It should surprise no one that in the wake of last year’s Tennessee Wine v Thomas Supreme Court decision, lawsuits challenging discriminatory shipping bans on wine retailers have been filed in a number of states. Two important developments in this effort to bring fairness to wine regulations and access to wine for consumers recently occurred. A PETITION TO THE SUPREME COURT First, we note that a petition to the Supreme Court to hear an appeal in the Michigan wine retail…

Quite recently the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) made headlines by publishing a dataset highlighting presidential campaign contributions originating from individuals in the wine industry. It created a bit of a stir, particularly the AAWE’s conclusion that “The U.S. Wine Industry overwhelmingly supports President Trump”. Some thought this conclusion misrepresented the data and reality. It does. On a number of levels. In fact, the AAWE’s data and calculations have serious flaws—in its dataset, its research and analysis. Here is…

There is a possibility that one lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be a significant reformation of the rules that govern the sale and distribution of alcohol in America. If this does happen it will not be due to Americans and American policymakers realizing that bottles and cocktails can be successfully sold from the curbside. It will be due to a new social and economic paradigm dictating our understanding of the purpose of alcohol regulation. The social and economic…

The time for nonsense alcohol regulations is over. It’s done. If the American alcohol industry is going to get back on its feet and flourish after the unprecedented economic downturn caused by the shutdown of commercial activity then things are going to need to change. Flourishing commerce in alcohol must be the aim and deregulation of the alcohol industry is really the only way to achieve that aim quickly. REMOVE THE STATE-MANDATED MIDDLEMAN The one regulation that harms the alcohol…

Today marks the 86th anniversary of the official Repeal of Prohibition—that 13 year period during which it was illegal to produce and consumer alcohol in the United States of America. It was this constitutional measure that turned the first few years of the Great Depression into the Great Dystopia. Nevertheless, today we are free still, after 86 years, to consume our favorite beverage. One thing, however, of real interest to me was the spin that different folks put on #RepealDay….