Bang Bang (aka Two Steps Back)

Checking in on WineSpectator.com, I ran across an unfortunate event that happened recently that may profoundly change wine shipping laws and the wine industry in general.  And I'm pissed.

Give it a browse: http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show?id=42526
Also as a primer, see my article on wine shipping practices

Apparently, the National Beer Wholesalers Association prodded congress to consider legislation that will help strengthen the three tier system that prevents direct wine shipment into many states.  This direction is aimed not only to set a standard for wine shipping practices, but it is also designed to set a precedent in which to squash much of the progress being made to loosen wine shipping laws.  Many of the changes and challenges to the system are based upon lawsuits and court cases which would have to abide by these new standards.

So knowing that it may be a bit colloquial for any argument against legislation, I am going to start by saying there are many better things to sink our time and money into.  For all of the hazardous items that one can have access to, fine wine should be the least of our concerns.  In a nation where getting a gun shipped to you is easier than a bottle of Cabernet*, we need to look to where our focus and money may be better spent.  This is not a political thing, left or right, it is just a simple statement that there are ways to protect the consumers' rights and there are more important and basic things that our lawmakers should be spending their time on.

*7-10 days and about $500 will get me an AK-47 shipped to my local gun dealer (http://www.thegunsource.com/Content.aspx?cKey=Buy_Guns_Online).  But for all of the money in the world, I can not get wine from Hightower Cellars, a lovely husband an wife winemaking team from Washington State because they are not brought in by my local wholesaler.

Then again, one could argue that the damage done by firearms does not match up with the destruction done by alcohol.  While I'm not going to look up the stats on that one, I'm also not going to deny it by any means.  That being said, I really believe that fine wine is not necessarily the largest danger in that equation.  Winery direct shipments probably include responsible drinkers more than any other method of acquiring booze.  Shipping alcohol does not mean indiscriminate selling.  Done right, it should be as particular as walking to your local package store.  We have the technology to verify legal recipients and the immense responsibility to ensure legal sales by the seller; the system should be developing strengths instead of being torn down.

But the main focus here is protecting the wholesalers of the world.  If wineries and wine stores cannot ship between states, the wholesaler has near absolute price control.  When some people realize that they could pay less, consumers would try to shop in other markets.  But given this knowledge, an enormous component of the market still accepts their prices because the trouble to price shop across state lines is immensely inconvenient and costly in itself.  And a smaller percentage of fine wine buyers either do not care because they have the money for the luxury or use alternate auction markets anyways.  This bill puts the screws to the casual wine enthusiast who wants to spend their money on their favourite things.  If the wholesaler is not capable of providing this to them, what right do they have to prevent it from happening?  Well, apparently they are in the midst of creating that very right.

Whatever your interests, this is overall an anti-competitive move to solidify the bubble that state lines enforce to control liquor, wine, and beer pricing.  It is a very pointed and backhanded move by the industry leaders and it will have its casualties.  I understand that Massachusetts and its antiquated notions of liquor laws would restrict shipping.  But to overhaul the entire nations' wine market would  a punch to the gut for wine lovers everywhere.

If I try to go much further I will start to get political and mean.  But instead, I'll leave you with the idea that wine need not be a scary and unfortunate commodity.  Wine should be bought and enjoyed casually, with friends and food.  The information age has created more knowledgeable consumers who want to buy delicious wine.  The more transparency that there is in the industry will provide for a better product to be enjoyed by more people, more often.