Billy's Best Bottles Wineletter, Canada's most widely subscribed consumer magazine, was the brainstorm of wine writer Billy Munnelly. The publication began in Stratford, Ontario in 1983 and ended in December 1005.

Following are exerpts from the last issue:

A sincere thank you to all who subscribed. A special thanks to those who participated in my reknown 'backyard parties' in Stratford, Ontario and those who encouraged and supported me to start Billy's Best Bottles Wineletter twenty-two years ago.

There is no easy explanation why I decided to end this publication.I’m not retiring. In fact I’m doing the opposite. Plunging into unknown waters to explore new ideas that necessitate giving up some of my present workload. I need to destruct in order to construct again. The process of writing and producing each issue was very time consuming, and I felt that I needed more time.

It was not an easy decision to make – to leave the cosy nest, with all my loyal followers – but the call to move on was too powerful to ignore. I may flounder, meet with great resistance and be branded a fool. But my gut says to do it anyway.

I have no great plan except to continue challenging the old frameworks of wine thought and teaching and to explore how my ideas might be of service. As you’re well aware, methods and opportunities for communication have evolved and I’m looking forward to embracing new media to express my ideas.

My goals are lofty and ambitious. But I believe that the wine world is ready for a paradigm shift – a radical change in perception.

Most of you know my interest in exploring the emotional/feeling side of the wine experience. I heard from the astrology world that we are moving from a collective view of what motivates us into a realm of what makes us ‘feel’ happy and fulfilled. Yes folks, we are about to be led by our feelings. At last.

I would have liked to have done a nostalgic thing and celebrate all my long-standing readers, but a ton of good Chardonnay and Merlot took priority. I want to think that we’re not really ending our relationship, but reinventing it. I fully trust that we will be together again soon on new ground.

Logging onto this web site and signing up for my free e-wineletter is a start! Thanks.

Back issues can be mailed to you at a nominal cost. If interested, please contact me.