Author Archive

Sep 14, 2021

Women and Wine—From Then to Now

GuildSomm has published a rather wonderful article exploring the historical place of women in the wine industry that deserves to be read by…well, everyone. Written by Tanya Colleen Morning Star Darling (who clearly has the best name in the wine industry with perhaps the exception of Emily Wine), “Women in Wine: Systematic Exclusion & the Success of Tenacious Women” explores the long exclusion of women from the wine industry, while delving into the various ways women have or must have…

Sep 7, 2021

Corruption and Regulatory Capture in the Alcohol Industry

REGULATORY CAPTURE Anyone working long enough in the alcohol arena will recognize the system this phrase describes, even if they are unfamiliar with the phrase itself “Regulatory capture is an economic theory that says regulatory agencies may come to be dominated by the industries or interests they are charged with regulating. The result is that an agency, charged with acting in the public interest, instead acts in ways that benefit incumbent firms in the industry it is supposed to be…

Aug 26, 2021

The Corruption in the Wine, Beer & Spirits Trade Was Anticipated

In 1933 a small book, Toward Liquor Control, was written and published. Sponsored by John D Rockefeller and written by Raymond B. Fosdick and Albert L. Scott, the book had a singular goal: to provide guidance to state lawmakers and policy wonks that, in the wake of Repeal, were tasked with creating a new alcohol regulatory system for their states. The philosophy behind the recommendations in Toward Liquor Control was a real fear that, in the wake of Repeal, America…

Aug 22, 2021

Wine Will Not Be Appropriated

The recent cultural appropriation controversy over Pippa Middlehurst’s new cookbook exploring noodles and dumplings has some instructive elements for the wine industry. One of those lessons is that there is little if any chance of the charge of cultural appropriation being visited upon a person producing wine or writing about wine. But there are other lessons too. First the background. Middlehurst, 31, won England’s first “Best Home Chef” contest in 2018. She has been a food blogger for some time….

Aug 19, 2021

Dear Wine Industry…Signed, Anonymous

What would you tell the federal government about competition in the alcohol industry if you could keep your comments anonymous? This is the question that struck me as I began to look over the nearly 190 comments that have been provided to the TTB in response to the Biden Administration’s announcement it was looking into the subject of “Promoting Competition in the Beer, Wine and Spirits Market.” It began taking public comments in late July. The deadline for sending comments…