When Wine Business Monthly was launched nearly two decades ago, the slogan at the top of each page read, "Because News, Unlike Wine, Doesn't Improve with Age." For a time the tagline on the cover said, "Largest Wine Trade Magazine in North America." For the last few years, the blurb under the logo on the cover has simply read, "The Industry's Leading Publication for Wineries and Growers."

Whatever the slogan, you can count on finding information you won't get anywhere else in WBM. We still keep readers up to date but have evolved through the years. We regularly cover winemaking, grape growing, business, marketing, technology and sales, including the direct to consumer channel. However, product reviews, industry roundtables and surveys really set WBM apart.

The 2009 Tasting Room Report reflects the overall growth of the direct to consumer channel. The recession, though, has clearly hit home in tasting rooms. On the one hand, wine club attrition remains relatively low despite the weak economy. On the other, two-thirds of all wineries surveyed said wine club cancellations increased early this year. The numbers suggest things have leveled off with regard to fees charged for tastings and that more of these fees are being applied to purchases.

The Industry Roundtable in this issue is about Sauvignon Blanc style. Winemakers weigh in on how decisions in the vineyard and cellar affect flavor profiles. Next month we'll be running a Product Review about yeasts used in making Sauvignon Blanc.

The Product Review in this issue looks at paper label printing, which continues to move forward as digital technology improves.

This month, Country Competitive Analysis is a new feature we are introducing. The first article is on Argentina, a country you've probably been hearing a lot about lately. U.S. sales of Malbec from Argentina are growing very quickly. We don't do puffy up-and-coming wine region stories. When we cover the world's winemaking regions, it's in the context of imports, exports or technology. The article on Argentina does that but includes a list of popular brands and price points, too, so you can taste them and size up the competition.

Cyril Penn -- Editor