Making the Case for Fairness in Wine
What’s the argument for allowing wineries to sell direct to retailers and restaurateurs, a privilege that wine industries across the country are losing as wholesalers convince legislators to pull this privilege?
It’s all summed up HERE pretty nicely in an editorial from The Daily Press in Virginia, a state whose wineries have lost that right one month ago.
As for the downside of losing this right to sell directly to retailers and restaurants:
"If this policy continues, some of the state’s small wineries – which
can’t afford to employ a middleman – could go out of business, because
they have to sell to distributors at a discount and may have trouble
competing for the attention of distributors with bigger names on their
wine list."
Assuring that "self distribution" not be allowed is the nation’s wine and beer wholesalers number on agenda item. They fear that if this kind of fairness is allowed to exist that they’ll actually have to compete in the market place for the right to sell America’s wines and beers.
If you are a small winery in a state other than California and Washington that still has the right to self distribute or if you are a wine lover who appreciates what has been a resurgence of small wineries in states around the country, take not of this trend and take note of this editorial.
I have to say, I’m quite disgousted about this rules. Isn’t that an infringement of the natural right to do business the way you want? We, the italians, very often look at the US and admire people civil rights, the free market, the fact that the State don’t take side when it comes to individual choices about religion, the way you choose to live your life. But this thing about wineries having to distribute their wines via a middleman by law, well, it wouldn’t be possible in our country. Why is that possible in the US? I really don’t understand.