Wine Clubs Being Banned in Florida
Well, the wine clubs are not being banned, but state legislators in Florida are trying to keep wineries who manufacture more than 250,000 gallons of wine a year from being able to mail-order any product. This would affect on-line order, catalog orders and wine clubs.
Tammy from Celebrate Wine is understandably not thrilled by the prospect:
As a Florida resident, I will be affected by any change in laws dealing with shipping wine. This is just another “big brother” tactic by republicans who want to good ol’ boy network gets to keep the largest piece of the pie. According to the article, I have good reason to be worried.
The Sun-Sentinal reports:
But critics, led by California wineries who view direct shipping in Florida as a lucrative new avenue into the country’s second-largest wine market, say the push is nothing more than an effort to protect the in-state liquor industry, which spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on campaign contributions.Southern Wine & Spirits contributed more than $400,000 to Florida political parties, committees and candidates during the 2006 election cycle, according to state records. The donations included more than $220,000 to the Republican Party of Florida and more than $90,000 to the Florida Democratic Party, records show.The 250,000 cap “serves no purpose other than to . . . benefit the wholesalers and protect their profits,” said Hunter Limbaugh, a lobbyist for The Wine Institute, which represents more than 1,000 California wineries.
This is an important issue not only for wine drinkers in Florida, but for wine drinkers everywhere. Many liquor organizations in other states have or are attempting the same thing. This will be watched carefully to see if such a bill can truly hold your liquor. To read the full article from the Sun-Sentinal click here.
Photo from http://nappavalley.com
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POSTED IN: Legal Case, Wine
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