The Language of Corruption
Wine wholesalers talk a different language from you and I that needs translating. And they’ve been doing a lot of talking recently.
In states across the country, the wholesalers have realized that it’s unconstitutional to allow in-state wineries to sell direct to retailers and restaurant, but not allow out of state wineries to do so. So, they started to try to strip this privilege from small wineries to prevent out of state (read: California) wineries from legally bypassing them.
In the process of attempting to kill small wineries in states across the country the wholesalers use their own special language, WHOLESALEREESE, to make their argument for grabbing complete domination of the wine trade.
Allow me to translate so you can follow the arguments
1. When wholesalers say, "We just want to level the playing field" they mean:
"WE WANT A COMPLETE AND TOTAL MONOPOLY ON SALES TO RESTAURANTS"
2. When wholesalers say, "direct shipping allows minors to get their hands on alcohol" they mean
LEAVE IT TO US…IT HAS BEEN OUR HANDS THROUGH WHICH 99% OF ALL ALCOHOL DRUNK BY MINORS HAS PASSED.
3. when wholesalers say, "We promise to work with small wineries to distribute their wine," they mean:
"WE PROMISE TO BUY 50 CASES OF YOUR WINE, AFTER THAT…YOU’RE SCREWED AND ON YOUR OWN.
4. When wholesalers say, "The three tier system has worked just fine for decades," they mean:
"WHAT, ARE YOU KIDDING? GIVE UP A STATE MANDATED MONOPOLY THAT HAS MADE US RICH AND POWERFUL? NOT ON OUR LIVES
5. When wholesalers say, "The three tier system insures taxes get paid," they mean:
THE THREE TIER SYSTEM INSURES WE GET PAID OUR CUT.
Here’s the bottom line folks. The idea that wine MUST go through a wholesaler before it gets to restaurants and retailers in order to assure that taxes get paid and regulations are adhered to is the BIG LIE. The wholesalers want us to think that without this distributor/wholesaler tier between the winery and retailer all hell will break loose. Nothing could be farther from the truth. But they keep saying this. There is no defense for a state-mandated system in which wholesalers are guaranteed a place
So, in defense of this system they lie. They dish out cash to legislators like there is no tomorrow. They hold up minors in front of them to block bullets in the same way any coward would. And all the time they try to suggest they just want to help wineries and help the state maintain an orderly market in alcohol.
If you are a winery owner in a state that allows you to sell direct to retailers and restaurants, I suggest you start to study WHOLESALEREESE. Because, in not too long of time you are going to be faced with the wholesalers attempting to take away this privilege.
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