Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania should look to another control state, New Hampshire, as an example of how to successfully implement direct-to-consumer shipping laws for the benefit of consumer choice and state regulators. Today's news from the Philadelphia Inquirer shows voters casting their ballots in favor of direct-to-consumer shipping (97% in favor at 9:00am PT). The bill under consideration really isn't direct shipping; it's a 'special order provision' that merely allows a consumer to order a wine from the state store, not directly from a winery. Also, inclusion of a "capacity cap" that limits which wineries can ship based merely on their production size may be unconstitutional (it is being litigated in MA). - Free the Grapes!
Monday, August 18, 2008 @ 12:06 pm ET

 0 Comments    Syndicate    Add Comment

Obituary: Tom Shelton
On July 26, the wine community lost one of its most ardent supporters of expanded direct-to-consumer shipping. Tom Shelton, former president of Joseph Phelps Vineyards, served on the boards of Free the Grapes! and Coalition for Free Trade, among many other groups and worthy causes. He helped to found Free the Grapes!, representing the Napa Valley Vintners trade association, and was a pillar in this industry-wide campaign to open more states to legal direct shipping. He will be sorely missed as a friend and an effective director whose calm determination and ability to see the forest for the trees were critical to the industry’s success.

For more information, visit www.sheltonplace.com. - Free the Grapes!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 @ 2:15 pm ET

 0 Comments    Syndicate    Add Comment

Wholesalers
FOOD&WINE MAGAZINE BLOGS ABOUT WHOLESALERS -- May 20, 2008.

Ray Isle, Senior Wine Editor at Food&Wine magazine, writes an informative blog at http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/tasting-room, and one post last week caught our attention:

“Next time you can't find an interesting but small production wine in your local wine store, you might want to consider these remarks by Jack Goldenberg, Chairman of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America at their 65th Annual Convention:

"The American consumer who’s complaining that he can’t get some obscure frou-frou wine produced and bottled by Croatian virgins is missing the point. The reason he even WANTS that bottle of wine is because of the incredible variety that is already on the shelves! And how did it get there? WE put it there!"

Well! Helpful clarification, there. Perhaps when I get emails from readers wondering why they can't find a specific wine, and can't order it directly from the winery, either, I'll just forward those words along. Yikes.”

If you'd like to read the full transcript of Mr. Golenberg's remarks, visit

http://www.wswa.org/public/media/20080409.html - Free the Grapes!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 @ 1:58 pm ET

 0 Comments    Syndicate    Add Comment

Maryland
UPDATE: MARYLAND BILLS KILLED AFTER GOOD FIGHT. Annapolis, Maryland.

Senate Bill 616 and House Bill 1260, based on the model direct shipping bill in effect in the majority of U.S. states, were heard in committee but died there during the 2008 legislative session. Both bills received widespread consumer support, while media coverage focused on wholesaler influence in the state. The bills would have significantly improved consumer choice in wine by allowing any winery or retailer licensed by Maryland to ship a limited amount of wine directly to consumers 21 years or older in the state.

Unfortunately, all direct-to-consumer wine shipments continue to be prohibited by Maryland law. The state is one of 15 that do not allow interstate, winery-to-consumer shipments. The shipping bills were endorsed by the Maryland Winery Association, which represents Maryland’s 31 wineries, as well as Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws, a consumer advocacy group. Maryland is the 18th largest state for wine consumption (source: Adams Wine Handbook 2007), and has tried for years to break the wine wholesaler’s iron grip on distribution. - Free the Grapes!
Friday, May 9, 2008 @ 12:55 pm ET

 1 Comment    Syndicate    Add Comment

Florida
UPDATE: CONSUMERS WIN. FLORIDA SESSION ENDS WITHOUT "CAP" BILL -- May 8, 2008. Florida's 2008 legislative session concluded without passing one of the four discriminatory bills that were introduced. The "no action" is a victory for Florida's wine lovers, allowing them to continue purchasing and receiving wines directly from wineries. As previously reported, four Florida legislators introduced separate bills that included discriminatory caps, preventing wineries producing more than 100,000 cases from continuing to ship directly to consumers.

The bills included:

1) HB 693: Representative Bogdanoff amended her bill to remove the production capacity cap, however, it would have allowed only eight cases to be shipped per household, per year.

2) HB 1293: Representative Garcia’s bill.

3) SB 1736: Senator Geller’s bill.

4) SB 1096: Senator Margolis’ bill.

Thank you to all Floridians who sent letters and called their state legislators to voice their opinions about these bills. - Free the Grapes
Friday, May 9, 2008 @ 12:50 pm ET

 1 Comment    Syndicate    Add Comment