+- WineBoard (https://www.wines.com/wineboard)
+-- Forum: GENERAL (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-100.html)
+--- Forum: Rants & Raves (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-12.html)
+--- Thread: The Darkside gets theirs.... (/thread-12748.html)
- Botafogo - 04-26-2001
For years many people have questioned our refusal to sell some of the top Italians wines because their importer was, in our opinion, not to be trusted, greedy beyond comprehension and probably a "made guy". Well, I am now in possession of a press release from the BATF enforcement wing pointing out that Vinifera Imports has made an offer in compromise to pay a $225,000 fine and have there license suspended for 45 days (in leu of a $2 MILLION dollar fine) and admitted to not only falsification of labeling and customs documents but hidden ownership in their company by others and THEIR hidden controlling interest in two distributors. Those of you in the trade know this is surely just the tip of the iceberg but it's a start....
Roberto
- winoweenie - 04-26-2001
Sounds like he got his training in the carpet Biz. WW
- Thomas - 04-26-2001
...the magic carpet biz...
- Innkeeper - 04-26-2001
Could not agree more with what has been written above. Many thanks to Roberto for bringing this disgrace to our attention. Hate to say this, but there is also a dark side to the ATF. In Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences that arrived today Dan documents some very diappointing exploits by our government.
Charles Krug Winery had to pay a $300,000.00 fine for a neckband that the ATF had approved 35 previous times. Soon after the conglomerate Bronco Wine Company bought Napa Ridge from Beringer, they started getting heat from the ATF about the name. After being vindicated by an administrative law judge, further pressure from the ATF forced them to pay a $750,000.00 fine. This is called surprisingly, "Government Blackmail." The ATF is also somewhat inefficient. One winery submitted 12 labels for approval including one named after an ATF approved AVA. You guessed it all but that one got approved. It was referred to the "Hard Team." A call from the winery to the Hard Team revealed they the Hard Team had never heard of the AVA and were going to disapprove the label. The winery faxed the ATF their approval form form for the AVA, and the then the ATF said they would approve it. Then they notified the winery to resubmit all 12 label applications because they had lost them.
Dan Berger was a friend and contemporary of our founder Jerry Mead. He took over the e-mail versions of the Wine Trader after Jerry died for a full year. He is now one of the sole voices crying in the wilderness. Highly recommend you subscribe to his newsletter. It is $85 for those in the business, and $52 for most of rest of us. Contact him at info@VintageExperiences.com. I highly recommed it.
- Botafogo - 04-27-2001
Don't get me wrong, I'm no apologist for the Feds (they drive us CRAZY a lot of the time) BUT this guy deserved all he got and more....
- winoweenie - 04-27-2001
++++ " I'm no apologist for the Feds "... Nor the Vintners, the distributors, the chefs, the bakers, the candle-stick makers, or any yahoo who projects ostentious mannerisms. Long live the good wine peeples.WW