Whether in history or in fiction, freedom has always been one of the most basic of human values. Other than where the death penalty is permitted, the greatest deterrent to crime is to take away a person's liberty.
Although thankfully lives and basic liberties are no longer at stake – at least for the most part in the US – freedom of choice still is, especially when it comes to wine, and more precisely wine shipping between states.
Wine Freedom was founded five years ago by the National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR) as an advocating body for the consumer.
As Tom Wark, the Executive Director of NAWR, explains: "Wine Freedom is an initiative to engage consumers in the important project of both modernizing alcohol beverage law so that it reflects the modern economy as well as serves consumers."
The problem with shipping restrictions, Wark says, is great. "Only 13 states, for example, allow their consumers to legally receive wine shipments from out-of-state wine retailers, wine-of-the-month clubs or wine auction houses."
Wark continues, "And this is despite the fact that consumers in 47 states may receive wine shipments from out-of-state wineries."
These restrictions across 37 states ultimately punish the customer. Wark says: "Consumers there have access to only a very small minority of the wines available in the US and often only those wines distributed by the shrinking and consolidating wholesaler tier."
Who wins?
For businesses, Wark says, it's simple economic discrimination and protectionism. "It's a matter of discriminating against interstate commerce for the sake of protecting instate retailers and wholesalers. It means damaging wine sales in the United States."
The beneficiaries of such restrictions are both the multi-billion-dollar middleman wholesalers who are keen to keep a white-knuckle grip on the market, and retail outlets scared of outside competition.
These restrictions, Wark explains, "are put in place for no other reason than to protect in-state wholesalers and retailers. No other product in the country and no other set of businesses are protected in this manner."
This has occurred "because states are largely responsible for alcohol laws, lawmakers feel they can curry favor with large wholesaler campaign contributors by doing their bidding – which is quite often them asking for protection from competition.
What does the EU-UK reset mean for wine?
"The biggest challenge faced by Wine Freedom and its consumer supporters is the entrenched and deep pocketed interests that are opposed to consumers being able to access the products they want."
The antiquated state-mandated three-tier distribution system is also a problem. Wark explains: "Too often lawmakers are led to believe that the three-tier system is the end, rather than a means to an end. The three-tier system is one of the most important and long-standing and archaic barriers to consumer satisfaction."
Wine Freedom believes that state laws should maintain a regulated marketplace that allows consumers to access wine from any licensed source in or out-of-state.
Wark explains, "Wine Freedom advocates for easy consumer access to the wines they want. This means advocating for changes to the law, but more importantly it means empowering consumers to take part in the process of protecting and extending their rights as consumers."
Ultimately, it is the US consumer paying the ultimate price – at least when it comes to buying wine.
Wine Freedom's goal is to give consumers the tools and a platform, "a way to raise their voice in matters of commerce and consumer rights."
It may not be quite the stuff of Scottish Independence, but for US wine lovers who value choice, Wine Freedom's rallying cry is worth getting behind.
