The Florida Legislature adjourned in early May without passing a direct shipping permit bill, thus leaving the state open for wine shipping for the remainder of 2008 under current conditions. Family Winemakers of California lobbyists, in conjunction with Wine Institute advocates, managed to contain a last-day blitz by wholesalers. SB 2608 (Saunders) was not taken up by the House on the last day, which meant no bill would be passed. Wineries across the U.S. can continue to take orders from Florida consumers and follow the same rules that have been in place since 2006. Representative Ellyn Bogdanoff once again was instrumental in keeping Florida open for consumers, according to Family Winemakers of California executive director Paul Kronenberg. She refused to move any legislation with a discriminatory production cap.

Inertia Beverage Group announced today that it has opened its REthink Compliance™ tool for use free of charge to any winery, fulfillment house or compliance company. Access to Inertia's REthink Compliance tool comes without qualification and does not require use or subscription to Inertia's direct shipping platform.

With the wine industry enjoying steady growth, all phases of the business are doing well. More equipment is being sold to produce more wine to satisfy more demand. That translates into more corks, bottles and, ultimately, more case goods. Add the 2005 Supreme Court decision allowing customers in more states to receive direct shipments of wine, and it is obvious why wineries are thriving.

Saying that regulations challenged by Costco are anti-competitive and increase the average cost of beer and wine in Washington, U.S. District Court judge Marsha Pechman issued a ruling on April 21 that strikes down many liquor control board policies. Not too surprisingly, the court did not find a 21st Amendment defense.

Saying that regulations challenged by Costco are anti-competitive and increase the average cost of beer and wine in Washington, U.S. District Court judge Marsha Pechman issued a ruling on April 21 that strikes down many liquor control board policies. Not too surprisingly, the court did not find a 21st Amendment defense.

To see where 21^st Century wine distribution is headed after the direct shipment decision in Granholm, industry observers have turned to Costco Wholesale Corp. vs. Hoen, [i] now before the federal district court in Seattle. On December 21, 2005, the Costco judge ruled on pretrial motions of both immediate and long-term significance.The...

The Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses & Control has confirmed a minor change to its direct-to-consumer wine shipping regulations, effective immediately. Under the original interpretation of the direct shipping law Arizona residents could not receive direct-to-consumer wine shipments unless they purchased the wine on-site, and shipments did not exceed 2 cases per consumer per year. The ... by Annie Bones, State Relations - Wine Institute

It came down to the wire, but the always heated battle in Florida ended with the legislative session closing on Friday with no bills making it out of the state congress. Multiple bills were considered for wine direct shipping, most of which included a “capacity cap” on annual production for wine shippers. The major winery ... by Jeff Carroll - VP of Compliance, ShipCompliant