Today marks the 78th anniversary of Repeal of Prohibition, the day the last state necessary ratified the 21st Amendment. It's certainly a day to mark and take account of. It is also, apparently, a day to celebrate absurdity. "Today’s [alcohol regulatory] system balances a competitive industry with local social standards and community desires. It is this system that fuels today’s robust and dynamic licensed beverage industry that creates access to market for start-up businesses."CRAIG PURSER, National Beer Wholesalers Association Craig…
What an interesting year in wine. Legal battles, political battles, movements rising, technology, new markets, and changes in the media led the news. Here are my top wine stories for 2011 A SMALL CRACK IN THE WALL: Initiative 1183 Takes Washington Out of the Booze Business and Into the 21st CenturyIt has been a long time since a state abandoned its control of the alcohol marketplace and turned it over to the private sector. Initiative 1183 in Washington State did…
How many ways are there to improve the world of wine for consumers? At least 10! 10. More Local Wine ColumnsMore wine columns in local daily newspapers means more coverage of the local wine scene. Whether it's in an on-line format or in the pulp edition, local wine columns put consumers in touch with wine happenings they can actually participate in. 9. More Local WineState governments, counties and local municipalities ought to make a point of promoting thier local wineries….
The Texas alcohol regulators happily report that they are successfully stopping Texas wine lovers from obtaining wines they can't find locally by ordering those wines from out of state wine stores. Meanwhile, over in New York, the local wine regulators in that state report that they generated $5 million in taxes and fees from $54 million in direct wine shipments from out of state wineries. What's interesting is that neither of these states collect taxes on, let alone legally allow,…
I'M NOT SO SURE… 1…Millennials have much to offer ultra premium wineriesYes, they are adopting wine on a shorter timetable than past generations, but as Rob McMillan of Silicon Valley Bank has pointed out, these young'uns aren't buying much of the good stuff. They drinking wine with greater diversity and have a greater penchant for imported wines and enjoy really silly labels. But if I were selling $40+ bottles of wine, they would not be my target demographic. 2….It's smart…
