Some of our Favorite Bloggers

The IWA was basically founded during the legislation of HB0429 regarding wine shipment in Illinois. The governor's signing of the bill is a travesty to wine consumers, and to growing Illinois wineries, despite the various press articles mentioning it's positive effects.

IWA President / Founder, Fred Koehler (also President of Lynfred Winery) is currently creating a 10-point check list regarding the negatives on the bill which we will post later this week. In the meantime there are some outstanding and passionate authors, reporters and bloggers out there fighting the fight and sharing our plight. Here are some of our favorites:

Bill Daley, Food and Wine Writer for the Chicago Tribune. Mr. Daley eloquently and passionately shares his love of food and wine with his readers without bias. What do we mean by bias? For years there has been an idea that only good wines come from California. Years before that it was 'only good wines come from Europe'. Due to open-minded drinkers the general population has learned that great wines can be made anywhere and Mr. Daley is one of those writers we salute. You can read his articles every Wednesday in the Tribune's Good Eating section (<- link to the STEW) and in Sunday's Tribune as well. Be sure to check out his podcasts online.

Tom Wark, Executive Director of the Specialty Wine Retailers Association. Mr. Wark's media and PR expertise is second to none when it comes to wine. If you look up an article on HB0429 you will probably find a quote from him. His passion is seen in his statements but especially in his actions. When he heard about the bill's hearing in Springfield he called Lynfred Winery and said he would be there alongside Lynfred's Fred Koehler and Galena Cellars' Scott Lawlor; and he was. Tom's blog, Fermentation, is one of the most influential, informative and thought-provoking blogs out there.

Christine Blumer, a.k.a. the Wine Diva. Ms. Blumer's knowledge of wine is infectious and her blog fabulous. She shares the love of wine with everyone from novices to connoisseurs and reels in new wine drinkers daily. Her interviews on the Steve Cochran show are informative, down-to-earth and completely enjoyable. Thank you for keeping your readers informed!

Chuck Sudo, Food & Drink writer for the Chicagoist. Chuck Sudo has been following HB0429 like a bloodhound on a hunt. His articles have been precise and, it seems to me, up before anyone else has any of the legislation details. Another great writer to follow.

Know of any other outstanding bloggers featuring current state legislation? Let us know at wineinfo@lynfredwinery.com

IWA's Thoughts of Current Legislation

chicagotribune.com Editorial October 8, 2007

Corking the wine trade

When the Supreme Court struck down state laws barring individuals from buying wine directly from out-of-state wineries, one lawyer called it "the best day for wine lovers since the invention of the corkscrew."
The 2005 decision was a victory for consumers, an advance for open trade and a boon to vineyards with something special to sell. It turns out, though, that the celebrations may have been just a bit premature.
You see, one of the states that imposed limits on interstate wine sales was Illinois -- and it turns out some people here are not that keen on all-out, interstate competition. So they joined together to place new shackles on the wine trade. Last week, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a bill that limits significantly the freedom to buy and sell pinot noirs and chardonnays.
The bill allows all winemakers to ship directly to consumers who are of legal age. In the past, in-state vineyards could sell unlimited supplies to residents, but out-of-state competitors could ship no more than two cases per year to any one person. Now, the limit will be 12 cases, regardless of where the company is located.
That may not sound so bad, but there are worse provisions. Though they enjoy a new liberty to buy from out-of-state vineyards, Illinois oenophiles will no longer be able to order directly from out-of-state wine shops and other retail merchants -- something they have been doing for the last 16 years.
It looks as though about 500 California vineyards that are not officially registered as wineries won't be able to sell to individual buyers here either.
Meanwhile, Illinois' largest vineyards, unlike their smaller counterparts, won't be able to sell directly to stores and restaurants: They will have to go through wholesale distributors. That rule is bound to increase the price of a drink.
What gives? The governor's office proclaims that the bill "represents an agreement between Illinois wineries and liquor distributors." State Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago), a sponsor, boasted that it will "advance our growing wine industry."
Notice anything missing from those pronouncements? Only the needs of ordinary wine drinkers. The clear intent is to protect the profits of favored businesses -- and never mind if consumers, and the state's most successful wine producers, lose out.
Even some of the retailers who are being protected from out-of-state competition have spoken out against the new barriers, fearing they will provoke retaliation from other states.
"Bills like these are bad for consumers," Brian Rosen, the president and CEO of Chicago-based Sam's Wines & Spirits, told Crain's Chicago Business. "If every state's borders were open to wine sales, we could sell $50 million in wine a year outside Illinois."
For years, Illinois laws have interfered with the wine market in ways that do nothing to benefit the average tippler. It's time for the state to get out of the way and let buyers and sellers work out the arrangements that suit them best.

Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Illinois Winemaker’s Alliance Reply to be Posted in October 13, 2007 Tribune:

On behalf of Illinois winemakers, I would like to thank the Tribune editors for recognizing the untold story and inequities of the bill recently signed by Governor Blagojevich, limiting the direct shipment of wine by winemakers to consumers in Illinois. (“Corking the Wine Trade,” October 8, 2007)

What is lost here, in addition to the right of the consumer to purchase the wines of his choice and have them shipped direct to him, is the right most successful wineries in the state to provide a wanted and needed service to that consumer and to profit from that transaction, and the right of all Illinois winemakers to continue to grow without being penalized by a law that unreasonably limits their profit margins.

Under the terms of this bill, Illinois wineries that produce more than 25,000 gallons of wine must conduct all wine shipments through a distributor. What this means is that, not only can they not ship direct to their customers, but they are also restrained from shipping to their own satellite retail outlets. The result is an additional cost to the consumer of up to 20% on all wine purchases—a penalty to both producer and consumer that benefits only the middleman!

The Illinois Winemakers Alliance is a coalition of wineries whose legislative mission is to eliminate this penalty for the state’s most successful winemakers, for those winemakers who will soon achieve production levels that will earn this penalty for them, and for the Illinois wine consumer who bears the ultimate cost of this unfair legislation.

Governor Signs the Bill

Free the Grapes!: New Illinois Law to Expand Consumer Choice for Winery-to-Consumer Shipments from 5 to 50 States, But Corks Out-of-State Retailers

NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich yesterday signed House Bill 429 which goes into effect June 1, 2008. The new law dramatically expands consumer choice for winery-to-consumer purchases made by Illinois wine consumers. Under the new law, wineries in all 50 states may purchase a permit to ship. Under the old law, wineries in just five states, including Illinois, were allowed to direct ship to Illinois consumers. The trading network of states with so-called ‘reciprocal’ wine shipping arrangements has decreased from a dozen to just five: New Mexico, Wisconsin, Iowa, Oregon (changes to permit law in January 2008) and Illinois (changes to permit law in June 2008).

Next year, Illinois will join the majority of U.S. states (34) who have either replaced reciprocity language, or replaced an outright shipping ban, with the successful model direct shipping bill.

“The new law is a boon for winery-to-consumer shipments, and long overdue, but unfortunately it corks out-of-state retailers. An amendment, widely supported by Illinois consumers and Free the Grapes! would have allowed out-of-state retailers the same privileges as wineries. It was defeated by powerful Illinois retailers and wholesalers,” said Jeremy Benson, executive director, Free the Grapes!, a winery-consumer grassroots coalition.

Under the new law, wineries from every state will have the option of purchasing a permit from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission that allows them to ship up to 12 cases per individual per year, among other provisions.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on direct shipping in May 2005, winery-to-consumer shipping has become legal in 34 states, which collectively represent 78% of wine consumption in the U.S. Most states have successfully implemented the model direct shipping bill, which allows wineries to purchase a permit, pay taxes, mark boxes, and consent to the jurisdiction of the state, among other provisions. Free the Grapes! is a national consumer grassroots coalition of more than 300,000 members and supports legal, regulated direct-to-consumer wine shipments.