Massachusetts Lawmakers to Hear Testimony on Wine Direct Shipping, Tuesday, May 10th

Everyone once in a while I get an E-mail I've been waiting a long time for and knock out a blog post immediately. Just now I received this press release from Free the Grapes about an important hearing this coming Tuesday in Massachusetts.

MA HB 1029 would finally, mercifully, allow direct shipment of wine from out of state wineries to Massachusetts residents.

Here's a quick Q&A with Free the Grapes:

WWP: What would you suggest MA wine consumers do to right now to help MA HB 1029 pass and allow direct shipment from out-of-state wineries to MA consumers?

Free the Grapes: We encourage Massachusetts wine lovers to express their support of wine direct shipping in their state by sending letters to the committee?s leadership through our website. Next week we will update the distribution list beyond the committee to include all MA legislators, in order for us to broaden the message. http://capwiz.com/freegrapes/issues/alert/?alertid=34295506

WWP: If the bill passes, how long until direct shipments become a reality?

Free the Grapes: It?s too early to tell. Like in other states, the licensing parameters and common carrier approvals precede issuing winery licenses. To use Maryland as an example, the bill will be signed by the Governor next week on 5/10, but the comptroller?s office is prepping documents and regulations to meet the law?s effective date of 7/1/11. This is common.

WWP: Would the bill allow direct shipments from out of state retailers to MA consumers?

Free the Grapes: No. The bill allows for wine shipments from licensed wineries directly to Massachusetts consumers.

From the press release:

May 6, 2011, Napa, CA ?  On Tuesday, May 10 the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure will hold a public hearing to discuss House Bill 1029. Passage of this bill would mark an end to the state?s archaic ban on wine shipments from licensed wineries directly to Massachusetts consumers, according to Free the Grapes!, the national coalition of consumers, wineries and retailers. www.freethegrapes.org

Hearing Details:

What: House Bill 1029
Who: Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
When: Tuesday, May 10, 2011; 1:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Massachusetts State House, Room A-1, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108
Bill Information: http://www.malegislature.gov/bills/187/house/h01029

HB 1029 conforms to the ruling Family Winemakers of California v. Jenkins, which was upheld by the 1st Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in January 2010. The lawsuit successfully challenged a 2006 Massachusetts statute banning winery-to-consumer shipments from wineries and wine companies producing more than 30,000 gallons per year, and who retain a wholesaler. The 30,000 gallon capacity cap was ruled to be discriminatory and the legislature was tasked with developing a remedy.

Introduced in February by Representative David M. Torrisi, HB 1029 is similar to the model direct shipping bill that is the foundation for statutes in the majority of U.S. states, providing legal, regulated direct shipping to consumers. Among other provisions, HB 1029 requires wineries to purchase a state-issued shipping license, to mark boxes as requiring an adult signature at delivery, and limits the quantity of wine shipped to individuals to 24 cases per year. The basis for HB 1029, the model direct shipping bill, was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and supported by the Federal Trade Commission.

Thirty-seven states and Washington D.C. ? but not Massachusetts ? allow licensed wineries to ship directly to consumers ? those states account for 83% of US wine consumption. Massachusetts is the seventh largest wine consumption state in the U.S. however it is one of 17 states that continue to ban winery-to-consumer direct shipments. Maryland Governor O?Malley is scheduled to sign House and Senate Bills later this month to allow winery direct shipping, which will make Maryland the 38th state to allow winery direct shipping.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/s7hQwJrULRk/massachusetts-lawmakers-to-hear.html

Shana Hiatt Shania Twain Shanna Moakler Shannon Elizabeth

On Biodynamics, Voodoo Vintners and the Learning Imperative

When The Oregonian wine columnist and first-time author Katherine Cole says in the preface of her book (Voodoo Vintners: Oregon’s Astonishing Biodynamic Winegrowers) that its, “An examination of an inscrutable topic” I wondered if that was a caveat that she bolted on after the fact, a veiled warning to readers that she felt incomplete in her examination of the nascent, controversial and woefully misunderstood viticultural practice that is Biodynamics (BioD).

