Ep 206: Tom Wark on the Messy Politics of US Wine Shipping
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Tom Wark, executive director of the National Association of Wine Retailers (Winefreedom.org), wine PR guru, and author of Fermentation Wine Blog \\xa0gives a fascinating look at the history of US wine law, current inane laws (unconstitutional) on interstate wine shipping, and the ripple effects for wine producers, importers, and drinkers.
*Note: This issue is not a democrat v republican issue, so if you fear this will be a partisan conversation, both sides are restricting consumer rights and there is no discussion of party politics in the show.\\xa0
Even if you are not an American listener, the history and politics of the world\'s biggest market (by volume) and the restrictive environment in which wine is sold will shock and amaze you.\\xa0
Here are some of the issues we tackle in the conversation:
- Why the current laws violate the spirit of the Articles of Confederation and then the Constitution of the United States
- The Pre- and Post- Prohibition eras, Constitutional Amendments and a violation of the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution
- Granholm v. Heald, a 2005 case that should have resolved this and why it didn\'t \\xa0
- Implications for consumers, retailers, small producers, and importers, and why we need to use our voices to stop the politics