Greetings,
Had a wonderful time at chez gregory. Thanks to Warren/Ruth/Princess
This Thursday, Auriga style wines at Auriga. If you
think it's a good fit for the menu, bring it.
no corkage
18% will be added to the bill.
10 percent tax zone.
1/3 rule barely covers it.
Yes
Bob
Betsy
Russ
Jim
Guess:
Lori
Roger
Nicolai
Karin
Later/Maybe
Louise
Sunday, Brunch at Bobino.
Champagne w/ the usual "rules" about ringers and supporting bottles (dessert,
pinot...)
Bring flutes....
Look for a seperate message.
Yes
Joyce
Dave
Bob
Betsy
Lori
Bill
Jim/Louise
Russ/Sue
Warren/Ruth
Nikolai
Karin
Cheers,
Jim
May 17, 2005
From New York to California, Vintners Draw Up New Plans
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
Sounds of joy - not yet drunken - flowed from the wine cellars of Long Island yesterday
after the Supreme Court cleared the way for vineyards to sell directly to drinkers.
Many of the biggest wine sellers of Manhattan also rejoiced, as did local fans of Le
Cigare Volant Riserva Triperfecto, a barely available wine made in Santa Cruz, Calif.
"This is the beginning of a new era for wine marketing and the liberty of
commerce," said Charles Massoud, who owns Paumanok Vineyards in Aquebogue, N.Y., with
his wife, Ursula, and expects profits from his Long Island wines to increase 5 percent as
a result of the decision. "People can now be treated like adults, where heretofore we
were deprived of a fundamental freedom. As a small business owner, this is helpful because
it opens the door for us to be responsive at least to those people who from the tristate
area who come and visit us here."
Winemakers in New York had been frustrated that they had been unable to ship even to
Connecticut and New Jersey, and wine lovers have bemoaned their inability to buy from
small vineyards in California and other states.
It is now up to the Legislature in Albany to decide how to respond to the court. Because
the ruling said states had to treat instate wine customers the same as those from out of
state, New York can forbid all direct sales to consumers, ending the right of New York
winemakers to sell to New Yorkers directly, or allow interstate wine commerce for all.
Before the Supreme Court acted, 26 states permitted direct shipments to consumers from
winemakers, and 24 banned them. New York permitted such sales only if a winery maintained
a physical presence in the state.
"It has been very complicated and confusing, because so many states have so many
different laws," the executive director of the Long Island Wine Council, Steven Bate,
said. Gov. George E. Pataki said yesterday that he supported interstate wine sales but
wanted to ensure that minors would not be able to buy wine online as a result of any
changes to state law.
"I just hope we are able to put in place safeguards," Mr. Pataki said at a news
conference in Albany, to make sure "adults only in an appropriate manner are
purchasing interstate."
"We will be able to sell more of our really strange and exotic and esoteric
wines," said John Locke, creative director for the Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz,
maker of that Le Cigare Volant Riserva Triperfecto, one of many wines available only
through the vineyard's wine club. "We have a wine club with 7,000 members, and
we can expand that."
Eric Asimov contributed reporting for this article.
--
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* Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu *
* University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX *
* Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *