Feds Considering Allowing States to Ban Mail Order Wine

A legislative proposal on the Hill threatens to limit direct-to-consumer wine/beer sales from wineries/breweries via the U.S. mail. The legislative proposal–apparently a draft developed by beer
wholesalers–would grant states more authority to impose
interstate restrictions on alcohol trade. It challenges Supreme Court
rulings designed to prevent interstate protectionism by requiring states
to treat intrastate and interstate wineries the same. Hence, if a
state allows its wineries to ship wine to other states, they must allow wineries
from other states to ship to their consumers. Wholesalers seem to fear
that the continued expansion of such trade reduces their role as
middlemen between wineries and retailers–cutting their profits. It is
doubtful that the wholesaler industry would disappear completely. In
some cases it may cut out the middleman, but this is good for consumers
who benefit from greater choice. Check out my
post on winepolicy.com for more
information.

A coalition of industry and consumer groups has formed a Facebook page where consumers can express their support for free trade. Check it out and share with friends.