Apr 25, 2007
Yesterday I had to sit back in my chair for a short moment and reflect on a very interesting moment. I had just been accused by a moderately influential person of being a shill for bootleggers. As I thought about the verbal outburst that I took in a phone call to Illinois I realized that it wasn’t about a point of law as the facts the gentleman mustered were not facts at all but a complete misreading of the law….
Apr 23, 2007
The Specialty Wine Retailers Association (SWRA) is opposing Illinois legislation that would prohibit all retailers across the country from shipping wine to consumers in that state. The legislation, HB 429, is expected to be debated in the Illinois legislature late this week. While the legislation has the support of numerous winery associations in California because it maintains winery shipping rights, SWRA believes this kind of anti-competitive legislation hurts the entire wine industry, not to mention Illinois consumers. HB 429 creates…
Apr 4, 2007
Ever thought about buying some dirt in Wine Country somewhere in the world and setting up shop with a vineyard? I have. If I were to get into the production side of the wine business and money were no object, I’d become a grower. But, as a wonderful new article in the latest issue of Wine Enthusiast by Roger Voss and Kathleen Buckley points out, money can be an object that gets in your way. "The Price of Dirt" in…
Apr 1, 2007
It’s April 1st…April Fools Day. To Truly Celebrate you need THIS
Mar 28, 2007
Here’s a little trick for evaluating the true concerns of an organization associated with wine: compare the things they like to talk about VERSUS those things they DON’T talk about. Take the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers Association as an example. The other day they issued a press release that breathlessly and near hysterically denounced all on-line retailers for the way they sell wine. The organization’s president Craig Wolf said this: "On-line retailers are playing fast and loose with alcohol laws…