Wine Access magazine has ceased publication, including its associated programs, website, and app and tablet editions. The February/March 2013 issue will be its last and the 2013 Wine Traveller annual will not be published.

The closure allows parent company RedPoint Media Group to pursue a "refocusing of the company's strategy on areas of greater potential growth," reads a release. These areas include RedPoint's custom publishing, and marketing and branding solutions.

"These are tremendous strengths for our company, and we are excited about the potential to work with clients, readers and our staff to build and reinforce mutually beneficial relationships," said Pete Graves, RedPoint Media Group president, in a release. The outfit will continue to produce its other publications, including Avenue Calgary and Avenue Edmonton, and Up!, WestJet's inflight magazine.

"While it's always difficult to say goodbye to a brand, our goal is to focus on our top-performing brands, which are very healthy, and on other strategic endeavours," Graves said.

Launched as a subscriber newsletter in 1991 by Toronto-based founder David Lawrason, Wine Access was purchased by Calgary's RedPoint Media Group in 2004. According to its 2012 media kit, the mag had 6,000 paid individual subscribers, 5,000 copies on newsstands, distributed 1,500 copies at shows and events, and sold 1,500 copies through digital formats. It published six regular editions a year plus an annual in March.