Wine Blogs and The Law

Posted by Tom Wark on Jul 30, 2010

Of late, this blog has concentrated a bit more than usual on the the politics and regulations concerning the alcohol beverage industry. The introduction of H.R. 5034 has prompted the relative increase in political posts. However, Fermentation is hardly the only blog that focuses on issues of politics, regulations, legislation and the legal aspects of the alcohol beverage industry. A number of other blogs, some quite new and promising, speak to these issues and should be considered resources for those concerned with these issues.

Among those blogs one might consult include:

SHIPCOMPLIANT BLOG
Maintained by ShipCompliant, the wine compliance software firm that serves producers, retailers and distributors, their blog is often the source of information not only of changes in the regulatory sphere but on the legal background to court cases concerning alcohol. It is a very reliable source of information.
Most Recent Post: "Hawaii Amends Due Date for Gallonage Tax"

ON RESERVE: A WINE LAW BLOG
A relatively new addition to this genre of wine blogs, On Reserve gives itself a substantial mission: "On
Reserve’s mission is to provide wineries, vineyards, law students,
lawyers, and those with a general interest in wine and/or the law with
the most comprehensive source of information on wine law." Written by Lindsey Zahn, On Reserve has shown substantial promise with its early posts and is highly recommended.
Most Recent Post: "In Support of Pending NY Wine Legislation"

PENNSYLVANIA WINERY & HOSPITALITY LAWYER
Written by attorney Judy Young, PWHL focuses on general compliance and legal issues aimed at aiding those working in the Pennsylvania marketplace
Most Recent Post: "Does your Pennsylvania Winery, Restaurant or Hospitality Business Embrace The Millennials?"

THE WINE LAW BLOG
Written by one Rohan Shrikhande a law student at California Western School of Law, The Wine Law Blog has attacked some very interesting issues such as intellectual property, H.R. 5034, water wars and labeling issues, just to name a few. It is an ambitious projects and deserves close monitoring.
Most Recent Post: "Letter To The House Judiciary Committee"

THE WINE LAWYER
Written by attorney Brian Pedigo, The Wine Lawyer provides not only commentary on current affairs in wine law but also basic background information for readers such as reporting procedures and basics on the California Alcohol Beverage Commission. Unfortunately, the blog is rarely updated.
Most Recent Post: "Reporting to the TTB"

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES LAW BLOG
Written by a team of attorneys at the Portland firm of Stoel Rives, LLP, this blog was launched last June and shows tremendous promise. It appears to take a wide view, so far covering a range of topics form Washington's dueling initiatives concerning the three tier system to issues surrounding the impact of greenhouse gas reduction at wineries.
Most Recent Post: "Oregon Home Brewers Stymied by Interpretation of Law"

RETHINK WINE BLOG
Published by IBG, the wine marketing and logistics company, Rethink Wine Blog often deals with changes in the legislative, legal and regulator landscape of concern to its clients, primarily wineries. While marketing issues are often covered, the legal and regulatory side is not ignored.
Most Recent Post: "Recent Direct Shipping News"

BEVLOG
An interesting blog written from inside a Virginia law firm, Bevlog tracks new alcoholic beverage label approvals coming out of the TTB. There is little commentary on issues of law and regulations but its continually updated posts concerning newly approved labels is quite interesting as are its comments on TTB labeling policy.
Most Recent Post: "Nut Beer"

HOSPITALITY LAW BLOG
Published by the attorneys at the multi-office firm of Davis, Wright, Tremaine, this blog would be quite useful if regularly updated. Unfortunately it is not. Though posts tend to focus on issues related to the wine and beer industry in the Northwest, it's overall approach to discussing various regulatory and legal issues is very well done.
Most Recent Post: "Organic Labeling and Advertising of Beer, Wine and Spirits"

WINELAW.CA
WineLaw.ca deals with wine law in Canada and British Columbia. Written by Vancouver lawyer Mark Hicken, the site is updated regularly and deals in issues of marketing, direct shipping, labels, environmental law and trademarks as it relates to the wine industry in Canada. Very impressive.
Most Recent Post: "Border Wine Taxes and Fees Modified for HST"

THE BREWERY LAW BLOG
This fine blog concentrates on exploring legal issues of concern to brewers and the brewing industry in Washington State. Written by attorney Douglas Reiser, it takes on a number of eclectic issues including Initiative 1100, trademarks and advertising. It is relatively new, but since its launch in April it has consistently posted substantial articles of interest to most people in the alcohol beverage industries.
Most Recent Post: "TTB and USDA Work Together to Review 'Organic' in Labels and Advertising"

MINNESOTA WINE LAW AND POLITICS
An attempt at crafting a blog around the politics of wine in one state. Relatively new.
Most Recent Post: "Minnesota Wine Industry"

ALCOHOL LAW REVIEW
Published by the National Beer Wholesalers Association, Alcohol Law Review tends to focus on Three-Tier issues with a decided anti-consumer, pro-wholesaler slant.
Most Recent Post: "South Carolina Supreme Court Raises Stakes on Retailers"

DUI BLOG
Written by well-known DUI lawyer Lawrence Taylor and generally written to oppose various aspects of DUI law, this blog is regularly updated, comprehensive, controversial and fascinating to read as it takes on various DUI laws across the country, the players involved in them and all issues surrounding drunk driving laws.
Most Recent Post: "Charity Watchdog Gives MADD Low Score"

COMPLI BLOG
Begun late last year, this blog is written by the folks at Compli, a wine industry compliance services company. Updated fairly regulatory it deals in compliance and legal issues primarily of concern to wineries and consumers.
Most Recent Post: "SENDING SAMPLES: Federal Versus State Requirements"