Feb 28, 2017
“We can’t support that bill and it doesn’t matter that it’s a good bill for our members. If we do, the wholesalers will kill all the bills we are looking to pass this year.” This response, from the head of a wine industry association, is not unique. That is to say, I’ve heard it said before; every year I hear it said; it gets blurted out by wine industry associations of all types in many states. The middlemen box-movers of…
Feb 24, 2017
Sometimes, out of nowhere, a lawmaker in a state does something audacious and profoundly beneficial to the consumers. That’s happened in Texas. A Texas lawmaker named Matt Rinaldi has authored a bill (HB 2291) that completely reforms the laws for the direct shipment of wine to consumers in that state. Currently, Texas retailers, Texas Wineries, and out-of-state wineries may ship wine to Texans. However, Texans are forbidden by law from having wine shipped to them from out-of-state retailers and wine…
Feb 3, 2017
As much as I like Rosé and as much as I like pretty pictures, I question this statement reported by Meininger’s Wine Business International recounting a seminar held recently at Vinisud 2017 in Montpellier: “Social media has helped rosé skyrocket to fame and fortune.” Master of Wine Sarah Abbot made the claim, going on to explain: “America has the largest number of Instagram users in the world, with Russia second. There are over 60m Instagram users in the States and they share…
Feb 1, 2017
The wine industry and wine consumers should take careful note of the fact that in a Wine Spectator article about the sharp increase in winery to consumer shipments in 2016, writers Lexi Williams and Ben O’Donnell also spent considerable space outlining the various ways by which states are attempting to cut off consumers from shipments from out-of-state wine stores and retailers. Of particular interest in this story was the claim made by the state of Illinois (which is being sued…
Jan 30, 2017
It is becoming abundantly clear that there exist today in the United States two very distinct and separately operating wine industries. One, the larger of the two, is dedicated to selling relatively inexpensive wine to the masses. The other is dedicated to selling relatively expensive wine to a smaller group of wine lovers. What’s interesting about these two separate industries is that there is less and less for their members to talk to each other about. Take for example the…