Archive for the ‘Wine Consumers’ Category
One thing you learn after watching an election campaign being carried out is that in this country the media will jump on any inadvertant "misspeak". It doesn't matter what the intent was, if a candidate misspeaks it will be used against them. And it's not just in the context of electioneering that the media jumps on such a thing. A person of any standing can be castigated by the media and others for the inadvertent words. I was reminded of…
Yesterday's ShipCompliant DIRECT Conference provided a number of highlights. Among the highlights at a conference that focuses on the task of complying with direct shipping regulations and how to sell more wine direct was the announcement that Winery-To-Consumer shipments of wine had increased 11.5% over the past 12 months to a whopping $1.35 Billion dollars. I was very pleased to be able to moderate the session yesterday where Kent Nowlin of ShipCompliant and Danny Brager of Nieslen presented the various…
It appears that Canadians are set to solve their wine shipping dilemma in one fell swoop: legislation is likely to pass that will finally allow Canadian wine lovers to have wines shipped to them across provinces, a simple thing that has been banned since 1928. Canada went through its own Prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s. It lasted for a shorter time than here in America and most laws were repealed by the end of the decade. But one legacy…
Friday, June 1 is the beginning of something very novel yet very old: a free market in liquor in Washington State. On Friday private businesses will be charged with retailing whiskey, gin, tequila, scotch and all other spirits in Washington State, an activity controlled exclusively by state government since the 1930's. What's very old act of a private company such as a liquor store or grocery store selling spirits to the public. What's novel is that it is happening in…
On the eve of two simultaneously scheduled wine fairs dedicated to the proposition that everything old is new again, it’s hard not to admire the enthusiasm of those taken by “natural” wine. It’s hard not to notice the excitement its admirers exhibit. It’s hard not to notice that many of the proponents and champions of these wines revel in the idea that they are part of a revolution that defies a stale status quo. The kind of excitement that is…
