It is a pleasure to introduce the first issue of The Journal of Wine Economics (JWE). The JWE is meant to provide a focused outlet for high-quality, peer-reviewed research on economic topics related to wine. Although wine economics papers have been, and will continue to be, published in leading general and agricultural economics journals, the number of high-quality papers has grown to such an extent that a specialized journal can provide a useful platform for the exchange of ideas and results.

The JWE is open to any area related to the economic aspects of wine, viticulture, and oenology. It covers a wide array of topics, including, but not limited to: production, winery activities, marketing, consumption, as well as macroeconomic and legal topics. The JWE will be published twice a year and it will contain main papers, short papers, notes and comments, reviews of books, films and wine events, as well as conference announcements.

In conjunction with the journal, we have formed a companion society – The American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE). The AAWE is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to encouraging and communicating economic research and analyses and exchanging ideas in wine economics. Its principal activities include publishing The Journal of Wine Economics, which is fully owned and run by the AAWE. The non-profit character enables the Association to keep subscription prices low and, therefore, guarantees a wide distribution. Details of how to join are provided on the inside of the back cover and at www.wine-economics.org.

Kym Anderson, Orley Ashenfelter, Victor Ginsburgh, Robert Stavins & Karl Storchmann

Kym Anderson, Orley Ashenfelter, Victor Ginsburgh, Robert Stavins & Karl Storchmann

The launch of this journal would not have been possible without the generous financial support of Whitman College. We are particularly grateful to George Bridges, the President of Whitman College, and Patrick Keef, its Dean of Faculty, for their support and encour- agement.

Kym Anderson, University of Adelaide, CEPR and World Bank
Orley Ashenfelter, Princeton University
Victor Ginsburgh, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Robert Stavins, Harvard University