WineBusiness Monthly

If you're on this page, it means you are interested in pitching us and want to know how. Thank you for your interest in contributing to Wine Business Monthly.

We pride ourselves in being the leading producer of information and events for the wine industry. From comprehensive editorial to highly specialized events and the industry's leading job board, Winejobs.com, Wine Business Monthly is the essential resource for the North American wine business.

We wouldn't be where we are today without all the contributions from our incredible freelancers across the country, each with a different view and area of expertise.

WBM Mission Statement

The editorial mission of Wine Business Monthly is to be the essential information resource for wineries and winegrape growers. As the global wine business becomes more competitive, wineries and winegrape growers must monitor market trends to identify opportunities and threats to their position in the market and evaluate and deploy new products that increase quality or reduce production costs. From sales trends to new regulations, drought-resistant varieties and smoke taint removal methods, we cover every aspect of the business.

To put it simply, we are the provider of reliable, timely information and a resource for the wine industry.

Who Reads WBM and Where?

We are a North American wine industry publication. That said, the wine world is a small world and we cover innovations and new technologies in the wine business; so if something happens internationally that affects or helps the wine industry in any way, we'll talk about it.

We have the largest market coverage among wineries and growers of all wine industry trade publications. Ninety-five percent of the more than 330 million cases of wine produced in the U.S. are made by wineries that read Wine Business Monthly. In addition to winemakers and growers, winery CEOs, distributors, tasting room managers, retailers and more read our magazine and online publications.

Print: Themes and Topics

With the largest circulation in North America, Wine Business Monthly is the trusted resource for wine industry news. Known for its comprehensive editorial, the magazine features the latest in winemaking, grapegrowing, sales and marketing, and business and technology.

Winemaker trials, proprietary survey data, first looks at new products, industry roundtables and varietal focus are hallmarks of the monthly publication, available both in printed and digital versions.

Our magazine articles are evergreen, thematic, and allow a deeper dive into topics.

Online: Themes and Topics

We also encourage freelancers to submit pitches for our online website, where we deliver the industry's top stories to tens of thousands of wine industry members, including winemakers, wine executives, suppliers, distributors, retailers, educators and students.

Online content has a broad range, from a feature story to a courtroom case, depending on what is happening in the wine world. If it has value to the trade, we cover it.

Online is short, sweet and to the point. We cover the news daily, so if anything captures your attention that is relevant to the wine trade, don't hesitate to pitch us, but always remember that online content is timely.

What We Are Looking For

We are always impressed with people who take the time to look through our content, familiarize themselves with our editorial calendar, which you can find in our media kit, and state exactly what the angle is and how they are going to fulfill it.

A good question to ask yourself when considering pitching for us is: What would the wine business want to know?

We are looking for:

Original story pitches
Event coverage
Coverage outside of California
Data analysis, expert analysis, analysis of trends, etc.

We want something that is relevant to members of the trade.

For examples of things we love, reference the articles below:

What We Are Not Looking For

It is crucial for writers to understand who we are, what we do, and what we cover. Many times, we receive pitches that are interesting, but are not relevant to this type of trade publication.

Some examples include:

We are not looking for anything consumer-oriented (tasting room etiquette tips, a round-up of the five best Rosés, etc.)
We are not looking for a recap of a press trip
We are not looking for any travel and lifestyle pieces
We are not looking for "worry with me" stories; if there is an issue in the wine industry, tell us what it is and how winemakers, researchers, etc. are looking for a solution, if there isn't one already.

The Wine Business Angle

There needs to be an angle to your pitch, and it is important to make it clear what the angle is and how you are going to fulfill it.

Reference below for an example of the type of angle we would be interested in.

A Good Example of the Wine Business Monthly/winebusiness.com Angle:

We were pitched this story (though names have been changed): "What John Doe, MW, thinks of the French wine market and how to get consumers to drink more French wine." The pitch also included Doe's thoughts on the strengths in French winemaking and where they could improve.

A better approach for Wine Business Monthly would have been: Sommeliers are finding Provence wines are turning more non-wine drinkers into wine drinkers. Here's why that's happening (what consumers are responding to), how U.S. wineries can market to that and/or how distributors/retailers/restaurants are building well-rounded portfolios to meet the demand. The article will include data to back those statements up.

Or, alternatively: Provence winemakers are ramping up production of Rosé and blending in cheaper grapes to meet the rising demand from the American market.

How to Pitch Us

The easiest and quickest way to pitch us is through email. The pitches go to our editor, Cyril Penn (cpenn@winebusiness.com), and our managing editor, Erin Kirschenmann (erin@winebusiness.com)

Of Note: We receive A LOT of emails daily, so please remember to include in the subject what the concept is, so we know what the email entails. For example, a subject line could read "Pitch: How One Winery Implemented AI to Circumvent Tasting Room Labor Shortage."

As for the content of the pitch, be creative and think about what would capture not only our attention, but our readers as well. Make sure that your pitch caters to something we would cover and are looking for.

Include one to two sentences on what the topic is and why we should care. It is vital to include what the angle is; specifically, what the wine business angle is, along with a list of sources.

In general, online articles run at 750 words or less and magazine articles up to 2,000 words. In your pitch, make sure to include a suggested word count and an expected delivery date. Please, please, please keep in mind that there are pre-determined publishing deadlines for the magazine, so always submit pitches with enough time to be assigned, written, edited and placed into layout.

Include any potential art elements: photos, charts, tables, etc. For art elements, we also request the writer to include a caption. This can be further discussed once accepted.

What Happens After

Once you pitch, we will review it and make a decision. If we go forward with your pitch, we can either continue through email or set up a call to discuss logistics.

If you don't hear from us within a month, please follow up. Trust that we do our best to respond to all pitches.

Thanks! We're looking forward to working with you! --Wine Business Monthly's editorial team