Good article. Thank you. I’m with you 100% and glad you brought up the anti-competition policies the administration is trying to advance. This is where we need Ralph Nader and Elizabeth Warren to help.
This unfair competition is worsened when state winery associations, funded by all of us (winemakers and wine drinkers) promote the larger wineries above the smaller ones.
Sigh.
Keep up the good info and please tell us how to continue to stay involved.
Thank you, it was a great piece of analysis. It is becoming noticeable that many state associations are becoming passive when it comes to regulatory changes and not opening their minds to understand what happens in one state, now does impact those in another. The California Redemption Value (CRV) is a great example, the ripple across the nation was huge. Next up if passed will be AB 2863 that if left as is will have a potential big impact on the craft producers that run clubs. Again the attitude is that "oh that is in California so we don't have to worry" - but what is enacted in one state does impact all those selling the state. Best help - have your legislators read this blog 8) - we only offer up the realities of what we see. Thanks again for your support.
Right! We are in Oregon and I would really like to see our wine board be more vocal. Alas we are licensed in CA and the redemption thing is just ridiculous! Their who system is ridiculous! Thank goodness for Vinoshipper!
ARe you suggesting that changes in distribution laws (particularly self distribution) out to be written so as to allow producers making less than a certain number of cases to self distribute? Or are you suggesting that distribution laws ought to be changed to allow all producers, regardless of size, to self distribute?
It should be written to allow all producers to self-distribute. But as the article shows, some producers do not need that ability. Take the example of Highnoon once they saw the category growing as developed by craft producers, Gallo created a good product and dropped it immediately into their wholesale channel, now it is the largest brand in the segment. Big picture, no reason to not allow all producers to self distribute but understand many of the large producers do not want the competition in the market and so they won’t oppose changes, but they won’t push for change and neither will the associations that represent them.
Good article. Thank you. I’m with you 100% and glad you brought up the anti-competition policies the administration is trying to advance. This is where we need Ralph Nader and Elizabeth Warren to help.
This unfair competition is worsened when state winery associations, funded by all of us (winemakers and wine drinkers) promote the larger wineries above the smaller ones.
Sigh.
Keep up the good info and please tell us how to continue to stay involved.
Thank you, it was a great piece of analysis. It is becoming noticeable that many state associations are becoming passive when it comes to regulatory changes and not opening their minds to understand what happens in one state, now does impact those in another. The California Redemption Value (CRV) is a great example, the ripple across the nation was huge. Next up if passed will be AB 2863 that if left as is will have a potential big impact on the craft producers that run clubs. Again the attitude is that "oh that is in California so we don't have to worry" - but what is enacted in one state does impact all those selling the state. Best help - have your legislators read this blog 8) - we only offer up the realities of what we see. Thanks again for your support.
Right! We are in Oregon and I would really like to see our wine board be more vocal. Alas we are licensed in CA and the redemption thing is just ridiculous! Their who system is ridiculous! Thank goodness for Vinoshipper!
Steve,
ARe you suggesting that changes in distribution laws (particularly self distribution) out to be written so as to allow producers making less than a certain number of cases to self distribute? Or are you suggesting that distribution laws ought to be changed to allow all producers, regardless of size, to self distribute?
Tom...
It should be written to allow all producers to self-distribute. But as the article shows, some producers do not need that ability. Take the example of Highnoon once they saw the category growing as developed by craft producers, Gallo created a good product and dropped it immediately into their wholesale channel, now it is the largest brand in the segment. Big picture, no reason to not allow all producers to self distribute but understand many of the large producers do not want the competition in the market and so they won’t oppose changes, but they won’t push for change and neither will the associations that represent them.