Illinois Wine Consumers Fight Back

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What came across my desk today is some of the most encouraging news for wine consumers in a very long time:

The Launch of the ILLINOIS WINE CONSUMER COALITION.

The raison d'etre of the Illinois Wine Consumer Coalition is front and center on its website:

"You have been stripped of your right to access thousands of fine wines. You had no voice to express your desire to retain this long held right to out-of-state wine shipments from retailers. The IWCC has been formed solely to put the wine consumer first and to help restore your access to the wines you want!"

This is exactly what the world of wine politics needs; a vocal consumer organization to act as watchdogs to assure that consumers don't get screwed when powerful interests attempt to control the political process for their own, parochial and financial means and to the detriment of the consumer and the state.

Illinois is particularly familiar with this kind of thing. Last year HB 429 went into effect in Illinois. The bill stripped Illinoisans of their right to purchase wine from out-of-state retailers, auction houses, Internet wine retailers and wine clubs—a right Illinoisans has possessed for 15 years. The same bill severely restricted the right of wineries (and completely stripped large wineries) of the right to sell wine directly to restaurants and retailers. All of this was done simply to protect Illinois wholesalers who have contributed millions of dollars to Illinois lawmakers.

Something needs to be done to change the balance of power in the states and consumer organizations are just the thing.

So…I'M URGING ALL READERS TO CONTACT YOUR FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES, COLLEAGUES AND OTHERS WHO LIVE IN ILLINOIS AND ASK THEM TO JOIN THIS ORGANIZATION.

I'll be personally donating money to their cause and urging others to do so also.

This is a good day of the rights of wine lovers.


7 Responses

  1. Christina - January 19, 2009

    Right on, Tom. Right on!!!

  2. Nancy - January 20, 2009

    Thanks, Tom. As an Illinoisan, I’ll be heading over to that site pronto. I hope they have a “badge” I can add to my blog, too.

  3. Dylan - January 20, 2009

    Wow, Tom. It seems the organized action you wished for in 2008 has finally started to take place.

  4. Karl Dinger - January 20, 2009

    Thanks Tom. As a winemaker here in Oregon,and having been born and raised in Illinois – I’m particularly upset that my friends and family back there have had access to my wines restricted. I hope this type of movement catches on – I’m going to join as well.

  5. Tommaso - January 24, 2009

    Thanks. I live in Illinois and received an email about this organization from K&L wines in California (I was a former internet customer). I hope Illinois consumers will remember to support retailers who are joining us in this fight. That is, if we ever get our rights back.

  6. Gretchen Neuman - January 26, 2009

    Thanks for your support Tom!

  7. Google - February 20, 2009

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