Harkening the words of wisdom spoken by my college Western Civilizations teacher, “What better way to approach the future than reflect on and understand the past?” In essence, by analyzing which of my articles garnered the most attention and engagement, I can better serve you, the reader, in 2013. Hey, it’s not ALL about ME!

Yes, this is yet another round up of articles but so what?!! For those of you who have not visited this site, perhaps you’ll follow the links, discover some interesting information, and go out and purchase a bottle (or two…) of wine! And for those of you who already frequent this site, welcome back and enjoy another taste! This weekend I reviewed my analytics (ad nauseum) and identified the eleven posts (yes, two were tied for the #10 spot) which not only had the most unique visitors but were interesting enough to those viewers to have spent the most time on each article. I guarantee that you’ll identify yourself with at least one of the “conclusions” I’m suggesting after you review the list!

*Clinks* and *Clicks* please!

10. Meet the Owner – My Lunchtime Chat with John Benish

10. Envolve Yourself and Enjoy the Epilogue, too

9. My Unexpected and Delightful Taste of Lebanon

8. A Healthy Dose of Wine and Friendship at Keswick Vineyards

7. Wines of Macedonia – Hedonism from the Gods

6. Wine in Economy Class *or* The Captain Has Turned on the Seatbelt Sign

5. A Smooth Mourvedre and Some Jazz with Watson’s Riddle Lead to Fantastic “Days Ahead”

4. Young and Cool – 2010 Stepping Stone by Cornerstone Pinot Noir

3. Meet the Chef – Patrick Cassata of The Bank Restaurant

2. Wine from Croatia in the House

1. Wine Blogs I Actually Read – and You Should, Too

So what can we (I) learn from this?

*Readers want to know the story about the winemakers, the chefs, and others who create. It’s not just about the wine (and food!) – it’s about the people who love it and take care of it…for us! Trust me, an article telling the story is one of my favorites to write!

*Wines from countries ”off the beaten path” so to speak are alluring to many of us since they are different from our mainstream, go-to areas for wine. Those from Lebanon, Croatia and Macedonia love reading about their wines (and I have two articles about wines from Greece coming soon!) and are advocates of their culture. But to be fair, readers across the world continue to learn from these articles.

*Surprisingly or maybe not so much since almost nothing has been written about the topic, there are people who are quite curious about wines in their airlines’ economy class!  Much has been written about wines in First and Business classes, so I’ll be updating this post in the future so fasten your seat belt (and let me know what you are drinking on your next trip..if you haven’t been upgraded!

*Wines from Virginia are still a hot topic and I plan to write more about their wines and wineries when I can.

*Pairing music with wine? Yes, please! My post highlighting those at Trio Vintners’ who worked with those in the jazz band, Watson’s Riddle, to create a stunning label was extremely popular. Not only was the content interesting to so many, the video of the band added an amazing jazz sound which made that Watsons Riddle Mourvedre sing! More videos either music or otherwise will be added this year.

*Ahhhh, the attention received from my number one article, Wine Blogs I Actually Read – and You Should, Too, indicates that people around the world are curious to learn as much as they can about wine and want to know what resources are available. There are other amazing wine blogs which I’ll highlight in an upcoming post (but don’t forget about mine!)!

Those who have been checking out www.grape-experiences.com want to read others’ perspectives, understand the story behind the label, and learn about the vast selection of wines of the world. I have also been informed that they (we) love to read tasting notes which aren’t complicated and find interesting wines which offer value for the money.

Yes, 2013 is around the corner and I’m excited to share more “grape experiences” with you all!  Savor 2012, but let’s swirl and sip some deliciousness in the New Year!

Cheers! ~ Cindy