Wholesalers and retailers have a new boogeyman to scare legislators.  It’s called Amazon. And in a few states they are conflating the so-called “Amazon effect” to prevent the expansion of consumer choice with winery direct shipping. The only problem is that it fails the simplest fact checking. Here’s how they use the story line: They ... Read more

Why can wineries ship to 94% of the adult population, but retailers only 22%? The short answer: commitment to a long-term, national solution. For more than three decades, wineries across the U.S. have worked to implement a legal, regulated DTC sales channel. This channel was never intended to replace, but to augment, the traditional 3-tier ... Read more

If you are a winery, this may seem like a basic question. Doesn’t everyone know that DTC shipments are made from a licensed business – such as a winery licensee or a retailer licensee – through a common carrier to an adult consumer? Well, no. Outside the wine industry, the definition gets cloudy, the implications ... Read more