A fascinating new journal devoted to the economics of wine.

Check out http://www.wine-economics.org/

There is great stuff here for any wine lover with pretensions of intellectualism: the journal will be published twice a year. Annual fees, including the journal and membership of the American Association of Wine Economists, are $39 a year, plus $6 for postage in countries other than the US. To contact the editorial office at the Economics Department, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA 99362, email jwe@whitman.edu

The first issue contains a precise list of the original scores of the Judgment of Paris of 1976, a statistical analysis of the relationship of en primeur prices and wine quality, and a statistician's view of the movie "Sideways". Good stuff with lots of symbols no normal person can comprehend in a couple of places, but lots of interesting ideas any wine lover will enjoy thinking about and discussing.

Check out the table of contents at http://www.wine-economics.org/Journal.htm

Honestly, folks, I thought this was a great first effort, and hope future issues are just as interesting.

Regards, Bob

Very interesting indeed, and a nice international panel of editors.

I guess if these boards can keep going with new content year after year they'll find new topics and have enough submissions to move forward?

Certainly lots to analyze on the whole 05 Bordeaux thing.

[Robin Garr]

Check out http://www.wine-economics.org/

There is great stuff here for any wine lover with pretensions of intellectualism: the journal will be published twice a year.

You're quick, Bob! I just got a preview copy of the mag from its organizers this week and was planning to review it in Monday's Wine Advisor. I agree. Some of the material is written at a high academic level involving substantial math, but it's still a very interesting product, and I expect a lot of wine geeks will find much to enjoy in it.

I have pretentions to pseudo-intellectualism, and still found the journal enjoyable. Great find, thanks!

[James Roscoe]

Check out http://www.wine-economics.org/

There is great stuff here for any wine lover with pretensions of intellectualism: the journal will be published twice a year.

You're quick, Bob! I just got a preview copy of the mag from its organizers this week and was planning to review it in Monday's Wine Advisor. I agree. Some of the material is written at a high academic level involving substantial math, but it's still a very interesting product, and I expect a lot of wine geeks will find much to enjoy in it.

But what about those of us with pretensions to pseudo-intellectualism (thanks Dave), who really are pretty clueless?

[Robin Garr]

But what about those of us with pretensions to pseudo-intellectualism (thanks Dave), who really are pretty clueless?

Judgement call, I'd say. I'm both geeky and clueless, and I skimmed it with good interest, but flipped quickly past the formulas.

I'll try to review it Monday with enough specific examples to help people choose. I'm sure the Website offers enough of a peek to decide whether a $39 annual subscription would be right for you, too, but I haven't been to the Website yet.

Does it use a 100 point scale to rate the articles??

"You're quick, Bob."

Thanks, but not so fast really. I've been following Professor Ashenfelter with interest for some time and have been on a list of potential members for several years. It's always fun to read his stuff and this first issue certainly shows his influence.

I encourage folks to read his website as well -- some of the past articles are really interesting. http://www.irs.princeton.edu/ashenfelter/

I'm looking forward to reading your take on the magazine itself.

Regards, Bob

"they'll find new topics and have enough submissions to move forward"

Rahsaan, the panel is greatly informed by Professor Ashenfelter, who has a long history of publishing top flight work related to wine. I'm very optomistic, and the price is certainly right.

Regards, Bob

"But what about those of us with pretensions to pseudo-intellectualism ..."

Count me in that camp, James. I've been thinking of adding a character set with some of the econ symbols so I can spiff up my comments. :-)

Thanx for the info!! As an economist and wine geek, I just knew there had to be a way to tax deduct my mounting expenses. Voila!!

Academic economists are a hard-headed bunch, so we can look forward to articles that are well grounded empirically. They also are increasingly branching out from traditional topics into just about any aspect of human behavior that can be quantified. All of which should be a plus for the understanding of wine since, in my opinion, an empirical orientation often is the missing ingredient. I've ordered a subscription, assuming that an economics society has room for someone with a psychology background. I did tell them, as a sweetener, that I make wine.