Posts By: Tom Wark

Lessons From the New Hampshire Wine Shipping Debacle

On February 1, 2018, the writing was on the wall. The New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s attempt to convince the state’s lawmakers to strip out-of-state wine retailers of their right to obtain permits to ship wine to  consumers was going to die in committee. The Commission’s response to this reality was unusual: The Liquor Commission chose… Read more »

When Gangsters Oversee Wine Sales in New Hampshire

Given the recent events in New Hampshire in which the Liquor Commission has begun to block wine shipments to the state’s consumers, it is becoming abundantly clear that the Liquor Commission there can’t be trusted to fairly administer its regulatory responsibilities concerning the direct shipment of wine. Furthermore, it’s clear now that the responsibility for… Read more »

Correcting False Statements By Opponents of Wine Shipping

A recent Wine Spectator article written by Emma Balter was headlined, “Wine Lovers Facing Increasing Hurdles Ordering Online.” It was a good update of the challenges wine lovers and wine retailers face merely trying to consummate the simple sale and delivery of wine. And it outlined efforts being made by NAWR and others in combating… Read more »

What Can You Buy For $150 Million in the Alcohol Industry?

Our recent report on campaign contributions by America’s alcohol wholesalers outlines the astounding $107 million the middle tier has contributed to state political campaigns over the past five election cycles. The amount dwarfs what all other sectors of the alcohol industry have given in the same year. More importantly, the report is one clue as… Read more »

Michigan Wine Lovers Have No Access to 89% of Wines

The increase in interstate wine shipment by wine retailers and wine stores over the past decade can be traced directly to 3 developments in the American economy: 1. A significant increase in the number and diversity of domestic and imported wine products in the U.S. marketplace 2. Increased access to information about these new and… Read more »

Who’s Killing The Fine Wine Retailers?

Independent fine wine retailers are at risk of commercial irrelevancy by being permanently shut out of the lucrative wine shipping channel and the expanded markets they need for future survival. A combination of their own shortsighted fear of competition, the emergence of multi-state retail licensees and retailers’ proclivity to side with industry groups that don’t… Read more »

The Ongoing Attempt to Kill America’s Greatest Wine Retailers

In the face of the declining brick and mortar retail sector at the hands of Amazon and other online players, it’s hard to overstate the shortsightedness of the opponents of retailer-to-consumer wine shipping. Without the ability to access the broader, more expansive national marketplace for fine wine via direct interstate shipment , traditional specialty wine… Read more »

Challenging State Wine Laws: The Tanford Interview, Part 2

In a previous post we introduced Alex Tanford, the Indiana attorney and professor who played a key role in moving the landmark Granholm v Heald Supreme Court case to fruition and who is currently challenging discriminatory laws in three states that ban retailer to consumer shipping. In this post, Professor Tanford addresses questions concerning the… Read more »

Becoming An Advocate for Wine Lovers — The Tanford Interview, Part 1

For twenty-five years Professor Alex Tanford has, along with partner Robert Epstein, been using the state and federal court systems to address blatantly discriminatory laws the negatively impact consumers’ ability to access the wines they want. Tanford was Counsel of record in the Supreme Court case of Granholm v. Heald (2005) and in 18 related lower court cases addressing… Read more »