2012 in Review

Each year, I keep slowing down a little and being less inspired to write on this blog, and yet each year, my readership climbs. I’m into my third year of blogging now. To date, I have posted 455 times counting this post, and I have gotten over 47,000 views, which is double what I had last year. I’m guessing that is about 70 views a day.

This year, I had a new busiest day on October 30, 2012, which wasn’t even a day I posted. They were mostly reading the homepage for that day, My Italian Apple Grinder,  and Apple Ripeness Test.  The previous one day record was set in 2011 regarding liquor sales laws here in in Washington.

The most read posts in 2012, not including the homepage, were:

1. Pears in Alcohol
2. Cold Crashing Explained
3. My (pathetic) Apple Grinder that I retired after just a few grindings.
4. New to the top 10list is Types of Cider Apples.
5.  My (wonderful) Italian Apple Grinder that I will probably cry over when it breaks down on me.
6. Also new to the top 10 list is a blog on Apple Brandy.
7. My Eco-Lawn
8. Making Wine with Whey
9. New to the list, but from 2011, is a blog on Whipped Cream with Alcohol.
10. Air is the Enemy
11. (a close 11^th place) Building an Apple Press

Here are the all-time top 10 most viewed posts I have written (this does not include homepage hits and scrolling through my blog though multiple posts):

1. Pears in Alcohol
2. Cold Crashing Explained  (up from #6 last year)
3. My (pathetic) Apple Grinder  (up from #8)
4. My (wonderful) Italian Apple Grinder  (up from #9)
5. About the Candle Wine Project (down from #3)
6. Making Wine with Whey (down one spot)
7. Types of Cider Apples (new to the top 10 list)
8. My Eco-Lawn (down one spot)
9. Building an Apple Press (up one spot)
10. Apple Brandy (new to the top 10 list)

Since Washington State now has liquor in grocery stores, my commentary on Initiatives 1100 & 1105 is no longer drawing readers. It went from #2 last year to #14 this year, and I don’t expect it to even be in the top 30 next year.  Also, new people reading about JK Scrumpy has slowed from #4 last year to #11 this year. Maybe with the surge of cider drinkers, everyone has had it now and don’t need my review so much anymore.

This fall, I slowed down on writing, but I think it was a good break, as this Christmas, I have had a few things to inspire me to write about in 2013. My personal life has not quite where I need it to be to actually get a cidery off of the ground despite the market being red hot. What I need to do is brush off my business plan and see what investors I can find. Admittedly, I’m not doing fruit wines so much. I dabble in it when I have them, but I’ve really swung my focus to cider, enough to ponder a name change.

Further reading: 2011 in Review