Why do so many Michigan wine lovers choose to buy wine from out-of-state retailers rather than buy their wine from Michigan’s own retailers? This really should be the question that emerges from the hyperbolic, breathless headline issued by the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association noting that “More than 480,000 Bottles of Wine Shipped Illegally into Michigan During Second, Third Quarters of 2019”. The Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association have been issuing these sorts of press releases for a…

Wine writers of all sorts really ought to focus more on the business of wine, as W. Blake Gray, Felicity Carter, Elin McCoy and Cyril Penn are all about to explain at an upcoming virtual event of significance. As Alder Yarrow reminds, the Wine Media Conference is nearly upon us. The Wine Media Conference is the new name for the Wine Bloggers Conference, which began its run in 2008, making this years virtual version the 13th deep dive into wine…

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…