To the contrary, Cole has largely triumphed in surveying the origins of BioD while providing a sweeping and balanced perspective of its practice in the decidedly progressive cultural environment of Oregon. And, in my opinion, the introduction and first two chapters of Voodoo Vintners provides more coherency on the underpinnings of Biodynamics and its ideological leader, Rudolf Steiner, than most of what has been published to date.  In and of itself, that is worth the price of the book because Voodoo Vintners is not a tidy, self-contained opinion piece for those looking for an easy treatise that jives positively or negatively with existing opinion.  Instead, it gives the reader plenty of food for thought and enough well-researched background to lead an individual in exploration in what is ultimately a very complex subject. 

Consider it a jumping off point.

image

When it comes to Biodynamics, grappling with the inherent complexity and pursuing independent exploration is a particularly important point: While it’s easy to latch onto opinions that validate our potentially narrow viewpoint, it’s much more challenging to understand the origin of BioD and form a fully realized opinion that rationalizes a 360 degree perspective with sympathy towards the unknown.

At the risk of injecting my own bias when author Cole doesn’t, I lean sympathetic to BioD and its esotericism.  I’m comfortable with ambiguity.  I’ve repeatedly experienced déjà vu, I don’t dismiss ghost stories, and as a now aged amateur athlete I’ve experienced a heightened state of consciousness on occasion, what is called being in, “The Zone.”  Most can relate to these things, even if none of them are fully understood.

Spiritually, I’m a lapsed Catholic married to a reformed Jew with an “All God’s Creatures” sensibility.  We underscore that mélange with an Eastern philosophical bent.  Suffice to say, the ritualistic spiritual aspects of BioD combined with the fuzziness of sensory perception and energy forces isn’t something I dismiss out of hand.

As Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, the research lead for the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources at Washington State University is quoted as saying in the book, “There are many ways of knowing.  There is logic, there is intuition, there are dreams, there is conversation, there is observation.  All of these should be respected and developed.”

I agree.

However, there is much in the historical melting pot of BioD that borders on forbiddingly complex for the layperson – Goethe, an obscure Persian religion called Zoroastrianism, Steiner’s own philosophy of Anthroposophy, the over-arching philosophy of Theosophy, and the power of intent via quantum mechanics (to name a few) that can be linked to BioD and Steiner’s seminal lectures that make up the foundation of the movement.  These are all skillfully referenced and examined with varying degrees of depth in Voodoo Vintners, available to the reader for further exploration.

Yet, where Cole’s writing picks up its own energy is when she switches from the thesis-style aspects of her research and writes first person about the personalities in the Biodynamic and sustainable Oregon wine scene.  Despite the book not being contiguously linked chapter by chapter, this area of the book provides cohesion and context to the subject matter, along with a warm writing style that best suits the author.

When writing about the late Jimi Brooks or Alex Sokol Blosser, the book takes on a vitality that is relatable, especially when Sokol Blosser says of some of the infamous manure-based BioD soil amendments, “I don’t want the vineyard guys to do anything I wouldn’t do.  And I don’t shovel shit”

Ultimately, the book leaves the reader with a broader sense of Biodynamics, but willfully, no answers.  When consultant Dominique Lafon says of Biodynamics, “It’s as simple as it is complicated” I nodded in agreement intrigued to understand this subject on deeper terms after Cole artfully laid out the case that what is known is only equaled by what is unknown and because of that, ultimately, Biodynamics boils down to belief.

If you like your news to hew closely to your political belief system, there’s no amount of persuasion that will get you to cross the proverbial aisle – in politics or Biodynamics.  However, if you approach life with an open mind and an open heart, you’re likely to find something in this book that will make you a little smarter, intrigued to learn more and, ultimately, better equipped to make your own judgment on a subject that is still early in its adoption cycle.

Source: http://goodgrape.com/index.php/site/on_biodynamics_voodoo_vintners_and_the_learning_imperative/

Kelly Ripa Kelly Rowland Kerry Suseck Kim Kardashian

Massachusetts Lawmakers to Hear Testimony on Wine Direct Shipping, Tuesday, May 10th

Everyone once in a while I get an E-mail I've been waiting a long time for and knock out a blog post immediately. Just now I received this press release from Free the Grapes about an important hearing this coming Tuesday in Massachusetts.

MA HB 1029 would finally, mercifully, allow direct shipment of wine from out of state wineries to Massachusetts residents.

