Archive for the ‘H.R. 5034’ Category
HR 5034, the bill introduced into Congress last year that would have altered the balance of power in the realm of alcohol beverage sales and consumer access to favor middlemen distributors, is still on the mind of many in the wine industry. Yesterday, as WineBusiness.com reports, associations representing nearly all the wine, beer and spirit companies operating in the U.S. issued a letter to all members of Congress urging them NOT TO SPONSOR any new version of H.R. 5034 that…
It's so rare that opponents of regulated consumer access to wine are so willing to demonstrate their ignorance, bias, hypocrisy and self serving intentions. Yet, thanks to Paul Mabray's VinTank interview with Wine & Spirit Wholesalers Association President Craig Wolf we get more than a glimpse into these commonplace foibles. In the interest of clearing up fallacies, setting the record straight, correcting historical inaccuracies, and giving my readers a glimpse into the sometimes bizarre conclusions and positions of wine wholesalers…
I listened to Vintank's audio interview with Craig Wolf, president of the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers of America. You have to give Craig credit for sitting down and outlining the views of America's wine wholesalers on issues of consumer access to wine. And you have to give Kudos to Paul Mabray of Vintank for making it happen. I knew the interview was coming and I was hopeful we would see Craig deliver some appreciation for the concerns and interests of…
This week, upon being sworn in and taking over control of the House of Representatives, Republicans will take to the floor of the House to read the entire United States Constitution. What does this have to do with wine? Not much really, but the relationship between commerce and wine, and the way our Constitution sets up a single economic union, is important for us to be aware of. It's important particularly in 2011 since it is likely that one way…
Few industries labor under a more complex and multi-layered set of regulations as does the wine industry. This is the case because Americans have endorsed and accept the idea that alcohol ought to be taxed in greater amounts than other commercial products and because Americans accept the idea that the inherent danger of alcohol is such as to justified enhanced regulation by the state…So be it. 2011 is shaping up to be a year of robust activity in the realm…
