How the three-tier system ruined my birthday
My wife wanted to surprise me this year for my birthday, and order me a bottle of Chateau La Fleur, the Vintage would represent my birth year.
Unfortunately, my wife discovered that ordering wine is not as easy as ordering shoes on Amazon.
My wife went […]
Michigan proposes liquor legislation, beware!
The Michigan legislature has proposed several pieces of legislation that will become problematic if passed into law.
The legislative bills if passed, will grease the palms of the Michigan wine and beer wholesalers, and leave the State of Michigan vulnerable to Constitutional challenges.
SB […]
Governor Pritzker announced that restaurants and bars in DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, and Will counties will not be allowed to have indoor seating starting at 12:00 am Friday October 23, 2020. Subject to certain restrictions outdoor seating is still allowed.
But let us look at the real issue here. It is no longer July in […]
The three-tier system fails the competition and choice test
Advocates of the three-tier system, mainly those representing the wholesaler tier, claim that wholesalers bring commercial benefits to society by creating healthy competition and by providing a vast assortment of brands to the marketplace.
According to this theory if not for the wholesalers, there would be […]
Politics and alcohol don’t mix
In this election season we are all inundated with politics and a lot of it. Many of us try to avoid it and turn away from conversations related to politics. But try as we may, there is no getting around it. Politics are part of the culture […]
Michigan attempts to restrict DTC wine shipping will create major problems!
Proposed legislation in Michigan that targets out-of-state wine direct shippers would have a devastating impact on the State of Michigan.[1] If passed the proposed legislation would rob Michigan of tax revenue, severely restrict consumer choice, and would leave the […]
Ohio’s 21st Amendment Enforcement Action, is there more than meets the eye?
A great Wine Spectator piece covered Ohio’s lawsuit against out-of-state retailers shipping wine to Ohio consumers. Ohio filed a lawsuit under the 21st Amendment Enforcement Act, seeking an injunction to stop these out of-state retailers from shipping to Ohio consumers.
Ohio’s wine […]
Desiring to celebrate Tom Seaver’s Life, state liquor laws preclude a proper celebration
Tom Seaver’s passing leaves a mark of sadness to people like me that grew up watching him. His impressive pitching and the way he carried himself, made us all want to be the next Tom Seaver.
Although his greatest years were with […]
Are states playing Nero while distilleries bleed?
Why spirits shipping is not dangerous
As winery shipping is readily available to most consumers across the United States. One must ask why isn’t spirits shipping in this same category?
Some trying to stop spirits shipping make the case about the dangers of the devil’s rum […]
Big City Fights May Emerge in the Wine Shipping Game
After years of budget mismanagement that is only getting worse, Chicago decided to expand its tax base by imposing its liquor tax on Direct To Consumer (DTC) winery shipments into the state. The new tax will treat a direct wine shipper like any retailer […]