US Supreme Court Ok's interstate wine shipping

[artmc]

I was not sure where best to place this, so I figured that the Hive was the best choice.


This just came through on CNN...


High court OKs interstate wine sales
http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/16/news...reut/index.htm


Figured that this would be of interest to everyone




* art *

[David Baldwin]

Story can also be found here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/scotus_wine_shipments

The decision itself can be found:
http://wid.ap.org/documents/scotus/050516granholm.pdf

This may be a very good thing for consumers unless Michigan legislators decide to prohibit all direct sales - essentially putting the small wineries out of business.


It looks like good news for now though.

David

[artmc]

This may be a very good thing for consumers unless Michigan legislators decide to prohibit all direct sales - essentially putting the small wineries out of business.


It looks like good news for now though.

David

My guess it that Pa will ban any direct sales of wine. Well that or make all alcohol illegal unless purchased through their State Stores.


This stupid Prohabition Era holdover (Pa's LCB) needs to got the way of the Dodo, and soon.



* art *


PS: Just in case it wasn't obvious, the "all alchohol illegal" comment was sarcasm.

[GntlKnght]

From www.freethegrapes.org:

National Toast Scheduled Tonight to Celebrate Supreme Court Justices’ Support for Wine Direct Shipping

May 16, 2005 – Free the Grapes!, a national coalition of more than 300,000 wine lovers and 2,000 wineries seeking to ensure access to wine, has scheduled a national toast this evening to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of interstate, direct-to-consumer wine shipping. (www.freethegrapes.org).

“Raise a glass at dinner tonight and toast the wisdom of the Supreme Court’s ruling,” asked Jeremy Benson, executive director of Free the Grapes! “We’re asking everyone who loves wine to participate—consumers, winemakers, retailers, restaurateurs, brokers and even wholesalers. There are no losers today. Today’s historic ruling will benefit each tier of the wine industry,” he added.

Despite the ruling, the grapes are not immediately free. The next step is for affected states to pass the existing model direct shipping bill, which is operating successfully in a number of states and was recommended for adoption by the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Task Force on the Wine Industry, in 1997.

“Discriminatory laws won’t change overnight. We need our Free the Grapes! members now, more than ever, to write their legislators in support of legal, regulated direct shipping that was endorsed today by the Supreme Court,” Benson added. The Free the Grapes! website allows consumers to personalize and automatically send messages to their state legislators. The wine industry’s public policy trade associations, including Wine Institute, WineAmerica and Family Winemakers of California, will now work with legislators in the affect states.

A wine war pits wine consumers—who want to purchase wine directly from wineries—against the $32 billion dollar wholesaler cartel, who want all purchases to flow through them. The wholesaler middlemen have aggressively supported legislation creating state-sanctioned monopolies in wine distribution in many states, triggering lawsuits, a thorough study by the Federal Trade Commission, and consumer outrage.

The ruling is widely interpreted as a boon for wine consumers. In its July 2003 report, the FTC characterized state shipping bans as “…the single largest regulatory barrier to expanded e-commerce in wine,” and that they “prevent consumers from saving as much as 21 percent on some wines and from conveniently purchasing many popular wines from suppliers around the country.”

[Oskaar]

I'll drink to that!

Mead and Wine in the toasting plan tonight!

[hedgehog]

Art,
I heard on the radio an interview with one of the PA LCB people. It sounded like they will try to fight it(ban it) and drag their feet as much as possible either way. Not surprising in the least. But what do you expect from this state?

[toolboxdiver]

Art,
I heard on the radio an interview with one of the PA LCB people. It sounded like they will try to fight it(ban it) and drag their feet as much as possible either way. Not surprising in the least. But what do you expect from this state?

I hear ya Hedgehog, I'm from PA also and the State stores are a royal pain in the A@@ lol. I enjoy heading to NY and visiting the wineries up at Senaca Lake. Maybe in 10 years this state will finally allow shipping from wineries. But you never know

[artmc]

Art,
I heard on the radio an interview with one of the PA LCB people. It sounded like they will try to fight it(ban it) and drag their feet as much as possible either way. Not surprising in the least. But what do you expect from this state?

Not a surprise at all.


As toolboxdiver, pointed out the LCB is evil. They exist to serve big distributers and mega wineries, the whole tme clsiming to defend the little guys. Hey wait a second, the resemble the RIAA !!! Well they predate the RIAA, so *THAT* might be where the RIAA got it's tactics......



* art *

[David Baldwin]

Here's another interesting article on the subject:

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_arti...?storyid=39894

[artmc]

Art,
I heard on the radio an interview with one of the PA LCB people. It sounded like they will try to fight it(ban it) and drag their feet as much as possible either way. Not surprising in the least. But what do you expect from this state?

Another article of interest
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/...98&newsLang=en

"The ruling does not immediately affect the remaining 24 states
that ban shipments from out-of-state wineries to consumers.
The next step is for legislators in the affected states
to pass the existing model direct shipping bill, which
was recommended for adoption by the National Conference
of State Legislatures' Task Force on the Wine Industry
in 1997. The model bill has been working successfully in
states from Nevada to Virginia; its provisions require an
out-of-state winery to purchase a direct shipping license
from the state, pay both excise and sales taxes, limit
shipments, mark boxes, and consent to the jurisdiction
of the state issuing the license."


PA gets an out, since they already offer this.

Now, 18% Punishment Tax is what they currently charge, in addition to
the local Sales Tax. In my case, it's Handling Fee (approx $4.95 per
order), 18% Special Liquour Order Tax, and Sales Tax 6% (Pa State Sales Tax)
PLUS the 1% Tax for the Glory shopping in Allegheny County.


Well maybe if were lucky the LCB will lossen up restrictions...



* art *

[CosmicCharlie]

So, are the grapes going to be freed?