Talk-A-Vino

It is mind boggling to me how many assaults on the free trade are rotating around wine industry. There are still many states which don’t allow direct shipment of the wine to consumers. Last year, we had to fight with HR 5034 and HR 1161, both greatly impacting consumer’s access to wine on simple and easy terms (no, it should be hard, and most of all, expensive, for you to buy the wine).

Latest in the chain of assaults – “At Rest” proposition in New York Senate, which is sponsored by two big wholesalers with the idea of forcing all wine distribution in the state of New York to go only through warehouses located in the state of New York. That would simply force many of the smaller fine wine merchants in New York, which use warehouses in New Jersey,  to go out of business. Please contact your senator and make him or her to stop this insanity. Here is a complete text of e-mail petition which currently circulates the web – read it and sign it:

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Hi,

A critical issue to the very existence of the fine wine industry in New York has been brought to our attention and we wanted to make you aware of it. One of the largest liquor wholesalers is lobbying the State Senate to include an “at rest” provision in their 2012 budget. The practical effect of “at rest” means that only those distributors delivering product out of New York warehouses could legally sell you wine. Legislation such as this would affect essentially every wholesaler currently in operation other than the two biggest ones, since they almost all warehouse in New Jersey, including our company.

Imagine a landscape with only the two largest wholesalers remaining to work with. Selections would become painfully limited. Prices would most certainly rise. Service would plummet. Their pro-“at rest” argument (union warehouse jobs and revenue) is simply a veiled attempt by this wholesaler to destroy all of the fine wine wholesale competition, because m ost of your valued New York wholesalers would undoubtedly be forced to close their doors. We have contacted our State Senators to tell them that we oppose “at rest” in either legislation or budget language. We urge you to do the same before FRIDAY, MARCH 9th. Please contact your Senator to tell them you oppose “at rest.”

We thank you for your time, your attention, and most of all your support.

That’s why I signed a petition to The New York State Senate and Governor Andrew Cuomo, which says:

“Dear Senator,

It has come to our attention that one large wine & spirit wholesaler is lobbying you to include “at rest” in the 2012 budget. They are claiming “at rest” will create revenue for the State. But, as a licensed, small business that buys from many wine distributors, I do not agree that it would create revenue. Instead, I believe that “At rest” would result in hundreds of closed businesses, including both wholesalers and retailers, and at least a thousand unemployed New Yorkers. As such the State would lose hundreds of millions in taxable revenues from passing this bill. The volume of wine sold in the State (and the accompanying beverage excise tax revenue) would severely decrease. Consumer selection would be limited and the price of wine would escalate with the costs inevitably passed on to the consumer. Moreover, the ancillary effects of the resultant higher unemployment, lower sales and income tax revenues collected, would further exacer bate the current economic position of the state, not improve it. With the above in mind, we urge you NOT to vote for “at rest” either in legislation or in the budget language.

Thank You

”

Will you sign the petition too? Click here to add your name:

http://signon.org/sign/ny-state-senate-do-not?source=s.fwd&r_by=3057649

Thanks!