Decided to do a "google search"
David Lucas of Lucas Winery in Lodi gives the gift of hand-crafted Zinfandel to many of his loved ones each Christmas. But his friend Nancy in Brooklyn, a Peace Corps buddy from 1966, is out of luck. New York law forbids the shipment of out-of-state wine -- but not in-state wine -- to New Yorkers' homes, and no retailers in New York carry the tiny Lucas brand.
Today, Lucas, 62, is expecting to sit in the marbled halls of the U.S. Supreme Court to watch oral arguments in the landmark Granholm v. Heald and Swedenburg v. Kelly cases. Along with Juanita Swedenburg, a Virginia winemaker, and several New York wine lovers, Lucas is suing the state of New York for discrimination in interstate commerce.
The solicitors general today are expected to argue that direct shipping rights let wineries evade sales taxes and also give Internet-savvy minors access to wine; however, a Federal Trade Commission study last year found that neither was a problem in the states that allow wine shipping.
The FTC report found that virtually all minors who buy alcohol do so from local stores, and that anti-shipping laws lead to higher prices and less choice for consumers.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...hive/2004/12/07/BUGE2A7GCL1.DTL&type=business
New York consumers will now be able to order from Oregon wineries, a move that wasn't immediately possible after New York passed a law in June allowing out-of-state producers to ship directly to state residents.
Oregon's Liquor Control Commission, with the help of the attorney general's office, has drafted an advisory explaining that the state's law allows for direct shipping of wine between Oregon and New York.
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,2920,00.html
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Michigan and New York's bans on out-of-state wine shipments are unconstitutional, the Connecticut legislature passed a bill on June 8 that will allow residents to receive direct shipments of wine from producers both outside and within the state. Previously, Connecticut only allowed in-state wineries to ship to its residents.
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,2767,00.html
Last year, though, state lawmakers made it a felony for wineries to ship wine directly to consumers in Florida. The resulting backlash -- actual and threatened boycotts of Florida by California wineries and countless infuriated wine connoisseurs like Wilson -- is now prompting legislators to backpedal
Its a fascinating look at our country isnt it??
