Published March 2, 2006 in issue 0509 of the HooK.

Just happened on the article [February 2: "Out-lobbied: Wholesalers hogtie wineries"} linked through erobertparker.com. This quote got my attention:

"'That's because we don't have the money the distributors do," says Bill Moses, chairman of the Virginia Wine Board and CEO of Kluge Estate Vineyard and Winery."

I laughed until I cried. Poor, poor Kluge just can't compete. They should outspend the distributors lobbying for their distribution rights-- possibly by an order of magnitude. Guess what that would do to the General Assembly subcommittee vote?

Dan Kravitz
Harpswell, Maine (but Warrenton for the previous decade)

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