The American Wine Consumer Union

Posted by Tom Wark on May 12, 2010

Over the course of the past month or so I've been involved in helping generate opposition to H.R 5034, a bill promoted by alcohol wholesalers that paves the way for states to pass discriminatory legislation that would harm wineries, retailers and consumer access to wine. My involvement has been on behalf of the Specialty Wine Retailers Association, an organization of wine retailers, wine clubs and auction houses across the country that work to open more states for retailer to consumer shipping and for which I serve as executive director.

In the course of working to gather opposition to H.R. 5034 one thing has become remarkably clear:

American wine lovers are in desperate need of a "Consumer Union".

To date, more than 11,000 wine lovers from across the country have gravitated to the STOPH5034Facebook page where they have indicated their opposition to this bill. They have left 1000s of comments. They have read articles posted on the facebook page. They have urged their fellow wine loves to contact their representatives.

While this organizing effort is impressive and represents the first instance I'm aware of where wine lovers have used social media for political purposes, their efforts stop with gathering around a FACEBOOK page. But what if they belonged to a well run, benefits-based and politically active organization founded to represent the interests of wine consumers while also providing them with social and educational opportunities? What if this American Wine Consumer Union used their dues to support professional political representation in the form of lobbyists. What if this representative of the American Wine Consumer Union could go to Washington or Sacramento or Tallahassee or Springfield or Albany and say they represent 20,000 wine lovers? Or 50,000? Or More.

While "Free The Grapes" has done a remarkable job gathering wine lovers around letter writing campaigns to help open state for producer to consumer shipping legislation, the organization's fundamental mission is to open states to Producer to consumer shipping rights. My hope is that they continue to act in this manner, particularly in their work to oppose H.R. 5034, which has resulted in over 20,000 letters sent from their website to representatives in DC.

However, a more consumer-centric organization is needed I believe that can compliment and extend the work of Free the Grapes. A Wine Consumer Union is needed.

Wine consumers, for example, would surely and enthusiastically support efforts to open up more states to allow consumers to receive wine direct from wine shop, wine importers, auction houses and even support efforts to liberalize the way Internet-based marketing agents act on behalf of producers and importers and retailers to make wine more accessible on the Internet. They would do this because wine lovers know the key to their happiness is the ability to have access to all the wines in the American marketplace and the Internet is the path to that state of Happiness.

But I imagine that the Wine Consumer Union would provide more than just a voice for wine lovers where that voice has not existed before. I imagine a Wine Consumer Union would provide educational opportunities, social networking hubs, access to wine vacations, wine accessories, wine tastings, wine clubs and other wine-related items that have been specifically created for a union of wine lovers that might number in the many thousands.

Over the next few weeks I'll be exploring this issue. I'll be looking for the best model for the creation of an American Wine Consumer Union. And I'm wondering what others think of the idea of an active, vibrant, engaged union of wine lovers from across the country. I wonder if the time has come.