Home > Liquid > Archives > 2010 > April > 27 > Entry
Congress ponders limiting your wine choices
Like ordering direct from out-of-state wineries? Congress is considering sticking a cork in it.
Sigh Here we go again. Reader Shannon Perdue alerts us to legislation the U.S. House of Representatives is considering that would effectively put an end to wineries shipping directly to out-of-state customers.
It’s all over the blogosphere. There’s an exhaustive, vehement analysis here. Wine Spectator’s take is here. And there’s a story with a Texas angle here.
Prevailing wisdom from all the chatter is that wholesales are playing the heavy, aiming to shore up the sacred three-tier system.
You know, as a completely objective journalist, that I have no opinion whatsoever on this — and I know a fair number of good people in that corner of the business. But how on Earth is this good for the wine business, particularly small wineries? Now what happens if you visit a winery in Sonoma whose wines are not distributed in Texas and you want to ship a case home? I’ll tell you what: You’re out of luck.
Comments
Austinites love to be heard, and we're giving you a bullhorn. We just ask that you keep things civil. Leave out the personal attacks. Do not use profanity, ethnic or racial slurs, or take shots at anyone's sexual orientation or religion. If you can't be nice, we reserve the right to remove your material and ban users who violate our Visitor's agreement. Click here to report comment abuse.
By Joshua S Sweeney
April 27, 2010 12:02 PM | Link to this
It’s nice to see the story getting spread so quickly. The News & Record was the first mainstream news outlet I saw that really jumped on this story. They called me yesterday morning to get my take on it, and it’s true, I wouldn’t be able to get any Texas wine once this passes. I’ve seen the Wall Street Journal carrying it as well as your site now. You’re absolutely right. The result of all this is a message from distributors to wine consumers: “you’re out of luck.”