LETTER- Wine law means <i>real</i> sour grapes

The recent law enacted by the General Assembly [News, "Bad taste: New law riles wineries, retailers," August 31] has to rank as one of the worst, with a very negative impact on the consumer and on a wine industry that has made great strides in both quantity and quality in the past five years.

No one takes credit for the clause that eliminates delivery by retailers to consumers. I can call Windsor Vineyards in California, order a case of wine, and have it show up on my doorstep, but I can't do the same thing with my local wine store. Maybe Fedex, UPS, and DHL got together to lobby for that clause.

As to the Farm Winery Act, in spite of what the lawyer for the Virginia Wine Wholesalers says, this new law has nothing to do with the Supreme Court ruling and all to do with greedy wholesalers. Interview him again and ask about the $200,000 the wholesale lobby spent to get this bill passed.

You can produce the best wines in the state– or world for that matter– but without having the wine on a retailer's shelf at reasonable prices, you will end up with "sour grapes."

Stan Rose
Albemarle

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