New Enemy of Wine Consumers Appointed

Posted by Tom Wark on Jul 20, 2018

The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association (WSWA), whose values can be succinctly reduced to  “what’s good for the consumers…just doesn’t matter” has a new CEO and president in the wake of former WSWA president Craig Wolf’s resignation and venture into electoral politics. Michelle Korsmo is the new head of the trade association that represents the interests of the wholesalers.

It’s good to know that she is already on board with the program:

“I am also inspired by the industry’s record of accomplishment. Family-owned wholesalers, along with supplier and retailer partners, and state and federal legislators and regulators, have together built the safest, and most well-regulated and enterprising beverage marketplace in the world. But there is no denying that it operates in a disruptive economy and the association must be prepared for the future.”

She adds:

“Finding consumer-focused solutions for these challenges is an opportunity I welcome, and I’m excited about what the future holds”

“Consumer-focused solutions”. Hmmm. Allow me to offer a suggestion for President Korsmo: Let Consumers Buy What They Want and From Whom They Want. 

Neither I nor consumers nor members of the wine industry ought to hold their breath waiting to discover if President Korsmo will continue the WSWA tradition of working as hard as possible to fuck consumers and the rest of the industry by insisting all alcohol-related regulations and laws protect wholesaler profits first and protect them from having to fairly compete on a level playing field. She will.

But here’s an interesting tidbit. For four years Ms. Korsmo held the position of Executive Vice President for the Koch Brothers-funded American’s For Prosperity Foundation. AFP’s primary goal was to derail any and all regulations. You know, like those that prohibit consumers from purchasing wine from an out-of-state source or prohibiting retailers and restaurants from doing business directly with alcohol producers without the government-mandated imposition of profit siphoning middlemen wholesalers.

We don’t usually ask whether people believe in the cause of the political organizations they get paid by because we assume they will simply spout out whatever they are told as long as their salary is paid. By adding the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers Association to her resume, we have confirmation that Ms. Korsmo’s declarations of what is right for or what should be done with regard to alcohol public policy is the result of a smooth, straight pipe running from her paymasters, through her larynx and out to the world. 

It’s inhospitable of me to launch into Ms. Korsmo on her first day on the job. I know that. I should at least first give her time to screw over American consumers and the wine trade. I suspect that won’t take too long. It’s a tradition with wholesaler mouthpieces.