Wine wars: Coble & McHenry get paid, big time

Submitted by scharrison on

Bowing to the wishes of monopolistic beer & wine distributors:

the CARE Act, if passed, would erect large hurdles for anyone attempting to challenge a state’s wine-shipping laws through litigation by giving the 21st Amendment, which grants states the right to control alcohol sales, precedence over the Commerce Clause, the section in Article One that prohibits states from discriminating between in- and out-of-state commerce.

Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.), who introduced the bill to the floor alongside Delahunt, has accepted $27,500 from the NBWA since 2005. The wholesaler associations invested most enthusiastically in Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.)—the NBWA sent him $42,500 in five years, and the WSWA contributed an additional $4,000.

I no longer consume the devil's elixir, but I have toured several North Carolina vineyards. And a few of them were really small, doing the bulk of their sales via "mail-order". I was actually surprised (and pleased) to find out NC was considered a "wine state" by the industry, ranked 6th (I think) in volume produced. But what will happen to these smaller guys if they no longer have a (consumer) market?

I'm sure we've got some wineheads reading this. What say you?

Comments

I'm not a "winehead"

Submitted by Linda on

but I enjoy a glass or two now and then. I love the small NC wineries, and always try to make one or two trips a year to see what they've got to offer, and stock up. (That makes it sound like I'm a wino, I'm not!)

There are so many delightful wineries in NC, small family businesses that contribute to the economy of our state in both the production side, sales, and even tourism. I know that the ones I've visited do a lot of business shipping purchases for customers, and mail order. I'd hate to see them lose that segment of their business.

I'm not surprised that Coble is pushing something that's paying for him. I'm not even going to comment on McHenry.

I love the smaller ones

Submitted by scharrison on

I've "chaperoned" my mom and sis to a few of them, and usually I wander around checking out the vines while they're doing their tasting thing. Ees fun. :)