Wisconsin: Proposed law alarms Wisconsin vintners

Published June 29, 2007

A little-noticed piece of legislation would make it tougher to get your favorite local wine, the state's vintners say, and could drive some of them out of business.

The provisions, slipped into the version of the budget that passed the state Senate on Tuesday, would prevent all wineries from shipping directly to stores in the state and effectively end direct mailing of wine to state consumers from Wisconsin's fast-growing network of vineyards, owners said.

The proposal could "legislate the wineries right out of business in the state," said Peter Botham, owner of Botham Vineyards & Winery in Barneveld.

Many state wineries sell their products directly to retail outlets and ship directly to consumers. The measure would force them to use a distributor to sell their product to stores, which inserts another layer in the process and potentially another cost for consumers or less money for the winery, according to owners and a Republican lawmaker.

The proposal also sets up requirements for shipping wine directly to consumers that include a rule that the shipper ensure the recipient is of legal drinking age and is not drunk when the order arrives.

The state wine and liquor distributors association pushing the change dismisses the vintners' concerns, saying the proposal will benefit state consumers by allowing them to receive mail-order wine from a number of other states for the first time. Currently, state residents can only get direct-mail wine from California and Oregon, the group said.

"This law has the best of intentions," said Mike Wittenwyler, attorney for the Wisconsin Wine & Spirits Institute. "It does what Wisconsin consumers have been asking for."