Maintaining Consumers' Right to Choose
In an effort to turn back the clock on the direct shipment of wine to consumers, the National Beer Wholesalers Association has introduced a bill in Congress that would, in effect, overturn the 2005 "Granholm v. Heald" US Supreme Court decision that helped pave the way for wineries to ship wine directly to more consumers around the country.
H.R. 5034 would make it practically impossible to bring legal action against states' wine shipping laws that violate the Constitution's Commerce Clause. It would do so by prohibiting wine shipment to consumers from out-of-state wineries while permitting in-state wineries to ship directly to consumers. The end result would be a return to discriminatory wine shipping laws within the states, greatly restricting choice among wine consumers nationwide.
The NVV believes that consumers in all 50 states should have the ability to directly purchase fine wine from those who produce it . Many medium to small wineries have very limited distribution and garner little attention from the large distributors andsurvive by selling wine through mailing lists, wine clubs, and over the internet.
Napa Valley Vintners agree that the existing three-tier system should be augmented, not eliminated, and should provide controls and regulations that respect local laws, avoid underage access and provide provisions for wineries to pay the local, state and federal taxes on their wines.
What you can do to help: Visit www.freethegrapes.org to learn more about the direct shipping issue and how consumers can help ensure fair direct shipping laws.
