NOW MARYLAND

[Jerry D Mead]

KC...I've been asked to copy and paste in the message from someone who is very politically savvy re the wine biz. JDM


The writer is correct--it is absurd that so little is being done to counter the
plethora of laws being proposed and promulgated across the country. While I
believe the only successful course toward changing anti-direct shipping laws is
through the courts (which is CFT's mission), it is appalling that so little
visible political and public relations efforts are being made to fight the new
avalanche of state laws limiting direct shipping and criminalizing direct
shippers.

At the insistence of mainline wine trade associations, the responsibility for
carrying the political and public relations fight is in the hands of Wine
Institute (WI), American Vintners Association in DC (AVA) and the newly formed
Free the Grapes! (FTG!).

CFT, the the industry's former, highly effective "attack dog," is no longer
involved in the political and public relations aspects of the fight. (CFT has
returned to its original goal of defeating the wholesalers and states in court
were it met much success in Florida defending direct shippers.)

I believe, as the writer indicates, the industry is not aggressively challenging
the current round of wholesaler/local retailers and state attack on direct
shipping. Frankly, the mainline organizations have never fought back with great
vigor and they opposed CFT for doing so. Since the vast majority of US wineries
and wine consumers support legalizing direct shipping, one must question why
mainline industry organizations have not elevated the issue to the highest
priority.

As the writer suggests, there are ways to politically counter WSWA and their
retail and state supplicants. It only takes commitment, money and guts. The key
is the latter and it is in very short supply.

WBM
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