Here's a quick Q&A with Free the Grapes:

WWP: What would you suggest MA wine consumers do to right now to help MA HB 1029 pass and allow direct shipment from out-of-state wineries to MA consumers?

Free the Grapes: We encourage Massachusetts wine lovers to express their support of wine direct shipping in their state by sending letters to the committee?s leadership through our website. Next week we will update the distribution list beyond the committee to include all MA legislators, in order for us to broaden the message. http://capwiz.com/freegrapes/issues/alert/?alertid=34295506

WWP: If the bill passes, how long until direct shipments become a reality?

Free the Grapes: It?s too early to tell. Like in other states, the licensing parameters and common carrier approvals precede issuing winery licenses. To use Maryland as an example, the bill will be signed by the Governor next week on 5/10, but the comptroller?s office is prepping documents and regulations to meet the law?s effective date of 7/1/11. This is common.

WWP: Would the bill allow direct shipments from out of state retailers to MA consumers?

Free the Grapes: No. The bill allows for wine shipments from licensed wineries directly to Massachusetts consumers.

From the press release:

May 6, 2011, Napa, CA ?  On Tuesday, May 10 the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure will hold a public hearing to discuss House Bill 1029. Passage of this bill would mark an end to the state?s archaic ban on wine shipments from licensed wineries directly to Massachusetts consumers, according to Free the Grapes!, the national coalition of consumers, wineries and retailers. www.freethegrapes.org

Hearing Details:

What: House Bill 1029
Who: Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
When: Tuesday, May 10, 2011; 1:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Massachusetts State House, Room A-1, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108
Bill Information: http://www.malegislature.gov/bills/187/house/h01029

HB 1029 conforms to the ruling Family Winemakers of California v. Jenkins, which was upheld by the 1st Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in January 2010. The lawsuit successfully challenged a 2006 Massachusetts statute banning winery-to-consumer shipments from wineries and wine companies producing more than 30,000 gallons per year, and who retain a wholesaler. The 30,000 gallon capacity cap was ruled to be discriminatory and the legislature was tasked with developing a remedy.

Introduced in February by Representative David M. Torrisi, HB 1029 is similar to the model direct shipping bill that is the foundation for statutes in the majority of U.S. states, providing legal, regulated direct shipping to consumers. Among other provisions, HB 1029 requires wineries to purchase a state-issued shipping license, to mark boxes as requiring an adult signature at delivery, and limits the quantity of wine shipped to individuals to 24 cases per year. The basis for HB 1029, the model direct shipping bill, was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court and supported by the Federal Trade Commission.

Thirty-seven states and Washington D.C. ? but not Massachusetts ? allow licensed wineries to ship directly to consumers ? those states account for 83% of US wine consumption. Massachusetts is the seventh largest wine consumption state in the U.S. however it is one of 17 states that continue to ban winery-to-consumer direct shipments. Maryland Governor O?Malley is scheduled to sign House and Senate Bills later this month to allow winery direct shipping, which will make Maryland the 38th state to allow winery direct shipping.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WellesleyWinePress/~3/s7hQwJrULRk/massachusetts-lawmakers-to-hear.html

Monica Keena Monica Potter Monika Kramlik Moon Bloodgood

Announcing WBW 71: Rhones Not From The Rhône

The theme for WBW 71 is, "Rhones Not From The Rhône." Pick any wine made from a variety best known in The Rhône but not made in that famous French region. It doesn't matter if the wine is white, pink or red; still, sparkling or fortified. Whatever you choose just needs to be made from primarily a Rhone grape and come from a region not in France.

Announcing WBW 71: Rhones Not From The Rhône</a> originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/jrDA0wzAgrw/

Salma Hayek Samaire Armstrong Samantha Mathis Samantha Morton

WBW 71 Wrap-up: (Mostly) New World Rhones

It has been nearly three years since I last hosted Wine Blogging Wednesday but my choice of theme was easy. Wines made from Rhône varieties are among my personal favorites and I was hoping to learn about many more new wines from participants this month. There were 25 bloggers posting reviews from all over the [...]

WBW 71 Wrap-up: (Mostly) New World Rhones originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/BXdQNlLxMqM/

Michelle Behennah Michelle Branch Michelle Malkin Michelle Obama