Last Thursday I attended the first open meeting of Governor Cuomo’s new alcohol beverage industry working group. The group, whose main mission is to modernize New York’s alcohol beverage laws by reviewing current statutory provisions, spent the entire meeting identifying a list of issues for further discussion and/or consideration. The first…
Tag: three-tier distribution
Massachusetts Accidentally Deletes State Law Allowing Farm Wineries to Self Distribute
As many wine and direct shipping advocates are aware, the new year marks a step forward for Massachusetts: the legalization of direct to consumer shipping for U.S. wineries shipping to Massachusetts customers. In 2013 and 2014, former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe lobbied to pass a Massachusetts law in favor of direct…
Retailer Empire Wine Sues New York State Liquor Authority: Direct Shipping
In August, the New York State Liquor Authority (“NYSLA”) charged a New York retailer, Empire Wine & Spirits, with sixteen counts of improperly shipping wine to out-of-state consumers in states including California, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. See New York Retailer Charged with Illegally Shipping Wine to Out-of-State Consumers. The charges…
Costco Wholesale Corp v. Hoen and Federal Antitrust Law
The SCOTUS Granholm decision of 2005 is far-reaching with respect to subsequent issues entailing the three-tier distribution system. Many states allowed wineries to self-distribute their wines directly to retailers and bypass the wholesaler intermediary. This was the issue in Costco Wholesale Corp. v. Hoen, a case decided by the United…
Three-Tier Distribution, Direct Shipment, and Wine Politics in the New York Times
On Sunday, The New York Times published an excellent op-ed article tracing the history of the regulation of wine in the states and discussing the major contemporary problem relating to three-tier distribution in America. The article, which is brilliantly written by David White of Terroirist blog, is accessible at Wholesale…
Direct Shipment of Wine Could Soon be Allowed in Maryland
Note: There were several corrections made to this entry post-publication. The author would like to specifically point out that direct shipment is not yet allowed in Maryland, but it appears that direct shipment will soon be available in Maryland in the upcoming months. We apologize for any confusion the original…
Washington State Elections: A Fundamental Change for Alcohol Laws?
The upcoming Washington State elections on November 2, 2010 will determine a key element with respect to restrictions on alcoholic beverage sales. At the polls, constituents will be asked to vote on two state initiatives that could change the state’s alcohol regulatory system, a system that has scantly changed since…
Is There a Future for the Three-Tier Alcohol Beverage Distribution System?
The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 by the 21st Amendment of the United States Constitution not only reinstated the legality of alcohol beverage consumption, but also introduced a new system for alcohol beverage distribution: the three-tier system. The three-tier system creates a platform between alcohol beverage producers, distributors, and retailers….