anyone else, I would assume that this is an unintended consequence, but this is Ian....

JonB · Post by **JonB** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:32 am

by jal on Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:26 am

How do I do that?
-----------------------

I takes a lot of thought (or spontaneity), but you can turn a tasting note into thoughts on economics, philosophy, politics, sports, weather (including barometric pressure), music, what's happening, currant events, and current events, among other topics, and really rack up the points!!

JonB · Post by **JonB** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:33 am

Sorry.....really rack up the posts.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:44 am

So do I have to post about the 2007 Girardin Macon-Fuisse I am now drinking? It is quite nice if a bit too acidic, and it complemented well Lucie's grilled flounder. There is enough lemon in the Macon that I skipped squeezing any on the flounder, and the wine already has some herbal notes.

Still, a note on BWE on a Macon-Fuisse?!?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:45 am

But I made a note anyway.

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:06 am

Whatever, Stefan, I'm up to 423 posts!

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:07 am

424!! Watch out pal. I'm catching up!

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:10 am

Jono, you are so far behind I can barely see you, are you over 200 posts yet? Ha! 425!

Houndsong · Post by **Houndsong** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:11 am

Jacques I see what you did there.

jal · Post by **jal** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:18 am

I'll catch up to you by year end, Hound! Watch out buddy! And Chasse, Ian, and Patrick, feh! No competition! I will be the poster king!

I think this 2000 Beausejour Duffau is affecting me in more ways than one...

Wathever! 426!

JonoB · Post by **JonoB** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 4:34 am

I'll get there Jacques, I'll get there, don't you worry...

RDD · Post by **RDD** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:44 pm

I'm the worst at posting.
Been busy but will try to add to the momentum.
When I was doing te MS ride I heard the all nature.
In the process I stumbled across a native Muscadine vine.
Nice big blck skinned grapes.
To at you pop the fruit out of the skin into your mouth.
A great lesson in what "foxiness" means.
Some locals attempt to make a VERY rustic wine from this.
The bronze clolored ons are refrred to as scuppernong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscadine

So NC has been in the wine business since the 1600's. Neck and neck with Haut Brion. HAHAHA

Houndsong · Post by **Houndsong** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 6:51 pm

I've had some reds made by reputable vineyards in VA that use native grape varieties and I'm not keen on the foxiness.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:32 pm

Just one word, baby:
Two-Thousand-Five-Hundred-and-Seventy-Eight....

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 8:57 pm

But Jim,

how many were useless?

This one I have just made count for one, but is useless...

Nic

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:56 pm

I like your posts Nic.

Then again, you know what, I appreciate everyone who posts here...!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:02 pm

And I really mean that.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:03 pm

I really do.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 11:17 pm

And how, How!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 11:29 pm

Oh yeah!

jal · Post by **jal** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:28 am

Oh no!

jal · Post by **jal** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:28 am

No fair!

jal · Post by **jal** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:29 am

No fair I say!

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:38 am

I like your posts too, Jacques.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:38 am

I really do.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:16 am

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:16 am

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:16 am

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:17 am

(space)

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:17 am

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:17 am

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:17 am

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 3:18 am