Archive for the ‘Wine Legal Battles’ Category
ANYONE who doubts that foes and opponents of direct shipment of wine and free trade do not have the best interests of wine lovers or consumers at heart need only read the following comment from the wine wholesalers representative in Michigan that appeared in a Wine Spectator article: "[We] believe that between the wine brands currently approved for sale in the state and the currently 420-some wineries throughout the country that have direct-shipping permits, the consumers have tremendous variety and…
This has to be one of the more interesting wine-related political donnybrooks I’ve seen in a while. It’s rare to see a chain of liquor stores come out and say, "we won’t buy that category of wine because we don’t like their politics", but that’s exactly what Liquor Barn of Kentucky said the other day as reported in the Currier-Journal. Liquor Barn was PISSED that Kentucky wineries supported a bill to allow wine sales in grocery stores (I know….how audacious…
Michigan Consumers should be smiling. A Federal District Court Judge in that state ruled on Tuesday that the state’s law that bars consumers from buying and having wine shipped to them from out-of-state retailers violated the U.S. Constitution and enjoined the State from enforcing laws that prevent such shipments. The decision was a forceful one. Judge Donna Hood made no bones about it: "the State’s argument that the Twenty First Amendment gives it the authority to regulate alcohol coming into…
When you spend enough time watching wine politics play out, it becomes a real necessity to be able to laugh…otherwise you’ll spend your time at the chiropractor from shaking your head back and forth in dismay. The wine politics playing out in Oklahoma are both hilarious as well as depressing. This November, Oklahoma residents will, again, vote on the issue of winery "self distribution". "Self Distribution" refers to when a winery sells directly to a retailer or restaurant at a…
The Feds are proposing to expand the Russian River Valley Appellation by 350 acres to the south, which will include Gallo’s acreage there. Why the hell not! It’s not as thought there is any real viticultural meaning the Russian River Valley AVA. The number of different climates, soils and rainfall totals you can find in this unwieldy appellation are probably too many to count on two hands. As it is currently configured, I don’t believe the Russian River Valley AVA…
