You may have noticed that this issue marked the occasion of our very first ever spirits cover, with the presence of the new super-premium Leyden Gin. Is there a message here? You bet. That it's a really good product and that the Wine Trader is open to spirits oriented advertising, which we haven't received a lot. It's our opinion that premium wine drinkers tend to drink premium everything. . . From craft brews, to 100 percent Agave Tequilas. . . single barrel-Bourbon. . . single-malt Scotch. . . And super-premium gin.

The interstate shipping controversy remains the big news in the wine game, with more states (Florida and Tennessee) making the shipping of a bottle of wine a felony, so it's no surprise that both our editor and resident Curmudgeon, Jerry Mead, and frequent contributor and "The Small Vintner " Patrick Campbell have the subject on their minds and in their columns.

The Wine Curmudgeon also takes out after another politician, Barbara Boxer of California, while offering a little positive news and a couple of smilers.

In The Online Report, columnist Jim Wallace provides thumb tips on looking up wine sites on the net, along with a couple of specific recommendations. A new travel contributor, one Alvin Guthertz, takes us to what purports to be the original "Garden of Eden," a spot in The Seychelles, and even tells us how to get there.

Sandy Wechsler and the Lodging Report is visiting the deep South again, and this time tells about the Victorian elegance of a spot in New Orleans' French Quarter called Lamothe House.

Elizabeth Holmgren has tracked down more good news for moderate wine printers in her Health & Social Issues column, mostly about newly discovered anti-oxidant activity, but there's some especially good news for women regarding breast cancer.

Fred Dame, The Master Sommelier, is upset by wine lists with nothing but wines from places and producers that even he hasn't heard of. Fred has nothing against new, but doesn't want the tried and true forgotten at the same time. More additions to the Top Sommelier list, too.

P.S. McGown. who usually reviews a single cook but in her The Cookbook Corner column, got carried away and examines three really delicious sounding tomes this time.

The Book Report, by Maurice Sullivan, contains several new titles, including the very hot and very latest from Robert Parker, Jr. and Clive Coates.

Carson Valley W.I.N.O. comes through again with a couple of chapter reports to fill up the W.I.N.O. newsletter.

There seems to be an especially large crop of frequently irreverent letters to the Editor, and their equally irreverent responses. Check them out.