Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/987926
10 WINES&VINES June 2018 A member of Wine Communications Group Inc. President & Publisher Chet Klingensmith Chairman Hugh Tietjen Publishing Consultant Ken Koppel Associate Publisher Tina Vierra Publishing Assistant Ian Fadden EDITORIAL Editor Andrew Adams Editor at Large Jim Gordon Staff Writer Stacy Briscoe Northwest Correspondent Peter Mitham Columnists Andy Starr, Cliff Ohmart and Glenn T. McGourty Contributing Writers Laurie Daniel, Richard Smart, Richard Carey, Jaime Lewis, Chris Stamp, Andrew Reynolds, Ray Pompilio and Fritz Westover Practical Winery & Vineyard (PWV) Editor Don Neel Wine East Editor Linda Jones McKee DESIGN & PRODUCTION Graphic Designer Rebecca Arnn DATABASE DEVELOPMENT – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Vice President — Data Management Lynne Skinner Project Manager Liesl Stevenson Database & Web Development James Rust, Peter Scarborough Research Assistant Sara Jennings EDITOR'S LETTER IT IS A GREAT HONOR and privilege to write my first Editor's Letter for Wines & Vines magazine, having been promoted to the editor post in April. I am following in the immensely qualified foot- steps of Jim Gordon, who we are lucky to still have writing for us in the role of editor at large. I've been with the magazine since 2011 and before that worked in the cellar and lab of Star- mont winery in Napa, Calif. Prior to my time in wine production, I was an ink-stained reporter and editor in the grinding world of daily newspapers. During my stint in the newspaper industry (which I left during its free fall in the 2009 recession) I was lucky to have only worked for small, family owned publications. All of these papers had the same commitment to local, community journal- ism to serve their subscribers. Some may perceive working for a trade publica- tion as a departure from that type of journalism, but I see it differently. Just a few months ago, I was in a Napa city park idly watching my toddler son scramble on the play structure and I happened to catch snippets of con- versation among the parents around me. More than half of them were talking about the wine business, from discussing varying barrel stacking methods for caves, bottling runs or the next sales trip. I imagine it's a common experience for anyone living in Napa, Santa Rosa or any other wine country town, where there are only a few degrees of separation from the wine business. This business is something more than just a paycheck for the people living in those communi- ties and working in wine. That was clear in how our communities have rallied in the months since the devastating fires of 2017. That sense of community is not unique to Northern California, as one of my greatest pleasures in traveling for this magazine has been discovering a similar close-knit sense of community in eastern Washington, Texas and the other fast-growing wine regions of North America. The motivation for much of the reporting I've been most proud of in my newspaper career was a sense of service to the community. This included holding elected officials accountable while objectively reporting on local govern- ment, covering crime and courts and providing accurate and timely information during periods of crisis. I see that as my role now, as the editor of a publication serving a small but tight-knit community of winemakers and other wine industry professionals. A key element of my responsibility will be helping you, our readers, navigate the changes of our industry whether that's through practical articles on winemaking or timely reports based on the most accurate and comprehensive wine industry market data. For all of the recent success of the American wine industry, there remain many challenges that include barriers to market; competition from beer, spirits and now cannabis and burdensome local, state and federal regulations. No matter what may lie ahead for the wine industry, myself and the rest of my colleagues at Wines & Vines will remain steadfast in our service to the greater wine industry com- munity to be a resource of quality information on how to grow the best grapes possible, make better wine and sell it at a sustainable profit. —Andrew Adams This business provides something more than just a paycheck for the people living in those com munities and working in wine. CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS Email: subs@winesandvines.com Online: winesandvines.com/subscribe Phone: (866) 453-9701 EDITORIAL Email: edit@winesandvines.com MAIL 65 Mitchell Blvd., Suite A San Rafael, CA 94903 CONNECT WITH US facebook.com/WinesandVines twitter.com/WinesandVines youtube.com/WinesandVines1919 A New Role, But the Same Commitment to Community