Vineyard Diary

Liquor panel to lobby for new law after Supreme Court ruling goes against state.

Or, "It's my ball, and I'm not playing."

According to the Detroit News website, the Michigan Liquor Control Commision will push to ban all internet sales of wine in Michigan. Here's an extract from the article:

Nida Samona, head of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, said the state's response would be tighter restrictions on sales rather than opening up opportunities to wineries that want to expand their Web sales. Samona planned to ask the Legislature to change the law rather than issue a ruling from the commission. "There shouldn't be any shipment of wine or any other alcohol product; it should be purchased directly, face-to-face," she said in a conference call with reporters.

This was one possible outcome to the US Supreme Court's recent direct-shipping ruling. It remains to be seen whether Michigan will truly take this step, or whether the statement apparently made by Samona was just a knee-jerk reaction. That type of policy is unthinkable to most Californians, and such a move would hardly seem supportive of Michigan wineries. Let's hope that sanity and logic prevail.

Full Detroit News article.

Steve Wetherill
Escafeld Vineyards
Jolon California