What a joke!

[hotwine]

The following news item showed up on a back page of today's San Antonio Express-News under "Senate OKs direct shipment of wine":

"Small wineries across (Texas) got a boost Tuesday morning as the Senate passed a measure allowing them to ship direct within the state.
Currently shipping restrictions prevent wineries from making drect-to-consumer sales. HB892 by Rep. David Swinford, R-Dumas, allows consumers to ship bottles to themselves when a purchase is made at the winery.
Consumers also can order bottles of wine by phone or via the Internet, provided that the order is sent to a local retail store to be purchased. The measure also allows wineries to conduct wine tastings and in-house sales in both wet and dry counties.
Swinford said the measure aims to help Texas compete with growing wine markets in California and Washington state."

Yeah, right. And further entrench the #$%#@## three-tiered distribution system in the lives of our citizens!

On the other hand, some direct shipping is better than no direct shipping, which is what we've got now.

I'm trying to look at this as the nose of our camel just beginning to poke into the tent of the wholesalers..... but I've never been a patient man.