Archive for the ‘Shipping Wine’ Category

Jul 1, 2005

The Snake and the Winemakers

The purchase of an elected official is hardly uncommon in America. There is, in fact, a long and distinguished history of graft that runs like a snake though the American era. Yet, one of the real accomplishments of the American culture is that this snake has not swallowed all political commerce. There remains a real, not feigned, expectation among voters of fair dealings when it comes to matters of public policy. It is the American practice of expecting something more…

Jun 27, 2005

A Tale of CA Politics, Wine Politics and the Law

If, as the Supreme Court said, a state has the right to regulate the sale of alcohol nearly any way it wants as long as in-state and out-of-state wineries are on equal footing, does this also mean that the same applies to wine retailers? California’s answer to this question appears to be "NO", a response that could lead to more lawsuits dealing in discrimination just as the recent Supreme Court case did.THE NEW CA WINE SHIPPING LAWCurrently California Senate Bill…

Jun 27, 2005

Interview with a Michigan Wine Warrior

As often happens, private citizens are foreced to come together and pool their resources in order to fight protect their rights, fight more powerful and well-funded entities and create change. This is the story of WINE CAM (Wine Consumers Across Michigan. Wine Cam was created in the wake of the Supreme Court decision determining state discrimination in the direct shipping of wine was unconstitutional. Joel Goldberg is one of the founders of WineCam. He agreed to talk to FERMENTATIONS and…

Jun 24, 2005

New Yorkers To Get Wine Shipped Direct!

It looks official. The State of New York, after being told by the Supreme Court that their direct shipping laws were discriminatory and unconstitutional, will send a bill to the governor’s desk that opens the State to direct shipping of wine to consumers. Of course this is great news both for consumers and wineries. But it’s also important for another reason. New York’s partner in the Supreme Court case was Michigan, where legislators will grapple with two bills, one shutting…