Maryland Running Circles Around Massachusetts with Thoughtful Wine Legislation

This post is sponsored by Metro West Wines, serving Wellesley, Weston, and Natick MA delivering wine to your doorstop in under an hour.

 

If there's one thing Massachusetts fancies itself, it's as an enlightened population. So this report from Ship Compliant, which links to the Maryland Comptroller's thoughtful analysis of the impact of consumer-direct wine shipments in the state, should serve as a wake up call for Massachusetts residents and lawmakers.

 

The report found that since Maryland allowed consumer-direct shipments, the tired arguments against the direct shipment of wine haven't come to fruition. State revenue increased, adminstration costs were covered, consumer access improved, and local wine retailers saw increased sales.

 

The report even goes so far as to compare consumer access to Wine Spectator Top 100 wines before and after direct shipments were allowed. Sounds like the comptroller knows a bit about wine!

 

What strikes me about the report is its thoughtfulness. It really seems to analyze the situation rationally as opposed to the situation we have here in Massachusetts which amounts to non-action without explaination. Free the Grapes shared an update on the situation for 2013. I'll summarize it for you: Not much going on but expect a new bill soon.

 

Your call to action remains the same as it has for the past 3 years. Write your state representatives. Tell them the direct shipment of wine is important to you.

 

Don't know who your representative is? A list can be found here.

 

I'd love it if you subscribed to The Wellesey Wine Press to keep up to date on this situation.

 

Posted with Blogsy