Wine/Drinks Web Consumer Consortium (WWCC)--a wacky idea?

[*sweetstuff]

Dear Roy et al.:

Here's a model or an idea that I think might go far toward encouraging financial participation on the part of frequent users of high-quality noncommercial consumer-oriented wine or drinks websites such as yours.

Can you think other sites that have or had a similar philosophy to yours? For instance, I remember Riesling Report, and what about Burgundy like Burghound), Italian wine, Bordeaux, general sites like Garr's or Squires's, Claude Kolm, Alsace; Germany like Wein-plus; beer/liquor, wine/food, wine travel, and so forth. Possibly even stuff in other languages where appropriate. They'd have to have similar philosophiles and similar high standards to what you are doing here already. Plus be ready to go your value-added route, which not all would probably do, but perhaps some are already or would. These names are thrown out without judgment as to appropriateness simply as examples.

What about a one-price consortium, payment of one fee bringing availability for premium features of all of them, payable on a monthly basis. When you'd offer a subscription for $x, you could also offer a subscription to the consortium for $x plus $y, in monthly installments, thus saving considerable monies for consumers like me who have multiple or broad interests. I think this could be done for perhaps $20-25 per month, well within the budget of those who buy fine wine for their own consumption. There might be participation, too, under conditions, for ITB folks, as happens now.

Emphasis would be on limited or no advertising support, or advertising support only under strict standards.

Yes, this might give a slightly lower revenue per viewer but would have the advantage of inviting participation from a much broader audience. Has anything like this ever been considered to your knowlege? You don't have to breach confidences and answer this if it wouldn't be desirable, but a pm would be appreciated in that case.