Be Informed

The passing of House Bill 0429 in 2007 has left the Illinois Winemakers’ Alliance with a battle on their hands. Our battle will begin with first informing our consumers of what HB0429 will do. Here is the letter we will be sending out to our mailing lists:


Dear Illinois Wine Consumer,

I am writing to you in regards to current wine legislation that will affect Illinois wine consumers. Recently House Bill 0429 was signed by Governor Blagojevich and will become law July 1, 2008. The media has portrayed this bill as beneficial to all Illinois wine consumers and Illinois wineries, while it actually strips the rights of the consumer and stunts the growth of the Illinois wine industry.

We want to inform you of how the bill will affect you as a consumer:

HB0429 Ignores you, the Illinois wine consumer
HB0429 Strips your rights as Illinois citizens to buy wine from out-of-state retailers
HB0429 Increases the cost of wine to you, the consumer
HB0429 Stops the function of the free market
HB0429 Is an Illegal restraint of trade and commerce
HB0429 Prevents industry competition
HB0429 Limits fair access of Illinois wines to the retail market
HB0429 Creates an Imbalance of distribution among state wineries
.
While the private interest of the commercial entities in the industry is artificially protected from the challenges of dealing with the changes in the market place, there is no noticeable advancement of the public welfare.

We will be contacting Illinois Senators and Representatives to review the Illinois Alcoholic Beverage Laws and Regulations. The Federal Trade Commission, the federal agency in charge of consumer protection and anti-trust enforcement, will be looking into wine distribution in various states.

We urge you, the Illinois Wine Consumer, to contact your state representative and senator. Further information can be found at www.illinoiswinemakersalliance.com as well as links to contact your local and state representatives.

Should you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us at 630.529.9463 or at wineinfo@lynfredwinery.com. In the meantime we, as Illinois Winemakers, will be planning our next move.

Sincerely,

Fred Koehler
President
IWA

Scott Lawlor
Vice President
IWA

Tom Stone
Executive Director
IWA

This letter will be followed by similar letters to our state representatives, senators and the members of the press. We urge you to share this letter with fellow wine lovers anyway you can, email, blog, anything! Help us fight the fight!

Back with a Force

After a long holiday season we are back to blog! The holidays are a busy time for wineries and wine retailers and I apologize for the lack of blogs but now we’re back in force.

The Illinois Winemakers’ Alliance is still fighting the effects of HB 0429 in Illinois and today the newspapers and media outlets are abuzz with the revelation of wholesaler’s political donations.

The SWRA has released monetary donation charts of the wholesaler’s political contributions and Wines & Vines printed the article today. The Sun Times and The Chicagoist also picked up on outrageous donations. Take a moment to read for yourselves and you’ll realize how hard it is for the Illinois Wineries to fight these battles, the wholesaler’s just have the money.

Stay tuned for upcoming political action by the IWA.

Tokyo Celebrates Nouveau in Style

Today marks the release of Nouveau wine around the world. At midnight on the third Thursday of November, the sounds of corks popping can be heard from all around as wine drinkers celebrate Nouveau!

Nouveau wine has been a French tradition for centuries. It is the first wine out of each year’s harvest to be released. French tradition does not allow the wine to be released until midnight on that third Thursday.

Through the years Nouveau parties have become more and more original and unique, but I have to say, after reading today’s article on Fox News about Tokyo’s bash, I think they’ve taken the cake. . .

While the Japanese may be toasting this season's release of the Beaujolais Nouveau wine with the traditional "kanpai!" or "dry glass," keeping their glasses dry would prove to be difficult as they bathed in a sea of the red wine at a new spa, the U.K.'s Telegraph reports.

• Click here to view photos.

Revelers on Thursday donned swimsuits and, wine glasses in hand, descended into the red water of the Beaujolais Nouveau spa, part of the Hakone Yunessun spa, where guests are able to bathe and swim in the wine while drinking it.

Japan is the biggest export market for the Beaujolais Nouveau, consuming about 11.5 million bottles, or nearly a quarter of the entire vintage.

"To us Beaujolais nouveau means France, it allows us to experience a little bit of French culture," Nippon News Network journalist Akiko Yajima said earlier this week.

Kansas Governor Needs Some Wine Education

Today we were sent an article about the Governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius, who probably, nonchalantly said “If you ever see Kansas wine, don’t drink it”. Naturally we were compelled to post it.

As seen in our recent post on favorite bloggers, we mention how our favorites have an open mind to wine. For many years the general perception was that only good wine came from France. About a decade ago, wine lovers realized there were also great wines from California and eventually the entire west coast. What many people do not realize is that there are wineries in every single state of the US. Great wines are being created all over our great nation and it is quite disheartening when the head of state doesn’t even realize there are wineries there.

In the past we have not followed the politics of Governor Sebelius so this is not a political bash, however this would be a great opportunity for some wine education.

Sebelius makes quip about Kansas wine


It might not be a good idea to serve Kansas wine to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

At a fundraiser Tuesday for Gov. Chris Gregoire of Washington state, Gregoire praised her state’s wine, says the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

“You should be thankful we don’t make wine in Kansas,” Sebelius said. “If you ever see Kansas wine, don’t drink it.”

Norm Jennings, manager of a Salina, Kan., winery, didn’t find the joke funny: “It hurts.”

Spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said Sebelius was making the point that Washington produced more wine than Kansas. “She then made a poor attempt at humor but says she won’t do that again!” she said.

White Owl Winery to Speak at National Wine Conference

WHITE OWL WINERY FOUNDER TO SPEAK AT NATIONAL WINE CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND IN NORTH CAROLINA

(For Immediate Release from Birds, Illinois)

It’s amazing where your hobby can take you! So begins the presentation by one of the founders of White Owl Winery, near Birds, Illinois.

Joy Neighbors will be presenting two one-hour-and-15 minute seminars entitled: White Owl Winery, From a Wine-Kit to a Winery this Friday and Saturday, November 2 and 3 during the 40th Annual Conference of the American Wine Society in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Neighbors is the Marketing Director of the winery and has been the originator and coordinator for the successful Murder Mystery and Comedy Improv Dinners held at White Owl for the past six years. She will speak on how the winery began, the obstacles encountered in growing a small winery in Illinois and the successful outlook for the future. She will also discuss the growth of wineries and vineyards throughout the state and the benefits of being an Illinois winery.

Neighbors was invited to speak by Gene Spaziani, National Program Chairperson for the American Wine Society. She will be the first person ever to speak from the state of Illinois. Over 6,000 attendees are expected to attend this weekend.

Before opening the winery in 2000 with her husband Brian, Neighbors spent 20 years in the broadcasting industry as a writer, producer/director and talent. She began her radio career at WAOV in Vincennes, Indiana and then moved to WTAY in Robinson, Illinois before moving to Ohio to begin a career in television.

Neighbors speaks regularly to groups and associations about the winery, marketing and agri-tourism.

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.