California Tied-House Restrictions and Exceptions
February 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment
The federal government and nearly every state have laws on the books that regulate trade practices in the alcoholic beverage industry. One of the most complex categories of these regulations are those known as “tied-house” laws. These laws are intended to prevent the domination of retailers by their suppliers, i.e. the ability of a large [...]
The Basic Structure of the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation System in the U.S.
January 26, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Thanks to the language of the Twenty-first Amendment, the body of laws governing the alcoholic beverage industry is a complex system involving regulations set by local jurisdictions (i.e. cities and counties), the states, and the federal government. Under this system, states are authorized to regulate the delivery and use of alcoholic beverages within their borders [...]
Appellations of Origin in the U.S.
January 20, 2012 | 1 Comment
With little in the way of recent developments in the area of wine law, now seems an opportune time to discuss some of the basics. We’ll start with the laws governing appellations of origin of wine, or American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) as they are known in the United States. In 1935, congress adopted the Federal [...]
Premises Liability and Solid Waste from Wineries at Issue in Washington State
November 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment
In 1996, county officials in Washington state told Whitney Farms to deal with a dangerous condition on their property, after a 16-year old fell into a pit of smoldering grape pomace and was burned so badly his legs had to be amputated. They said that it was permissible for the farm to spread the pomace [...]
Mexican Tariff on US Wine Exports Lifted, TTB Working to Remove Other Barriers for US Wine Exports
October 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment
In 2009, Mexico imposed ‘retaliatory tariffs’ on 99 different US exports across the border, including a 20% tariff on the US wine, purportedly as a result of a dispute between the two countries over the safety of Mexican trucks. For the past two years, that tariff has significantly decreased the value of wine exports to [...]