Newly into wine

[Thomas]

Peterson, the anti-shipping legislation that you heard of stems from the Repeal of Prohibition, in 1933. In its ever-flawed and spineless wisdom, Congress was afraid to tackle the alcohol question and so, it passed legislation to allow the states the right to regulate alcohol however each state saw fit. This stupid act gave us the present situation of fifty states with fifty different views of how to buy, sell and tax alcohol (make no mistake about it, as much as we see wine as food, federal and local governments view it as a SIN and a wonderful source of revenue).

Shipping restrictions are the result of fifty states with fifty ideas on how to "allow" wine to cross borders. Alcohol is the only product in the United States that is restricted from free trade across state borders, in clear contrast to the Commerce Clause of the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But it will take a legal challenge and the Supreme Court to rule on it before that restrictive situation is lifted.

Congress' attitude toward alcohol in 1933 took it out of the hands of organized crime and then created a situation for states to become the criminals, or to at least get in bed with some.

Those who support keeping the status quo fall in two camps: the alcohol distributors who love state protection for their industry; the anti-alcohol groups who love any law that restricts access to alcohol--strange bedfellows indeed.