Wineries, wholesalers fight over on-line wine sales
Submitted on October 30, 2003 - 1:00am.
Ruxandra Giura - Fall 2003
WASHINGTON – “It's all about the money, honey!”
That's what David P. Sloane, president of WineAmerica, told a House subcommittee Thursday. He said a controversy about whether to allow wineries to ship their wine directly to customers is more about the money and less about underage drinking.
The dispute also pits wine producers against wholesalers and retailers, who say they lose money when customers order direct from wineries.
“This debate is not really about elite wine geeks ‘deregulating' alcohol or dismantling the three-tier system,” Sloane said. “And this debate is most decidedly not about a public galvanized against direct shipment.”
That's what David P. Sloane, president of WineAmerica, told a House subcommittee Thursday. He said a controversy about whether to allow wineries to ship their wine directly to customers is more about the money and less about underage drinking.
The dispute also pits wine producers against wholesalers and retailers, who say they lose money when customers order direct from wineries.
“This debate is not really about elite wine geeks ‘deregulating' alcohol or dismantling the three-tier system,” Sloane said. “And this debate is most decidedly not about a public galvanized against direct shipment.”
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