People who know me are aware I have some very strong views about the effots undertaken by the beer and wine wholesalers to keep their businesses protected at the expense of consumers. Tom Wark at Fermentation appears to share those views, and he has written an outstanding piece.
I just have a hard time understanding how these guys feel their profits are going to dry up if I can order wine and have it shipped to my home. First, if I’m ordering from an in-state retailer, the wholesalers already got their cut on the products I’ve purchased.
Second, I’m not going to order stuff online that I can get in my local wine shops–the cost of shipping isn’t worth it. So, again, the wholesalers aren’t losing a darn thing. Now, I’ll concede that people with limited funds might decide to purchase some stuff not sold locally, and thus the local guys (and wholesalers) will lose that money, but is it really going to be that big of a loss? Since wine enthusiasts tend to have a bit more disposable income, I would guess, I just don’t see this “worry” becoming real.
Our economic system is based on the idea that competition is good. The wholesalers, however, have a virtual monopoly on alcohol distribution. Now, if we could open up the laws a bit so that the local retailers could obtain their products from wholesalers outside their own states, then I think everyone would win. But don’t hold your breath on that one.
Technorati Tags: Wine, Wine Shipping
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The US wine distribution laws are absurd, it’s such obvious racketeering that if was happening in any other country the US would probably slap sanctions on them. Drink wine and vote!